Inside IBEW 1837

IBEW Local 1837 member Greg Middleton, a first-class lineworker at Versant Power, has been selected as the 2024 Shop Steward of the Year by a special committee at the Maine AFL-CIO. Middleton received his award at the upcoming COPE Convention Awards Banquet on Thursday, June 27, in Auburn. He was nominated for the award by members of IBEW Local 1837.

Following a vote by the members, unit meetings in IBEW Local 1837 are temporarily suspended for the 2024 summer season.  

To see the Summer 2024 Schedule: click here

IBEW Local 1837 members at Versant ratified a 3-year collective bargaining agreement in early July after federal mediation was brought in to help the Union and the Company bridge remaining gaps during negotiations. The contract includes significant improvements to wages, benefits, working conditions, and a key victory in protecting job security.

All classifications will see general wage increases of 4% in 2025, 3% in 2026, and 3% in 2027. In addition, several positions will see market adjustments.

There’s a familiar and friendly face serving constituents in Augusta. South Portland voters elected IBEW Local 1837 member Matthew Beck to represent them in the Maine House of Representatives for District 122. 

IBEW Local 1837 was honored at the 17th Annual National Labor and Management Public Affairs Committee (LAMPAC) conference in Washington, D.C., for its successful efforts in protecting hundreds of union utility jobs in Maine. 

In March, Assistant Business Manager, Renee Gilman, accepted the Edwin D. Hill Award, on behalf of the union. The award is named after the former IBEW International President who co-founded LAMPAC with the Edison Electrical Institute in 2007.

IBEW Local 1837 members and retirees played a crucial role in defeating the two pieces of harmful, anti-union legislation - one in the New Hampshire House and one in the New Hampshire Senate.

In March, mental health professionals at Seacoast Mental Health voted in favor of representation by IBEW Local 1837.

The vote, with a decisive count of 13 to 2, signals a strong desire among these professionals for fair treatment and collective advocacy in their workplace.  The therapists at Seacoast Mental Health play a crucial role in providing mental health services to residents of the eastern half of Rockingham County, New Hampshire. 

Three members of IBEW Local 1837 at WGME in Portland have been nominated for a New England Emmy Award in the category of "Best Newscast (Small Market)."

The nominations recognize the outstanding journalism work of News Producer and Steward Alison Murtagh, Chief News Producer Ted Homer, and Director Ethan Crooker, following the tragic mass shooting in Lewiston last October. 

March 4, 2024 -- In late February, 12 members from IBEW Local 1837 participated in an intensive negotiations training session at Teamsters Hall 340 in South Portland, Maine. These members represented workers from companies including Central Maine Power, Versant Power, Eversource, and the New Hampshire Electric Co-op.

Led by educator Craig Duffy from the International Office (IO), the class aimed to equip union members with the essential skills to negotiate collective bargaining agreements effectively.

The IBEW is offering its Founders’ Scholarship, which is an annual opportunity for IBEW members to further their education.

Click here for more information

The Founders’ Scholarship honors the legacy of the wiremen and linemen who, on November 28, 1891, organized the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Eligibility requires good standing in the organization for four years before May 1 of the scholarship year.

After a brief break for the summer, unit meetings are resuming for the fall months.  Members had voted in late spring or early summer to temporarily suspend their meetings during the traditional summer vacation months. While most begin in September, a few will start in October.

There are eleven-unit meetings held each month throughout New Hampshire and Maine for our members to attend.

In the world of long-distance running, completing a marathon is a remarkable feat. For Donald Palmer, a dedicated member of IBEW Local 1837 and a steward at Unitil, finishing his third marathon was not just a personal achievement but a profoundly meaningful experience.

Twelve skilled workers at Lewis Tree in New Hampshire voted to accept their first contract in late-September 2023.

These employees won their union with IBEW Local 1837 back in January 2023 after expressing their dissatisfaction with the lack of benefits and fair pay being offered, especially when compared to other unionized units within the company.

The newly ratified contract includes an immediate 2.5% pay raise, followed by 3% raises in both 2024 and 2025.