IBEW 569 Congratulates Gretchen Newsom on Her Promotion to Ninth District Political Coordinator and Announces Cori Schumacher as 569’s New Political Director
[San Diego — June 7, 2023] San Diego labor leader Gretchen Newsom has been promoted by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) as Political Coordinator for the Ninth District of the IBEW. IBEW’s Ninth District represents a broad range of workers and their families in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and northern Idaho, as well as in Guam and Saipan, and is led by International Vice President David E. Reaves, Jr.
Ms. Newsom joins the Ninth District after an extraordinarily successful career with IBEW 569 in San Diego, where she masterminded and implemented initiatives that have helped fundamentally transform the political landscape in San Diego County over the last decade.
IBEW 569 Business Manager Jeremy Abrams said, “Gretchen’s promotion to Political Coordinator for the Ninth District is a richly-deserved recognition of her incredible talent and her drive to build power for IBEW members and all working people. She has been a core part of our Local’s success. While we will miss her, the wins Gretchen achieved will create work for our members for decades to come. We know that we will continue to benefit from her skills as she steps into this new and important role.”
Jeremy Abrams further elaborated, “Gretchen has demonstrated both tenacity and strategic savvy during her career. Through a series of bold campaigns, she has created long-lasting and significant changes. She was instrumental in the efforts to shift the San Diego City Council, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, and many other city councils to pro-worker majorities. Gretchen was instrumental in efforts to change leadership and direction at key regional agencies leading to more and better work for IBEW members. Gretchen builds coalitions to win, as demonstrated by her successful eight-year effort to adopt the nation’s second largest Project Labor Agreement at SANDAG, valued at $163 billion. Gretchen understands how to win the fight today — and how to build the power we will need to win the fight tomorrow.”
In her time as Political Director of Local 569, Ms. Newsom made the Local a powerful voice for working people. Her achievements also included overturning Project Labor Agreement bans in Chula Vista and San Diego, as well as dozens of successful ballot initiatives and candidate campaigns across the region. Gretchen has also worked to expand the participation of women in the trades — including highlighting the women of San Diego’s skilled trades through the Women at Work photo exhibit.
Gretchen Newsom said, “I’m deeply honored to be selected for this great new challenge. I know my success was made possible because of the strength of thousands of 569 members, and my success at the Ninth District will depend on our members across the region. Our campaigns have won — and will continue to win — because of all the members who devote their free time to knocking on doors, making calls, visiting lawmakers, testifying at public hearings, building coalitions, and supporting our IBEW PAC. This is a big job, and I’m ready for the fight.”
Ms. Newsom will be headquartered at the offices of IBEW 569. She will continue her service on the California Employment Training Panel, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority Audit Committee, and as an Alternate Commissioner on the California Coastal Commission.
Appointmentment of Cori Schumacher as 569’s New Political Director
It is with great pride that IBEW Local 569 of San Diego announced today that Cori Schumacher will become 569’s new Political Director.
Cori is a former Carlsbad City Council member and world champion surfer with a long history of activism on behalf of working families and the environment.
“Cori understands how to compete and how to win,” said IBEW 569 Business Manager Jeremy Abrams. “As a professional surfer, she not only won three world championships but changed the way women are covered and treated in the sport. As an advocate, she showed skill as a coalition builder, where alliances she led created real change. She helped craft the ‘Equal Pay for Equal Play Act’ that Gov. Newsom signed in 2019, guaranteeing fair treatment of women athletes in our state. As a city council member in Carlsbad, she fought to put working people’s interests at the center of public policy, leading efforts to adopt and enforce inclusive and sustainable labor practices. That’s the kind of fighting spirit we need, and we’re so excited to have Cori Schumacher leading our political program.”
Cori replaces Gretchen Newsom, who has been selected to serve as Political Coordinator of IBEW’s Ninth District.
Gretchen applauded Cori’s selection: “I saw Cori operate up close when she served on the Carlsbad City Council. She has the right temperament and skills to succeed in this role. She knows how to find ways to compete, collaborate and win victories for workers, and she also knows when you need to draw a line in the sand and go to battle. I’m excited to work with her as we both take on new roles. I know that she’ll win big things for our IBEW 569 members.”
IBEW 569 is excited to welcome Cori Schumacher to our team and the IBEW family.
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