Negotiations

December 9, 2021- Members of IBEW Local #1837 at WGME-TV 13 in Portland have approved a new 3-year contract agreement with substantial raises in 2022 for all members in all job classifications, ranging from 5.2% up to 49.9%. Most members will see a wage increase of at least 7% in 2022, followed by an additional 5% over the next two years. The contract vote took place on Wednesday, December 8, in a church basement near the Portland studios of the CBS affiliate.

IBEW 1837 represents more than 40 people who work behind the scenes at WGME-TV 13 as well as WPFO-TV 23, a Fox affiliate. Both are owned and operated by Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group. These hardworking broadcast professionals include the Operating Technicians, News Editors, Assignment Editors, Photographers, Engineers, Producers and Directors who create and produce a variety of news and public service programs, commercials and special projects. 

The contract vote came after a series of union meetings starting in early summer where members prepared contract proposals and discussed the problems they were having at work. Like many workers, they first struggled to do their jobs through the pandemic and later had to contend with a ransomware attack against Sinclair that forced them to scramble just to keep the stations on the air.

When the company’s wage offer during negotiations fell far short of what the Union Negotiating Team was seeking, members voted overwhelmingly to reject the Company offer and authorize a strike.

While the Union’s lead negotiator continued discussions with a Federal Mediator and Company attorney, members got organized and prepared to strike, painting picket signs and recruiting volunteer phone tree captains to keep members informed. Eventually, the Company found more money and improved their wage offer, finally showing the appreciation for the value of their employees that they had expressed across the bargaining table. This led to a Union Negotiating Committee recommendation to approve the contract and another membership vote, this time ending in ratification. 

Turnout was high throughout the state for the contract vote. Ballots were tallied at the Manchester, Maine office of IBEW 1837.

May 5, 2021 - IBEW members working at Central Maine Power voted to approve a new collective bargaining agreement with guaranteed wage increases and annual bonus payments, and without significant concessions of any kind. Voting took place at 15 different locations throughout the state on Wednesday, May 5th. The contract takes effect immediately and runs through April 30, 2025.

“The ratification of the new 4-year contract agreement with Central Maine Power is a significant step in the right direction for our members and for Maine’s largest electric utility,” said IBEW 1837 Business Manager Tony Sapienza. “After months of negotiations we were able to come to an agreement that the negotiating committee and the Union leadership could recommend to our members. Our members are proud of the important work they do serving CMP’s many thousands of customers and this agreement demonstrates that the company recognizes the value of our commitment to them.”

The Union and the Company met a total of 15 times in March and April at CMP’s General Office in Augusta with both sides limiting the number of people at the bargaining table as a COVID-related precaution. The Union side brought in a limited number of other members beyond the core negotiating committee for one or two days at a time to gain the benefit of their specific knowledge and experience.

Union negotiators sought wage adjustments across the board and presented detailed data when and where it was available to bolster their arguments. Ultimately, all job classifications received at least a single 2% wage adjustment prior to the general wage increases of 3% per year in each of the four years. Some job classifications, including First Class Lineworkers, received larger wage adjustments as the data conclusively proved they were underpaid and the Company found it increasingly difficult to attract and retain people in those positions.

December 30, 2020 - At least one good thing has come out of a very bad year: Workers at the Kittery Water District have overwhelmingly ratified their first contract with IBEW Local #1837. The 15 workers at the water utility include office staff, filtration plant workers, laborers, meter readers, service technicians and others.

“We’re grateful to negotiating team members Linda Johnson, Matthew Crosby, and Brandon Woods for the time and effort they put into making this a good first contract,” said IBEW 1837 Organizer and Business Representative Matt Beck. “The contract guarantees that they will be able to maintain the good wages and benefits they currently enjoy while making other substantive improvements as well.”

Although the employees at Kittery Water District had been in IBEW Local #1837 through most of the 1990's, both sides at the bargaining table approached the negotiations as if this was the first contract agreement for them. IBEW 1837 Business Manager Tony Sapienza and attorney Jeff Young also participated in the bargaining along with Beck and IBEW 1837 notetaker Sue Ekola.

The 2-year contract agreement includes 2.5% wage increases in each year and maintains 100% health insurance coverage paid for by the Kittery Water District. Other improvements included new requirements by management to give employees advance notice for schedule changes and improving opportunities to earn overtime pay. It also instituted a grievance and arbitration process for any violations of the agreement.

May 14, 2020 - A contract extension has been signed by the Union and Eversource NH. The contract has been extended until August 30, 2020 to give the parties time to negotiate. The hope is we can start face to face negotiations soon. The extension provides for retroactive pay and benefits. Please help spread the word.

September 22, 2018 - IBEW 1837 members working for NextEra Energy at Maine’s Wyman Station ratified a 3-year contract extension earlier this week.

The idea of an extension to the collective bargaining agreement was initially proposed by Union Stewards at the oil-fired power plant. IBEW 1837 Business Manager Dick Rogers brought the idea to the Company, who initially offered a 1.5% wage increase each year for three years with no other changes to the contract.

After some discussions between Rogers and the Company, the offer was improved to a wage increase of 2% in each of the first two years and 1.5% in the third year. A $750 ratification bonus was also in the Company’s extension offer. Again, there were no other changes to the contract.

NextEra members voted on Monday, September 17, to ratify the extension. The Union represents 32 workers at the Yarmouth, Maine power plant.

The extension comes at a challenging time for oil-fired generation and as the company announced plans to take two of Wyman Station’s four units offline.