The IBEW Labor Union in California and How it Has Worked with PG&E

The Current Labor Movement or Labor History
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History of IBEW Local 1245 and PG&E
Labor unions in the United States have historically been a critical part of the country’s workforce. For decades, workers’ interests have been protected and facilitated through the strong bargaining positions of national unions. In California, one of the major unions for electrical workers is the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245. IBEW has worked with such employers as the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) company, which serves over 16 million people with natural gas and electric services (PG&E, n.d.). With the company employing about 23000 workers, unionization becomes a major issue to address. This paper presents a historical overview of the IBEW labor union, focusing on California and how it has worked with PG&E for the welfare of the workers. The mission of the union, its history, and core activities will be detailed, after which the union's relationship with PG&E is outlined.
Company Profile and Mission
The IBEW is a nonprofit labor union, considered one of the world’s largest. It has its headquarters in Washington, DC, and its major function is to pursue collective bargaining for its members and lobbies on behalf of policies intended to benefit the workers. IBEW Local 1245 represents an estimated 20000 workers in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho (IBEW local 1245, n.d.). The headquarters for IBEW local 1245, considered an affiliate of the IBEW, is in Vacaville, California. Additionally, IBEW defends the rights of members working at various sites. The company’s mission is to organize all workers in the entire electrical industry in the United States and Canada. In the case of local 1245, the scope is narrowed down to California and all the counties that fall within its jurisdiction.
History
The history of IBEW can be traced back to the late 19th century, when the union was established in 1891. Its formation came after the American Federation of Labor granted the union a charter with a jurisdiction to serve electrical workers. The membership peaked in the 1980s, reaching over a million, a figure which reduced to 750000 due to the technological and political changes taking place at the time. In 2005, IBEW had an estimated 947 local union affiliates across both the United States and Canada, making IBEW one of the world's largest unions.
The origins of IBEW local 1245 can be traced back to 1900 when linemen in San Francisco first organized Local 151 to bargain for safer working conditions and better wages. Their fight received fierce resistance from PG&E, and other utilizes for which they worked. The result of this failure was that IBEW local 151 was virtually eliminated in 1921. However, their struggles were deemed creative and heroic, which helped inspire a new generation of utility workers. Local 1245 was organized in 1941to carry on the fight for these utility workers (IBEW1245, n.d.). Local 1245 serves counties in Nevada and California, including Alameda Alpine, Storey, Pershing, Lander, and White Pine.
Core Activities
As men...