Brothers and Sisters,
I just received a phone call from one of my fellow system committee members concerning the transmission apprentices and a "LARC" for their work group. A concern was raised that a LARC program has been agreed to for those employees by me or other members of the system committee.
Let me start by saying that NO one, including myself, has agreed to a LARC for those employees. The implementation of that type of program would have to be approved by the System Committee, period! There has been very little discussion amongst the system committee in regards to the transmission apprentices and a LARC program. We do however recognize that there are some issues we need to resolve concerning the current qualification process for transmission apprentices and the conflicts that the current process has on the distribution LARC program. As of right now, we have been working on resolving the few "bumps in the road" with the distribution process. Issues like scheduling, follow-up after a LARC assessment, and job postings have taken up the bulk of our discussions over the LARC program. Most of these issues should be resolved in the coming weeks.
However, there has been limited discussion over the qualification process for transmission apprentices. The company, as well as the union, eventually has to agree on the process that will be used, and how it will integrate with the LARC process for the distribution employees.
I am really unsure how these types of miscommunication occur in the field. We should all recognize that rumors are the quickest way to distort the facts. I will continue to use this blog, as well as newsletters and meetings to address items of this nature when they happen.
As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Fraternally,
David B. Price
