DECEASED — Retired International Representative Jim Brimer, a leader in the Nevada labor movement who was known for fighting hard for IBEW members, died at his home in Las Vegas on May 24. He was 80.
He’s remembered as someone who seldom backed down from a fight — or acknowledged that he might be wrong — but still made friends in every facet of telecommunications.
“He was extremely knowledgeable in the telephone industry, and people warmed up to him,” said Larry Liles, another retired international representative who remained close to Brimer until his death. “He was easy to like, and he was gregarious.”
Brother Brimer was born in Wichita, Kan., but later moved to Florida when his father — who was employed by Douglas Aircraft — was transferred to Cape Canaveral, where he was in charge of altitude chamber testing for the Delta rocket program. The younger Brimer graduated from high school there and later served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.
After that, he worked for Hughes Aircraft in Newport Beach, Calif., before moving to Las Vegas, where he was hired as a cable splicer by telecommunications giant Centel in 1977 and became a member of Las Vegas Local 396.
“If he believed in something, he was not afraid to take it to the mat and see what he could do with it.”
– Las Vegas Local 396 Business Manager Jesse Newman
He had found his professional home. Brimer immediately got involved in the local and served in several roles, including as a steward, before being appointed assistant business manager in 1983 and elected business manager in 1987.
“I don’t have a memory of coming to visit him that didn’t involve at least one story of workers getting screwed over at work,” his daughter Phoebe said. “It really riled him up when people were not getting a fair shake.”
Current Local 396 Business Manager Jesse Newman said Brimer is fondly remembered for leading his members in a strike against Nevada Power, the state’s largest utility company. Newman’s father was a Local 396 member at the time.
“Jim was a guy who was fearless, to say the least,” the younger Newman said. “He wasn’t afraid to take on those big companies when necessary and take his members out on the picket line.
“If he believed in something, he was not afraid to take it to the mat and see what he could do with it,” Newman added.
Brimer moved to the Washington, D.C., area in 1990, when he was named an international representative in the Telephone Department, now part of the Telecommunications Department. He later served in the Research Department before retiring in 2006.
Liles said Brimer had a strong, outgoing personality and a booming voice that could be intimidating to some.
“The truth of it was that he was a damn teddy bear,” Liles said. “He was a really nice guy. But he wasn’t going to pull any punches if he thought you were wrong.”
Brother Brimer returned to Las Vegas following retirement, although those close to him said he refused to stop working. His jobs included leading tours of the city for Pink Jeep Tours, test-driving cars for Roush Performance and even driving a street sweeper at night.
Phoebe Brimer said her father was proud that he sometimes ruffled feathers — both in management and among fellow IBEW members — and didn’t always fall in line.
“He was so dedicated to being right that he often wasn’t able to admit when he wasn’t,” she said. “But it worked to his benefit at the IBEW. He fought tenaciously for the people he represented, sometimes to his own personal detriment.”
Added Liles: “He had integrity, and he was solid. If you wanted someone to cover your backside, you couldn’t ask for a better guy.”
In addition to Phoebe, Brimer is survived by another daughter, Sandy; two stepsons, Michael and Kyle; and three granddaughters and one great-grandson.
The officers and staff extend their condolences to Brother Brimer’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.
