Public Sector workers have found protection inside IBEW Local 1245 since the 1960s.
IBEW Local 1245 negotiates wages, benefits and working conditions for workers at many public agencies, as well as many private non-profit organizations serving a wider public good such as Irrigation Districts and Rural Electric Cooperatives and Associations. Representing workers in the public sector poses special challenges for unions:
- Revenues may fall dramatically during economic slow-downs, which creates a difficult environment for contract negotiations.
- Labor relations in the public sector are generally governed by state law, rather than federal law. Historically, state law has lagged behind federal law in protecting the rights of workers and their unions.
Over a dozen IBEW Local 1245 business representatives have responsibility for representing IBEW members at one or more public sector employers. The union’s activities are coordinated by an Assistant Business Manager assigned specifically to the public sector. Local 1245 conducts one or more steward conferences each year targeted specifically to public sector shop stewards.