Local Union 1412 News

Contract Signing

2011-12-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

The System Committee will be meeting with the company to sign the newly ratified contract tomorrow. The contract was passed by the membership and will run through December 2, 2012.

2011-12-02T23:11:00.001-05:00

The contract was approved by the membership today.

Negotiations Update November 21,2011

2011-11-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

Brothers and Sisters,

The System Committee and the company concluded negotiations on Sat, November 19, 2011. I will post the proposed changes to the contract and a statement from the System Committee tomorrow.

Local Union 1412 will have an information meeting on Wed, Nov 30, 2011. The meeting will take place at the Bear Lake Clubhouse and will start at 7 pm.

Voting on the contract will take place at the Bear Lake Clubhouse on Friday, December 2, 2011. The polls will be open from 9 am to 9 pm.

Material Handling Buckets

2011-11-03T11:40:00.000-04:00

Brothers and Sisters,

It has been brought to the System Committee's attention that there are areas right now that are utilizing a material handler buckets with a lone worker. This is not approved and should cease immediately. If there are areas where this is taking place please forward that information to one of the local union officers.

The Union negotiating committee and the company are currently in discussions about this very issue. The use of material handling bucket trucks with a lone worker is prohibited by current agreements between the parties. The company has proposed to remove this prohibition with proposal M-10.

The Union is not in favor of removing that prohibition due to safety concerns.

Your System Committee and Local Union leadership appreciates your commitment to work safely.

Fraternally,

David B. Price
Business Manager LU 1412

October 26, 2011 Update

2011-10-26T14:26:00.000-04:00

The System Committee and the Company are working this week to resolve some of the differences in the proposed language for the production department.

To date, the negotiation process is moving along pretty good. Proposals over the vacation list posting (U13), call out list position in the line department (U3) and upgrade (U4) have been tentatively resolved.

There are still many proposals to work through but we are hopeful to have contract negotiations completed prior to the expiration of the current agreement.

Continue to work safe and I look forward to meeting with everyone on November 7th at 7:00 pm.

Fraternally,

David B. Price

Negotiations Update October 20th

2011-10-19T22:00:00.001-04:00

Brothers and Sisters,

The System Committee and the Company are in the second week of negotiations. We exchanged proposals on Tuesday, October 4th. and began formal negotiations on Tuesday, October 11th. The first week of talks were productive and several issues have been tentatively agreed to between the parties.

The talks have gone well to date and I feel there is a very good atmosphere considering the prior history of negotiations between the parties and the pending merger of our company with Duke. The Union and the Company both committed to finishing negotiations prior to the expiration of the current contract.

There are a few differences this year compared to previous negotiations. One of those differences is the number of proposals between the parties. The union presented 43 proposals and added a 44th the day we exchanged packages. The company presented 23 proposals and added a 24th the same day. Typically, there are 100 plus proposals to discuss between us. The 68 combined proposals are a substantial reduction in the volume of issues to be resolved. I would assume (that's never a good thing to do, but..)the pending merger has a “little" something to do with the reduced number of proposals presented by the company.

One of the issues facing the parties right now is the difference in the proposed length of the contract. The company has proposed a one (1) year agreement and the union has proposed a four (4) to five (5) year agreement. Certainly this will be an issue that needs to be settled sooner, rather than later.

All of the proposals are posted on the local's website, www.ibew1412.org, and may be viewed at your leisure. If there are any questions concerning the proposals, the ongoing negotiations or any other issue please bring them to the union meeting. The union meeting will provide me an opportunity and a platform to have frank, straightforward conversations about the proposals, negotiations or any other issue.

I will continue to keep everyone informed as negotiations move forward and will try and post an updated account of where the proposals stand. I would ask that you help keep the rumor mill to a minimum and continue to stay focused on safely performing your job duties. I’m sure there will be a lot of announcements in the coming days and weeks about negotiations and the merger. Those announcements can sometimes become distractions. We are excellent craftsmen and need to continue providing safe, reliable service to the company, and most importantly, to the customers we serve everyday.

I look forward to meeting with everyone on Monday, November 7th at 7:00pm.

Fraternally,

David B. Price

Business Manager LU 1412

Open Enrollment

2011-10-03T21:09:00.003-04:00

Today we met with the company to discuss the upcoming open enrollment for our benefits and the changes that were made to any of the plans. As usual, the biggest issue is the continued rise in the cost for medical insurance.

