Bill Perez is a retiree who remains active with his union, IBEW 440. A legendary figure in local labor history, Bill has over 47 years of service to the labor movement. Bill has held many positions in his union, including: Journeyman Electrician, Business Manager, Recording Secretary, Foreman, Estimator, Prevailing Wage Compliance Director, and Organizer. In addition to these positions, Perez also worked as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer/Business Manager for the San Bernardino and Riverside Counties Building and Construction Trades Council (IE BCTC).
He’s been witness to much of the Inland Empire’s labor movement. He’s seen changes in union density and the political atmosphere. An example is Fontana which has, in Bill’s word’s, historically been a “hardcore union town.” This is attributed to Kaiser Steel’s past heavy union density, and it having been one of the biggest private employers in the county. This changed when Kaiser and many air force bases began to close down or shrink their operations, hurting the livelihoods of large numbers of formerly unionized workers.
Bill has also seen how labor has adapted and improved political relations through the years. Bill recalls how it has become easier for unions to find allies in government, as it felt impossible when his career began. With the importance of policy in meeting labor’s goals, unions have to be involved in all levels of the political process. Organized labor has been able to have elected officials that work closely with them from all political parties,
“We don’t care what the party designation is… if you support us and our issues, then we’re supportive as well”
Sometimes, a nominally pro-labor candidate may have views that hurt workers. For example, Democratic electees have often supported environmental issues that shut down union-led projects. Rather than fight, however, unions work with politicians so both can meet their goals,
“We want the jobs. They just want the environmental concerns…We would fight with them for the highest environmental standards you could put on a project…because those environmental standards are ours too”
