IBEW Local 1837 was honored at the 17th Annual National Labor and Management Public Affairs Committee (LAMPAC) conference in Washington, D.C., for its successful efforts in protecting hundreds of union utility jobs in Maine.
In March, Assistant Business Manager, Renee Gilman, accepted the Edwin D. Hill Award, on behalf of the union. The award is named after the former IBEW International President who co-founded LAMPAC with the Edison Electrical Institute in 2007.
The award recognized Local 1837’s campaign against Question 3, a 2023 Maine referendum that threatened to allow the state government to acquire Central Maine Power and Versant, putting union jobs at risk.
Tony Sapienza, Business Manager of Local 1837, emphasized the union’s focus on protecting members and ratepayers, aligning their interests with the utility companies. To counter the referendum, Local 1837 and its allies educated voters about the risks of a government takeover. Gilman described the campaign as ‘an organizing effort on steroids,’ combating unsubstantiated claims with factual communication. Central Maine Power acknowledged IBEW’s vital support in achieving success.
Nearly 70% of voters rejected the referendum on November 7th.
El Paso Local 960 also received the Edwin D. Hill Award for defeating a similar proposition threatening jobs.