RETIRED – After 25 years with the IBEW, Seventh District International Representative Alan Cutler retired on Feb. 1.

“It’s bittersweet to retire and leave behind work that has been fulfilling and challenging,” Cutler said. “But it’s time to pass the torch and let the next generation step up.”

Brother Cutler was initiated into Fairfield, Texas, Local 2337 in 2001, then later transferred to Arlington Local 220 when his unit at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant moved there. From the moment he was initiated, he got involved in the IBEW. He served as chief negotiator from 2001 to 2008, chief steward from 2006 to 2009, president from 2008 to 2009, then business manager from 2009 to 2016. He was appointed international representative in 2017.

Serving as business manager brought with it a challenging schedule but also rewarding and successful achievements, Cutler said. Not only did he help secure a host of first contracts, but membership doubled during his time at the helm.

When it came time to run for business manager, Cutler discussed it with his wife, Diane, and they determined that their kids were old enough for him to be away from home more and that it seemed like the best next move.

“I really found my calling,” he said of his decision to run to lead Local 220. “It seemed like I was following a natural progression.”

Cutler’s progression began in 1993 when he took a job at TU Electric as a nuclear chemical technician. Despite other areas of the company having union recognition, his did not, so he started organizing his unit and became a spokesperson for the campaign.

It took until 1999 for the employees to vote on joining Local 2337 and until 2001 to get their first contract, but they succeeded in the end, and Cutler kept up his union involvement.

“That was the first moment in my career that made me feel proud to be a union member,” Cutler said. “I could look at what we achieved and say, ‘I played a part in that.’”

Raised in western Pennsylvania, Cutler attended college at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of California San Diego. With his specialization in chemistry, he took a job after graduation at the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant in California as a chemical technician, a role that was then represented by the United Auto Workers.

“I remember when I got my first paycheck as a union member. I thought to myself, ‘I have a real job now,’” Cutler recalled. “I haven’t stopped smiling since.”

Local 220 Business Manager Joshua Worthey met Cutler around 2019 during contract negotiations for members at the Comanche plant. The process took years, and tempers were starting to flare.

“Alan was our service rep during those negotiations. He brought a certain sense of both seriousness and levity to every interaction,” Worthey said. “He did everything he could to make sure folks got a fair shake at what they wanted.”

Worthey remarked that Cutler believed in the union and its ability to adapt, grow and change.

“Alan saw a lot in the Brotherhood and believed in it more than I think most of our leadership did,” Worthey said. “He believed that if we always kept the actual mission of making this a better world as our center, pushed away our internal politics and truly worked for the betterment of the IBEW, we would be unstoppable.”

Worthey noted that Cutler, whose son, Alan Torres, is a member of San Antonio Local 60, was the first elected business manager of Local 220, which was chartered in 2008. Worthey is only the third and has leaned on Cutler for advice.

“He knew the struggle of trying to figure it all out,” Worthey said. “He always maintained a firm position on things and would remind me to pull my head out of my butt when I was being bull-headed and when to savor the few minutes of peace we could find. Over the years, to me, he became more than just our service rep. He was my mentor, my friend, my confidant and my brother.”

Cutler said he’ll miss being “part of the tide that lifts all boats,” as well as solving problems and helping members. But for this next chapter, Cutler plans to travel and spend more time with his family in retirement. Even so, he’s not stepping away completely. He also plans to stay active in his community.

On behalf of the membership, staff and officers, we thank Brother Cutler for his years of service and wish him all the best for a long retirement.