Bargaining

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.

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.

July 12, 2013 - IBEW Local 1837 members at Black Bear Hydro Partners, LLC have approved a new 5-year contract that includes wage increases in each year alongside a gradually-increasing cap on the medical insurance contribution rate for employees. The ratification vote took place at the company’s headquarters in Milford, Maine.

The agreement also includes an increase in the Company’s 401(k) contribution, and an increase in the annual boot allowance and the addition of an annual allowance toward a work Carhartt jacket or work bibs.

August 8, 2013 - The Electric System Operators at Unitil Service Corporation's Centralized Electric Dispatch (CED) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement.

A majority of the workers had voted last September to be represented by IBEW Local #1837 in a secret ballot election administered by the National Labor Relations Board.

October 2, 2013 – IBEW members at Maine Public Service (MPS) have ratified a new contract with an average wage increase of 8.8% over two years. The agreement also includes improvements in overtime, call-out, standby, and system emergency pay as well as a number of other improvements. The contract is an addendum to the collective bargaining agreement the Union already has with Bangor Hydro (BHE), also owned by Emera, Inc.

The contract represents the integration of the agreements at the two companies.

October 30, 2013 - Union members at Littleton Water and Light (LWL) have ratified a new 5-year contract a full two months before the expiration of their current collective bargaining agreement.

The successor agreement takes effect on January 1, 2014 and runs through December 31, 2018 with 2.8% wage increases in each year of the contract.

November 26, 2013 - The Building Mechanics and Attendant at Public Service Company of New Hampshire have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement and have officially become members of IBEW Local Union #1837. The contract vote was held this morning at the PSNH garage facility in Manchester.

November 27, 2013 - IBEW members working for NextEra Energy Resources at their Maine fossil plants have ratified a one-year contract extension. The collective bargaining agreement will run through February 28, 2015

February 10, 2014 - Customer Service Representatives at the Central Maine Power Call Center in Augusta have ratified their first union contract with the Company. An overwhelming majority of the 46 CSR’s voted late last week to accept the collective bargaining agreement negotiated between IBEW Local 1837 and CMP. The workers had voted to organize a union this past June.

IBEW members will perform pole-setting in some areas under the agreement.

February 24, 2014 - Fiber Microwave Technicians at Central Maine Power have ratified their first union contract. These six workers are now part of the largest existing bargaining unit at CMP along with hundreds of other IBEW members. The Fiber Microwave Technicians voted to have union representation in a National Labor Relations Board election last May.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re better off,” said Phil Fessenden, one of the Fiber Microwave Techs. “It was an avenue to better our position at CMP and ensure a more productive future for our department.”

March 24, 2014 - IBEW 1837 members in the Central Maine Power Administrative and Technical bargaining unit have ratified a new 4-year contract agreement. This group of 42 workers had been working without a contract since July 1, 2013.

Although the contract was ratified, nearly all of the workers expressed disappointment and frustration in the final deal. Those feelings were echoed by union officials.

Left to right: IBEW negotiators Joe Gilmore, Scott Kirby and Tom Ryan

March 26, 2014 - IBEW 1837 members at Granite Ridge Energy in Londonderry, New Hampshire have approved a new 3-year contract that maintains their current benefits package and increases their wages by more than 8½% over the term of the agreement.

March 28, 2014 - Union and Company representatives have prepared a modified 3-year contract extension that will be presented next week to IBEW members in the large production bargaining unit at CMP.

IBEW members at CMP are receiving a summary of the agreement terms and relevant documents to consider prior to a ratification vote.