Business Manager Tony Sapienza
P: (603) 743-1652
October 21, 2011 - IBEW 1837 members at WGME-TV, channel 13 in Portland have approved a new, 3-year contract after a long and contentious struggle with parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. of Maryland. That struggle led to a national AFL-CIO boycott and the decision by Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial candidates not to advertise on the station during the 2010 primary campaign.
The Current is generally mailed to the home addresses of IBEW 1837 members. This "Extra Edition" was only distributed at worksites. You can also download this edition here. Highlights include:
Featuring these headline stories and more:
Summer Break Doesn't Mean End of Struggles at State Houses
IBEW 1837 Elects Officers, E-Board Reps. and Delegates
New Contract for CMP Technical Administrative Unit
Labor's Day Event Schedule for New Hampshire and Maine
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.