Inside IBEW 1837

Companies with employees represented by our Union have developed and revised policies related to safety protocols for COVID-19 since the early days of the pandemic and in recent months with the spread of the Delta Variant. Before the introduction of emergency use authorization vaccines, most of the policies concerned vehicle sharing, masking, testing, working remotely andmaintaining 6-ft. social distancing indoors at company facilities.

Featuring these headline stories and more:

Finally, A Contract for IBEW 1837 Members at WGME-TV

Mark Easter from PSNH Receives IBEW Lifesaving Award

Some CMP Customers Opt-Out of Smart Meters to Save Jobs

N.H. and Maine Legislative Attacks on Workers Continue

Irene Storm Restoration Prompts Member Grievances at PSNH

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

There seems to be a new move afoot in the corporate world to enter the realm of controlling the personal health practices of employees. IBEW 1837 first saw this when Bangor Hydro (BHE) announced the implementation of a new “tobacco-free workplace” policy that covered not only smoking but also the use of smokeless tobacco products.

December 8, 2009 – International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 1837 and the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) have reached an agreement on the Company’s forthcoming layoff, thereby averting a looming court fight. The Union withdrew their application for a temporary injunction in the U.S. District Court in Concord, New Hampshire.

January 19, 2010 - IBEW Local 1837 and Unitil Energy Systems have agreed to a two-year contract extension. The current collective bargaining agreement was due to expire May 31, 2010.

On January 14, 2010, the IBEW members at the Company approved the extension which left the hours, terms, and working conditions unchanged. Members  agreed to a 2% wage increase effective May 30, 2010 and an additional 3% wage increase effective May 29, 2011. 

January 15, 2010 - The Maine Public Utilities Commission is set to hold a crucial public hearing on Wednesday, January 20 at 5:30 p.m. that may well determine the fate of 141 workers at Central Maine Power Company and have an impact of CMP’s customers for years to come.

Union members and their allies are being encouraged to turnout to show support for union workers at Central Maine Power. The hearing will be held at the PUC offices at 101 Second St., Hallowell, Maine.

February 26, 2010 - Around 650 IBEW members at Central Maine Power will have to wait a few more days to vote on a new contract offer. The vote originally scheduled for Friday, February 26 was postponed for a few days while CMP crews kept busy fixing down power lines.

“Because of the storm, we will have members that will be deployed to various work locations,” said Bill Dunn, IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager. “Because of that, we have rescheduled the ratification vote for a new contract until next Tuesday, March 2.”

February 24, 2010 - Negotiations with Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) formally began today. Following weeks of preparation, the Union Negotiating team, consisting of members from both IBEW Local 1837 and Steelworkers Local 8938, sat down across the table for opening statements and an initial exchange of proposals.

Due to the inclement weather and the nature of our work keeping the power on during such events there were some empty seats on both sides of the table and participants in jobs related to power restoration returned to the field immediately following the meeting.

February 22, 2010 - The Union Negotiating Team at Central Maine Power has reached a tentative agreement for a contract for 650 workers at Maine’s largest utility. Prior to negotiations on Thursday, February 15, it had been nearly six months since the last bargaining session between the parties. During that time, three other Iberdrola USA companies settled contracts with their respective unions.

February 1, 2010 - The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will be issuing an order for Central Maine Power Company to move forward with their Smart Grid Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) initiative. The PUC held deliberations on the AMI case on February 1, and all three commissioners agreed that CMP had done a good job at working toward and achieving 50% of the funding for their proposed system through a federal stimulus grant. The commissioners believe that the system will produce benefits for customers that will outweigh the costs.