IBEW 1837 MAKES ITS CASE FOR PSNH "WRITERS" STATEWIDE UNIT AT NLRB HEARING
Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists at Public Service Company of New Hampshire are awaiting a decision from the National Labor Relations Board to determine if they can have a statewide bargaining unit as IBEW Local 1837 has proposed. The NLRB held a hearing in Boston on May 15 and 16 to determine the scope of the proposed bargaining unit for the "Writers" at PSNH.
At the hearing, an attorney for PSNH argued that the employees cited in the Representation Petition should be split into more than a dozen different bargaining units across the state. IBEW feels strongly that the... Read More
Unfair Labor Practice Charges Settled Against CMP
Following months of investigations and weeks preparing for trial, Unfair Labor Practice charges filed against Central Maine Power Company (CMP) by IBEW Local 1837 were settled just days before the trial was set to begin.
Immediately after the Union was certified to represent them, the Company announced that members of a unit of 47 employees would not be eligible for merit increases, for the all-employee incentive bonus, and certain other programs. Believing the changes to be illegal unilateral changes to mandatory subjects of bargaining, IBEW had attempted to convince CMP to withdraw the... Read More
nti-Union Meetings Scheduled at PSNH for "Writers" Seeking To Join IBEW 1837
Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) has scheduled mandatory "Face-to-Face" anti-Union meetings for Field Technicians A/B/C and Field Technician Specialists who are seeking to join IBEW Union Local 1837. This comes in the wake of the withdrawal of our petition and the rescheduling of a hearing at the National Labor Relations Board in Boston. (See "NLRB Meeting for PSNH Writers Rescheduled" website story posted on April 13, 2007.)
In agreeing to this withdrawal and refiling, our attorney requested that PSNH agree to refrain from engaging in anti-union activities between the date of withdrawl... Read More
National Safety Council Congress and Expo
Safety Concerns Highlighted for IBEW 1837 Members
IBEW 1837 members Ray Boyle, Bill DeMotta, and Assistant Business Manager Bill Dunn represented our union at the 2006 National Safety Council Congress and Expo in San Diego. The November gathering was billed as "the largest annual event in the world of Safety, Health and the Environment."
The National Safety Council was founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953. The Council's mission is to educate and influence people to prevent accidental injury and death. Many IBEW locals from around the country gathered at the Congress and... Read More
Non-Union Employees at CMP Seek to Join Union
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever be sitting in a union meeting”. This sentiment has been echoed by several workers in a group of non-union workers at CMP who have been so frustrated by changes made since Energy East took over their company that they are now actively seeking to join the union.
Many of the workers have had no raises in two or three years, while their contributions to health insurance plans have skyrocketed faster than those of their union co-workers whose payments are locked in for the duration of their five-year contract. Job duties have changed, and workers... Read More
CMP Payroll Issues Flare Again
CMP (Energy East) has again discovered a raft of apparent errors in their payroll system. Although the problems are apparently company wide for Energy East and include both union and non-union workers, 131 IBEW 1837 members have received letters either asking for refund of alleged overpayments or with checks for alleged underpayments. Many but not all of the errors are related to 401(k) withholdings. Others are apparently miscalculated callouts and other miscellaneous errors.
IBEW 1837 is advising members to request proof before authorizing repayment of the alleged overpayments, since the... Read More
USA Program Unites Farmers, Union Members
When local farmers answered a union request for assistance providing Thanksgiving dinners to laid off workers, a new alliance was born. Understanding that both farmers and workers face challenges posed by corporate global trading injustice, the farmers stepped up to the plate and made wonderful dinners possible for the laid off workers through the Food AND Medicine program and the Greater Bangor Central Labor Council.
Wanting to continue the mutually beneficial relationship, Food AND Medicine later worked with the farmers to design a program on the model of other Community Supported... Read More
Newly Organized CMP Dispatchers to Begin Negotiations
System and Area Dispatchers at CMP voted in February to join IBEW Local 1837. The Local already represents about 600 other workers throughout the company.
Negotiations will begin with the Company on April 26. The newly organized workers have already met to formulate proposals and select a Negotiating Committee. The Committee has been working to refine the proposals and build a negotiating strategy.
Additional dates are being scheduled for May and June.
Newly Organized CMP Dispatchers to Begin Negotiations
System and Area Dispatchers at CMP voted in February to join IBEW Local 1837. The Local already represents about 600 other workers throughout the company.
Negotiations will begin with the Company on April 26. The newly organized workers have already met to formulate proposals and select a Negotiating Committee. The Committee has been working to refine the proposals and build a negotiating strategy.
Additional dates are being scheduled for May and June.
New Overtime Rules Take Effect
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. Their downloadable report, "Longer Hours, Less Pay" is very readable and worth reading.
What will the impact of the new rules be for union workers?
Overtime rules for union-represented workers are spelled out in the collectively bargained contract... Read More