IBEW Members at CMP Ratify Contract Extension through April 30, 2021 with 3% Annual Wage Increases and No Takeaways

June 29, 2017 - Voting in locations throughout the Central Maine Power Company coverage area, IBEW 1837 members have approved a contract extension that guarantees them annual 3% wage increases while continuing all the terms and conditions of their current collective bargaining agreement.

There will be no changes in the contract whatsoever including the medical plans, medical caps, and retirement plans. The extended contract runs through April 30, 2021.

The Production Unit members will receive an advance of 1% of the 2017 Group Incentive Bonus Payout that's paid out in 2018.

Members of the smaller Administrative & Technical bargaining unit will be merged into the larger Production unit and be included in the Group Incentive Plan. All A & T members will receive the balance of the recent Group Incentive Bonus Payout to the Production unit and their existing bonus payout.

 “The CMP offer came as we were to discussing the A & T contract and was a surprise to me but I brought it to our Chief Stewards,” IBEW 1837 Business Manager Dick Rogers said. “Together, along with advice from the IBEW International, we decided the offer must be extended to the membership to accept or reject."

If members had rejected the Company extension offer, the Union would have moved forward with a standard contract negotiation process. In fact, IBEW had begun collecting proposals and had informal discussions with CMP about some glaring issues of concern.

“While there are already some very good proposals for the upcoming negotiations, not putting forward an offer of three years that has no takeaways and includes general wage increases of 3% each year would not be fair to the entire body and should not be decided by just myself and our Chief Stewards,” Rogers said. He added that “Given the vote outcome, it’s clear the right decision was made to take it to our members.”

Members working at Central Maine Power (CMP) comprise the largest bargaining unit of IBEW 1837, with more than 600 represented members. Collectively, these union members design, build, repair and maintain the electric grid serving the largest customer base of any electric utility in Maine, and provide customer service assistance to residents and businesses in most of southern, central and western Maine. They also control the balance and flow of electricity across the grid beyond their own customer base into other parts of Maine and New England.