There seems to be a new move afoot in the corporate world to enter the realm of controlling the personal health practices of employees. IBEW 1837 first saw this when Bangor Hydro (BHE) announced the implementation of a new “tobacco-free workplace” policy that covered not only smoking but also the use of smokeless tobacco products.

Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists (also known as "Writers") at Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) will be voting by mail ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The election will determine whether or not the Writers desire to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by our union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 1837, AFL-CIO.

The NLRB has confirmed the following arrangements for this election:

February 24, 2014 - Fiber Microwave Technicians at Central Maine Power have ratified their first union contract. These six workers are now part of the largest existing bargaining unit at CMP along with hundreds of other IBEW members. The Fiber Microwave Technicians voted to have union representation in a National Labor Relations Board election last May.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re better off,” said Phil Fessenden, one of the Fiber Microwave Techs. “It was an avenue to better our position at CMP and ensure a more productive future for our department.”

The new overtime rules in the Fair Labor Standards Act, pushed by the Bush Administration under the guise of "updating", took effect August 23 after lengthy and repeated efforts to amend or defeat them were thwarted by the Bush administration. For an analysis of the situation and the new rules, visit the Economic Policy Institute overtime page.

For the third time since transferring payroll responsibility from CMP Augusta to the Energy East facility at Pineland, CMP will be notifying a large number of employees that their paychecks were miscalculated. While some will learn that the company owes them a refund, most who recieve letters will be notified that they owe the company money.

IBEW 1837 is advising ALL members who work at CMP to check your pay stubs carefully each week to be sure that your pay is calculated correctly, and that the right amount is deducted for your 401(k).