Many of our fellow brothers and sisters are under the assumption that all of the medical plans are negotiated between the union and the company. That is not the case. The BCBS 750 and 1500 are the two plans where the details are actually negotiated between the parties. The current changes to these plans were agreed to during the 2008 negotiations. There are two HMO's available to the BU and they might fit your needs. Additionally, there is a HDHP. I would encourage all of you to use the modeling tool that will be available during open enrollment. Take the time to run the numbers, it may save you a lot of money.

Open enrollment will begin October 19th and will run until November 2nd. The only way to enroll this year will be online.

As a reminder, this year is also an enrollment year for vision. If this is an option for you make sure to enroll. The plan is only open every other year.

Negotiations

2011-09-23T02:57:00.003-04:00

Sisters and Brothers,

Your System Committee will be meeting with the Company on Tuesday, October 4th to exchange contract proposals. Negotiations will begin the following week.

Our regularly scheduled meeting for October will be moved from Monday, October 3rd to Monday, October 10th. The choice was made to move the meeting so that I will have all of the proposals available to discuss.

I would encourage all of you to attend the meeting.

Transmission Crew Apprentices

2011-02-11T17:43:00.002-05:00

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

Bear Lake Clubhouse

2011-01-18T22:06:00.003-05:00

Brothers and Sisters,

I just returned home from a meeting at the clubhouse and felt the need to reach out to all of you for some help. The employee association is in dire need of help. The need comes in the form of officers and board members. If there are just a few of you willing to step up and help run the Association there is a good chance that it will see many good years ahead.

A fine young lady has agreed to be President of the organization and a retiree has stepped up as Vice President. They are currently in need of a Treasurer. If anyone is interested in helping out, or taking on the role of Treasurer, please give me a call so I can get you in touch with them.

Fraternally,

David Price
352-455-0608

Duke Energy

2011-01-10T23:43:00.002-05:00

By now all of you have heard that Duke Energy will be merging with Progress Energy. There seems to be no immediate impact to the bargaining unit and will probably take about a year to complete. Those of you who were employees when we were still Florida Power Corporation have been through this before and should know what to expect.

I have been asked a lot today about my opinion of the merger and would love to discuss this with you but will do so within the confines of a union meeting. For some strange reason when you publish information of that nature it seems to find a way to bite you in the rear!

The number one question asked about the merger today by the members was "How will it impact upcoming negotiations?" I'd love to have that answer but feel that we need to just buckle down and get ready. All of the officers know what we are facing and are actively preparing to get down to business.

The second most asked question today, "Is Duke Union?" The little bit I know right now is that there are some union employees in the Carolinas, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Joe Adams, BM SCU8, will be in contact with the local union that represents those employees and has been discussing this situation with some of our peers. I am certain that they will have some insights into what we are getting into.

As we get more information about the merger I will pass it along.

Fraternally,

David B. Price
BM/Pres IBEW LU 1412

Call outs

2010-06-08T10:05:00.002-04:00

Brothers and Sisters,

I wanted to pass along some good news concerning the current call-out process. The System Committee and the Company have been discussing the current process for the last several months. The parties have finally agreed to some modifications concerning code 12's.

Employees will now be given credit for accepting code 12's on their day off. This does not apply to scheduled work days. Additionally,if an employee declines to work a code 12 on their day off, they will be given a decline. The response to code 12's will be applied to employee's call out percentage.

If you have any questions about the new language please feel free to contact me.

David Price

Rumors

2009-10-09T13:04:00.002-04:00

I received a phone call yesterday from several work centers concerning call-outs. The general gist of the conversations went like this--- "our supervisor said that you met with the company over call outs and that the union was happy with how things are currently".

There are several issues with these types of calls. One is the fact that the "SUPERVISOR SAID" so and so. Please, stay in touch with your local union officers. Never take what your supervisor says as gospel until you have checked with a steward or the local union. Too many times that is how bad rumors get started.

The second issue with this is that the local union officers are no different than you, we all work under this contract. I am not a full time local union employee. I have to answer call outs just like you. I have been very vocal about my displeasure with the current call out system. The system is overbearing to certain groups and does not give proper credit to employees who respond to overtime. I have discussed these types of issues every month at the union meetings. Unfortunately, if you are not in attendance then you don't hear what is taking place.

The last thing I want to mention is this, the union is you, me and every other dues paying brother or sister working for the company. We are all the union. The union is not several people who are elected to perform the duties of the officers. We are simply mouthpieces for the whole membership.

