Manuel "Manny" Mederos, a longtime contract negotiator at Local 1245 and retired director of the Safety and Health Department, died on June 3. He was 84.

Brother Mederos was born in Martinez, Calif., northeast of Oakland. He graduated from Alhambra High School in 1957 and then enlisted in the U.S. Army. He returned to Martinez in 1960 after an honorable discharge.

The two signal events of Mederos' life happened in 1962: He married Sharon Yates and joined Vacaville Local 1245.

"Manny set the bar very high for all of us who have followed him," said Business Manager Robert Dean.

Mederos was a gas worker at Pacific Gas and Electric, and was appointed shop steward in 1967. Three years later, Mederos came on staff at Local 1245 as a business representative and began his decades-long career as a union contract negotiator.

"Manny always wanted to be well rehearsed in every negotiation. He came up with what he knew were the changes workers needed and presented them in a straightforward way," said Jim Ozello, former director of the Safety and Health Department. "And 99 times out of 100, he got what he wanted."

Mederos went back to the tools in 1973 and was elected to the executive board in 1974, serving until he came back on staff as business representative in 1976. Mederos was then promoted to assistant business manager in 1979 and appointed the lead negotiator and spokesman for by far the largest unit at Local 1245, workers at PG&E.

"Manny did things the right way. He did not make mistakes or shortchange people and their views. He was a walking, talking example of how to conduct business as a union representative," said Local 1245 Assistant Business Manager Hunter Stern.

One of Mederos' most important legacies at 1245 was establishing the local's retirement planning services program, which has been in effect since 1981.

In 1988, International President J.J. Barry appointed Mederos as an international representative in the Utility Department. Before he left for Washington D.C., Local 1245 hosted an appreciation dinner for Brother Mederos. More than 200 people attended.

In 1996, Mederos took over the Safety and Health Department. He represented the IBEW at the most important worker safety organizations in the country, including the American National Standards Institute, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and the National Safety Council.

The standards, codes and decisions made while Mederos was a member have affected millions of construction workers, not least his critical voice on the committee establishing safety standards for aerial lifts, Ozello said.

"Manny was often going up against a team of manufacturers, and, I have to tell you, it was surprising how cheaply some of the manufacturers wanted to build," Ozello said. "It was his job to make sure it was safe. He was well respected on those committees."

Mederos retired from the International Office in 2001, but he wasn't done with the IBEW. He moved back home and returned to Local 1245 as an assistant business manager.

"Manny never inserted himself or pushed his ideas onto others. He would help only when he was asked, or he saw a potential train wreck in the offing. He always had a full understanding of the problems confronting business reps, and he had a very nuanced view of the potential outcomes," Stern said. "I know I became a better rep because of Manny's guidance."

The officers, staff and members of the IBEW extend our deepest condolences to Brother Mederos' wife of 62 years, Sharon, and family: two children, one grandchild and three great-grandchildren.