NU Call Center Customer Service Reps Set to Vote in Union Election
March 13, 2013 - More than 150 Customer Service Representatives at the Northeast Utilities Manchester, New Hampshire "Customer Experience Center" will vote next month on whether they will be represented by IBEW Local 1837 for collective bargaining. Company representatives have already started their campaign against their workers forming a Union.
"This election will decide whether the Company can continue to dictate all the terms and conditions of employment for the Customer Service Representatives or whether these workers will have the opportunity to negotiate improvements and bargain for a... Read More
FMLA Celebrates 20th Anniversary But Many Workers Don't Know Their Rights
February 18, 2013 - The Family Medical Leave Act, most often known by the initials "FMLA," has been protecting the job security of workers facing a serious health concern of their own or the health condition of their spouse, parent or child for nearly 20 years, yet many workers know very little about it. You can download the employee book prepared by the Department of Labor if you click here or on the booklet at left.
Under this landmark law that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on February 5, 1993 and went into effect six months later, employers are required to provide... Read More
Pole-Setting Pilot Project Seeks to Recoup Work for Union Members at CMP
February 15, 2013 - Pole-setting work being performed by a non-union outside contractor may return to members of IBEW Local 1837 employed at Central Maine Power as the result of an ongoing pilot program spearheaded by the Union. A pair of two-person IBEW-represented crews are already getting the job done effectively and efficiently in what looks like a win-win proposition for both the Union and the Company.
"Nobody does a better job setting poles," said IBEW 1837 member Sam Webber on a recent frosty February morning in Maine's Somerset County, just south of Bangor. Brother Webber and his... Read More
IBEW 1837 Speaks Out at Maine Energy, Utility and Technology Committee Orientation Session
January 22, 2013 - IBEW 1837 Business Manager Dick Rogers and Assistant Business Manager Bill Dunn joined spokespeople and executives from Maine's electric utility and generation industry for a special orientation session of the Maine Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology at the Statehouse in Augusta. Representatives of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the Maine Public Advocate'soffice and ISO New England also spoke or made presentations.
While industry representatives spoke about various initiatives and challenges they were facing,... Read More
IBEW 1837 Members at NextEra Ratify One-Year Contract Extension
December 21, 2012 -  All terms of the current NextEra collective bargaining agreement have been extended one year to February 28, 2014 as a result of today's ratification vote by IBEW 1837 members employed by the Company. In addition, effective February 25, 2013, all employees will receive a 4% general wage increase while employees in the Production Specialist and Senior Production Tech A classifications will receive an additional 1.5% equity pay increase.
Approximately 90 members of IBEW 1837 work for NextEra Energy (formerly FPL-Maine) generating electricity. They maintain and operate... Read More
IBEW 1837 Effort Helps Electric System Operators at Unitil to Receive Back Pay
December 6, 2012 - Recently organized workers at Unitil's Centralized Electric Dispatch (CED) in Portsmouth will be receiving back pay as the result of unfair labor practice charges filed by IBEW Local 1837, and a settlement agreement between the National Labor Relations Board, Unitil Service Corporation and  the Union.
In August, the Company granted wage increases and new payment for overtime to employees at Unitil CED who were not involved in an organizing campaign concerning five Electric System Operators, who sought representation by the IBEW. At that time, IBEW Local 1837 believed... Read More
Maine Public Service Customer Service Representatives Decide to Join Union
November 21, 2012 - Following up on a series of organizing victories in New Hampshire and Maine, IBEW 1837's membership development efforts have also paid off in Presque Isle. A majority of the Customer Service Representatives at Maine Public Service (MPS) have signed union authorization cards indicating that they want IBEW Local 1837 to represent them for the purpose of collective bargaining.
To their credit, the Company agreed to accept the majority decision of their employees after verifying the authenticity of the authorization cards by a neutral third party, in this case, a faith leader... Read More
Bangor Hydro System Operators Ratify First Contract
November 21, 2012 - System Operators at Bangor Hydro Electric (BHE) have ratified their first contract agreement with the Company. These highly-skilled workers are often referred to as “Dispatchers.”
In late March, in an election administered by the National Labor Relations Board in Bangor, the System Operators at BHE voted 8 – 0 to be represented by IBEW Local 1837 for collective bargaining. During the union organizing campaign, initiated by the System Operators themselves,  the workers raised issues about fairness and unpaid overtime, but the desire to have the ability to negotiate... Read More
CMP and IBEW 1837 Reach New AMI Agreement
November 2, 2012 - IBEW Local 1837 and Central Maine Power Company have signed a settlement agreement that essentially resolves all remaining issues resulting from the 2010 AMI Transition Agreement and a subsequent arbitration decision in favor of the union. Automated Metering Infrastructure (or "AMI") is the system that supports the so-called "Smart Meters" which can be read remotely and are now being used by the majority of CMP's customers.
Under the new agreement, no member of IBEW 1837 will be subjected to an involuntary layoff, and all members on the recall and to-be-released lists who... Read More
Maggie Hassan Gets Rare IBEW 1837 Endorsement for NH Gov. in Final Weeks of Campaign
October 24, 2012 - The last two years have seen exhausting battles in Concord and Augusta against so-called “Right to Work” bills and other anti-worker initiatives. It is only because of the sustained, excellent work of labor activists and allies in both states that we were able to minimize the damage against working people and their unions.
With New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch’s decision not to seek another two-year term, November’s election looms especially large.  Republican candidate Ovide Lamontagne, has proudly proclaimed that he will be like Wisconsin’s “Scott Walker on steroids.”... Read More