The Current Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2011
he Current is mailed to the home addresses of IBEW 1837 members. You can also download this edition here. Highlights include:
 
Featuring these headline stories and more:
OSHA Issues Fines and Citations at Maine Public Service
IBEW 1837 Members Push Back Against Anti-Union Legislation
Talks Underway for "CMP 47" Second Contract
IBEW 1837 Mounts Defense of Members in Arbitration Cases
Contract Ratifications at Granite Ridge and NHEC Warehouse
IBEW 1837 Member Mark Easter Gets Lifesaving Award
September 28, 2011 - In a ceremony attended by many of his co-workers at PSNH as well as company supervisors and officials from IBEW 1837, Mark Easter received the highest award his union offers: The IBEW Lifesaving Award. Brother Easter, an IBEW 1837 member since 1999, is a System Machinist in PSNH’s Generation Division working at the Hooksett Line Area Work Center.
The award stems from Mark’s response to a car crash earlier this year in Manchester, New Hampshire on the morning of February 9. Tom Powers of Merrimack was severely injured on the Amoskeag Bridge after being struck by a car... Read More
IBEW Local 1837 Members Ratify CMP Technical Administrative Unit Contract
July 8, 2011 - IBEW Local 1837 members working at Central Maine Power Company in the Technical and Administrative Bargaining Unit have ratified a new contract, their second since joining the union. After six weeks of negotiations, the membership followed the recommendation of their IBEW Negotiating Committee and approved the Company's offer. The final tally of votes was 85% to accept and 15% to reject and authorize a strike.
This group of workers has commonly been referred to as the “CMP 47” since that is how many workers were originally in the bargaining unit when they first filed for... Read More
IBEW Local 1837 Members Elect Officers, Representatives and Convention Delegates
June 17, 2011 - Union officers and representatives including President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Business Manager, Executive Board Representatives for each of the 11 units, and delegates to the IBEW International Convention were elected this month. Ballots were counted this morning at our Manchester, Maine office.
Dick Rogers was elected to his first term as Financial Secretary and Business Manager of the Local.
Raymond A. Colello was re-elected as President of the Local for another 3-year term. Vice President Bill Tarallo and Recording Secretary Pamela Paquette were... Read More
Granite Ridge Workers Ratify 2nd Contract
May 11, 2011 - Local 1837 members at the Granite Ridge power plant near Londonderry ratified their second contract agreement on last month, giving them a more than 9 percent wage increase over the life of the three-year deal (3 ½%, 3%, 3%), streamlined grievance and arbitration procedures, an extra paid holiday, and an increase in the call-out premium with less than 24 hours notice.
While it took a year to get their first contract, negotiations on its renewal only took weeks. “Things went a lot smoother this time around,” IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager Tom Ryan said. “Both sides were a... Read More
IBEW 1837 Members Continue to Push Back Against Anti-Union Legislation
April 12, 2011 - Members of IBEW Local 1837 have been playing an active role in worker efforts to push back against union-busting legislation both Maine and New Hampshire. At rallies, vigils, in testimony at public hearings and in meetings with legislative representatives, Brothers and Sisters in our Local have been speaking out against efforts to weaken all unions and to even to strip some public sector workers of their rights to collectively bargain.
In New Hampshire, Rep. Neal Kurk added an amendment to House Bill 2 that would essentially strip collective bargaining rights from public... Read More
Warehouse Workers Ratify First Contract at NHEC
March 25, 2011 - Four Warehouse Workers at the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) ratified their first contract on Friday, March 25. It took almost nine months and 25 negotiating sessions to reach this important milestone.
The term of the contract is through September 2012. IBEW 1837 will be negotiating both the Warehouse Workers’ and the larger NHEC bargaining unit future agreements at the same time.
After what the negotiators for the Union termed “extremely tough” contract talks, IBEW managed to obtain a small revaluation of all the classifications as well as a 3% wage adjustment.... Read More
National Boycott Targets WGME-TV 13 over Unfair Contract Implementation
February 17, 2011 - WGME-TV, Channel 13 in Portland is one of almost five dozen stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting that have been placed on the nationwide AFL-CIO boycott list because of a labor dispute here in Maine. The station unilaterally implemented portions of a contract offer one year ago on February 17, 2010, despite the opposition of the workers and their Union.
As IBEW Local 1837 members at WGME 13 continue to create large profits for parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., of Maryland, workers behind the scenes have been without a contract since early 2010 while seeing... Read More
Early Retirements at CMP Impact IBEW Local 1837
January 18, 2011 - An attractive package of incentives at Central Maine Power Company has led to the early retirement from the Company of four Chief Stewards and the Treasurer of IBEW Local 1837. Chief Stewards Dale Blethen, Rodney Curtis, Gilbert Guevin, Barry Ripley and Treasurer Donald Leighton retired from CMP in January.
“I could go on and on about what these brothers have done for Local 1837,” said Assistant Business Manager Bill Dunn. “They have been great activists for us and tireless fighters for the union movement. It will be a big hole to fill.”
When CMP received approval from the... Read More
“Right-to-Work” Legislation Looms as Threat to Unions in NH & Maine; IBEW 1837 Members Fight Back
January 29, 2011 - The collective bargaining rights of IBEW 1837 members and all union members in Maine and New Hampshire are being threatened by so-called “Right-to-Work” legislation being considered in Augusta and Concord. They’re often called “Right-to-Work (For Less)” laws because workers in 22 states that already have them tend to get paid less money and have worse benefits.
Union contracts – including worker pay, benefits and working conditions – could ultimately be damaged if this type of legislation is enacted in New Hampshire, Maine, or any of the 16 states where it is now being... Read More