IBEW 1837 Reaches Tentative Agreement for New Contract at CMP
February 22, 2010 - The Union Negotiating Team at Central Maine Power has reached a tentative agreement for a contract for 650 workers at Maine’s largest utility. Prior to negotiations on Thursday, February 15, it had been nearly six months since the last bargaining session between the parties. During that time, three other Iberdrola USA companies settled contracts with their respective unions.
Those contracts were better deals than CMP had offered to their workers represented by IBEW Local 1837. For their employees in Maine, the Company was willing to meet a few of the inequities between the... Read More
Negotiations Begin at PSNH
February 24, 2010 - Negotiations with Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) formally began today. Following weeks of preparation, the Union Negotiating team, consisting of members from both IBEW Local 1837 and Steelworkers Local 8938, sat down across the table for opening statements and an initial exchange of proposals.
Due to the inclement weather and the nature of our work keeping the power on during such events there were some empty seats on both sides of the table and participants in jobs related to power restoration returned to the field immediately following the meeting.
The parties... Read More
CMP Contract Vote Postponed While Crews Work to Restore Power
February 26, 2010 - Around 650 IBEW members at Central Maine Power will have to wait a few more days to vote on a new contract offer. The vote originally scheduled for Friday, February 26 was postponed for a few days while CMP crews kept busy fixing down power lines.
“Because of the storm, we will have members that will be deployed to various work locations,” said Bill Dunn, IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager. “Because of that, we have rescheduled the ratification vote for a new contract until next Tuesday, March 2.”
UPDATE: Due to ongoing restoration work, the vote has been rescheduled... Read More
141 Jobs at CMP on the Line at PUC Hearing
January 15, 2010 - The Maine Public Utilities Commission is set to hold a crucial public hearing on Wednesday, January 20 at 5:30 p.m. that may well determine the fate of 141 workers at Central Maine Power Company and have an impact of CMP’s customers for years to come.
Union members and their allies are being encouraged to turnout to show support for union workers at Central Maine Power. The hearing will be held at the PUC offices at 101 Second St., Hallowell, Maine.
The PUC appears ready to approve an Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) System - built with $96 million in federal... Read More
Contract Extension Approved at Unitil
January 19, 2010 - IBEW Local 1837 and Unitil Energy Systems have agreed to a two-year contract extension. The current collective bargaining agreement was due to expire May 31, 2010.
On January 14, 2010, the IBEW members at the Company approved the extension which left the hours, terms, and working conditions unchanged. Members  agreed to a 2% wage increase effective May 30, 2010 and an additional 3% wage increase effective May 29, 2011. 
"This is a good deal for our members. Keeping medical costs fixed and retirement benefits intact along with a fair wage adjustment made it an easy... Read More
December 2009 IBEW and NHEC Reach Agreement on Terms of Upcoming Layoff
December 8, 2009 – International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 1837 and the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) have reached an agreement on the Company’s forthcoming layoff, thereby averting a looming court fight. The Union withdrew their application for a temporary injunction in the U.S. District Court in Concord, New Hampshire. The Union had been asking the court to intervene in this matter because they felt that NHEC might fail to comply with specific provisions of the union contract that require it to prove the necessity for such action and to fully exhaust... Read More
Member from NH Electric Co-op is a Reluctant Hero
August 8, 2008 - IBEW 1837 member Rob Lang was enjoying a summer Sunday afternoon in mid-July when two young children who lived next door came running up to his New Durham home. They told him their dad was hurt. Hurt bad. They needed his help.
The first class lineworker in the New Hampshire Co-op’s Alton District went racing down to find his neighbor bleeding profusely and in a desperate situation. While cutting down some trees behind his home with a chain saw, he had cut some tendons and severed an artery in his leg. He had driven his tractor out of the woods, told his children to see if Rob... Read More
2008 Labor's Day Events in Both States Draw Big Crowds
September 1, 2008 - Once again this year, Labor's Day events in Maine and New Hampshire provided a great opportunity for members of many unions to get together to show their solidarity, learn a little bit more about labor history, listen to some great music, and—in this pivotal election year—enjoy a heaping helping of politics! And, as in previous years, members of IBEW Local 1837 were a part of the action in Manchester, New Hampshire and in Portland, Lewiston, and Brewer, Maine.
The New Hampshire AFL-CIO Breakfast in Manchester drew another large crowd to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church... Read More
IBEW 1837 Members Paddle Kayaks to Help Disabled Kids and Adults
August 25, 2008 - Every year on the first Saturday in June, Darrell Buzzell and his wife Carole help lead people down the Kennebec River while raising money for disabled children and adults to attend summer camp here in Maine. “Twelve years ago, Carole and I started kayaking the Kennebec with a handful of friends to raise money for Pine Tree Society,” said Darrell. “Little did we know that twelve years later we would have over 200 boaters including people with disabilities.”
Since 1945, Pine Tree Camp on North Pond in Rome, Maine has offered children and adults with disabilities an incredible... Read More
The Current Newsletter - Summer 2008

IBEW 1837 Elections Select Local Leaders for Three-Year Terms
Special Feature: Union Stewards Play Vital Role for IBEW 1837
PSNH Field Technicians Continue Move Toward First Contract Agreement
Member from NH Electric Co-op is a Reluctant Hero
Members Attend National Safety Council Labor Meeting
Rocky Relationship Starts To Smooth Between Union and WGME-TV, Channel 13
Members Paddle Kayaks to Help Disabled Kids
and more!