IBEW 1837 News

January 6, 2016 - Throughout the years, first as a Union Steward and Chief Steward in the 70’s and then as a Union Executive Board Representative throughout the 80’s, leading to his role as President of IBEW Local #1837 beginning in 1991, Ray Colello has always been a devout and dedicated trade unionist. His decision last month to pass the baton to Vice President Bill Tarallo to finish out his term was one he made because he thought it would be best for the Union.

Brother Colello started his full-time career as a General Helper for Central Maine Power in 1972 working at Wyman Station on Cousins Island, Maine. Later, with deregulation of electric utilities and after the sale to Florida Power and Light (now known as NextEra), Ray would work as a Senior Production Tech A as a shift worker for the last ten years. His father had worked at Wyman beginning in 1964 after several years at the South Portland Cape Steam Station beginning in the mid-to-late 50’s.

“I learned most of what I knew about unions from my dad and joined the union as soon as I could,” Colello said. “Union members have somebody to speak for them when they are mistreated. They also have the right to a safe workplace. If the working people are put in a bad situation, it’s not just you that the company is affecting but your family and your family’s future.”

In more than 24 years as President of the Local, Ray Colello has faced many difficult challenges but feels especially proud that the union’s leaders and members stepped up to make changes to the dues structure that were necessary to be effective representing our members.

“We often had a financial inability to represent people when we needed to (before the dues change). The change to the by-laws that included a percentage of pay (2 hours) gave us the financial structure we have now,” he said.

A change of this magnitude required President Colello and other E-Board members to travel throughout Maine and New Hampshire for three months to meet with members and explain the need for the change. The Local was having difficulty meeting operating expenses and the decision to arbitrate some member grievances had to be weighed against the significant costs of the process.

December 21, 2015 - The young daughter of an IBEW 1837 member will be spending this Christmas in the hospital suffering from a rare form of leukemia. Jazzlyn Giuffrida just celebrated her first birthday this month and is a patient at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland.

Central Maine Power Customer Service Representative and IBEW 1837 Union Steward Joe Giuffrida and his wife Jamie Lynn are being hit with unexpected expenses during this very difficult and challenging time. They have also lost much of Jamie Lynn’s income since she is unable to work while caring for her daughter and travelling between Augusta and Portland.

CMP, the First United Pentecostal Church and members of IBEW Local #1837 are working together to support the Giuffrida family during their time of need. Over $1,000 in donations were collected last week at CMP’s General Office, much of it given and collected by Joe’s fellow Customer Service Representatives.

October 1, 2015 - After serving union members for more than 20 years, first as an IBEW Shop Steward and then as an Assistant Business Manager beginning in 2006, Bill Dunn retired this week from his position with IBEW and his job at Central Maine Power Company.

Brother Dunn, 55, started working for Maine’s largest utility in 1983. After 2 ½ years in the Meter Department, Bill moved over to the Line Department where he spent the rest of his years at CMP. He first became a Union Shop Steward in 1994 at the urging of Bob Dodge, the Assistant Business Manager that Bill would replace 12 years later.

“I became a Steward on the immediate heels of CMP going through a layoff the wrong way,” Dunn said. “It didn’t affect me directly but it affected everyone around me and it just ticked me off.”

Dodge suggested that Bill could channel that energy and anger into something constructive by becoming a Steward. He moved from CMP into his union staff position with the encouragement of other Stewards when he was appointed by then-Business Manager Cynthia Phinney.

Dunn helped countless members during his nine years as an Assistant Business Manager, managing their grievances and arbitrations, answering questions about their contacts (and helping to negotiate those contracts) while maintaining a good rapport and earning the respect of people on both sides of the table.

“The best part of the job was attempting to resolve problems and situations for people but understanding that not everyone would be happy,” Brother Dunn said. “The most satisfying moment was prevailing in the CMP AMI (Automated Metering Infrastructure) arbitration knowing that everyone who wanted a job could come back to work. That was a 2 ½ year process!”