The call-out issue is a big ugly sore spot right now and your elected officers are doing all we can to fix the problems. The company has agreed to sit down with us to look at the numbers and see if collectively we can come to an agreement over a better way to do things. that is a move in the right direction.

When and if the parties can come to some sort of agreement over how best to fix the problem, we will be bringing it to the membership for a vote. Call outs have a big impact to the lifestyles of the membership. It is important that we all have a say in how they will be handled.

I look forward to seeing you at next months meeting. Until then please work safe!

Call-Outs

2009-10-08T12:17:00.004-04:00

Last month the System Committee met with Line Department VP's to discuss the current situation surrounding call-outs. The Committee presented management with several issues that are causing hardships to the membership.

The first issue surrounded the rotation of the list. It is very apparent that on the overtime list there seems to be two cycles. The NS employees rotate at the top of the list and the SL employees rotate at the bottom. This is causing a burden for the employees always at the top.

Another issue is the filling of shifts without credit. This seems to be a growing issue under the current "fill shifts" emphasis.

There were several other issues discussed concerning call-outs. The final outcome of the meeting has resulted in a commitment from management to sit down with us and look over the numbers. If we can come to an agreement over a better way to do call-outs, we will bring the agreement out to be voted on.

Contract Dates

2009-03-02T14:27:00.002-05:00

Contract Implementation Dates

The information below is from Brother Joe Adams, BM SCU-8.

The following are the implementation dates for certain portions of the new contract. It is obvious, unlike the “old” Company, that the “new” Company can not implement all of the changes on the same day. I guess it must have something to do with the Fortune 250 status of this Company. So, rather than implement the new changes all on the same day, here is what I know so far:All of the financial aspects of the new contract, with the exception of the new wages, have been in place since February 2. These include Working Foreman, meals, per diem, and moving expenses. The new wages should be on the March 20, 2009 paychecks. The retroactive pay will come sometime later. When I am notified of the exact day for the retroactive pay, I will post it.
Item 5 (M-16) – Changes to electronic bidding – Company hopes to have this in place as early as April. They are waiting to get the email confirmation activated.
Item 6 (M-2) – Upgrade to non-Bargaining Unit position – Company is not sure on the implementation of this proposal because the database needs to be changed.
Item 10 (U-20) – Troubleman Schedules – The schedules with the new language should have been completed by January 31st.
Item 13 (M-8) – S/L Crews – The jobs were posted on February 10th for the new 50% ratio language in the contract. Of course, we wanted the Company to post first and then abolish, like we have always done in the past, but Line Department management felt otherwise and abolished on the same posting. The new work rules for the S/L crews were to have been implemented on February 2nd.
Item 18 (M-11) – Rest Time – This new language will be implemented on March 2nd.
Item 20 (M-12) – Mandatory Callout and COORS Changes – This will be implemented on March 2nd. This means the 3 yards on mandatory in South Coastal will remain on mandatory until March 2nd. When this new language is implemented, whatever your percentage is will just be carried over to the new language.
Item 22 (M-14) – Overtime Hours for Line Department (Distribution) and Off System Response – This will be implemented on March 2nd. This includes the rolling of the overtime list every week in Distribution. The off system response of highest to lowest percentage offered the overtime first applies to all departments affected.
Item 23 (M-17) – Crossing Boundaries, etc. – This will be implemented on February 16th. There is not a lot to say about this proposal except enjoy the windshield time!
Item 24 (U-33) – Working Foreman Changes – This should have already been implemented.
Item 27 (U-36) - Paid Meal Time – This is for the paid meal time changes and should have been implemented on February 2nd.
Item 33 (M-19) – Grievance Procedure – This will be implemented on March 2nd. This includes the new language for the time limits for the Company to respond to 1st step grievances (7 days) and for you to send to 2nd step (7 days). The System Committee has updated the grievance form so please start using the new forms now. There is a lot more info for the grievant to fill out. This is needed by the Committee so we can contact you prior to the 3rd step.
Item 46 (M-40) – Exhibit H (In Plant Repair and Project Work) – I have no idea when this language will be implemented, but should not be that difficult to do.
Item 55 (M-42) – Control Technician & Electrician Secondary Skills – I do not know when this proposal will be implemented. Of course, it is voluntary for existing journeyman and certain apprentices already enrolled in the Apprenticeship Program. I do not anticipate the journeymen to be knocking down the door to get these secondary skills.
Item 56 (M-48) – Delivery of Paychecks – The Company will be sending out letters for employees who still receive hard copy checks delivered at the work place. The delivery of paychecks to the work place will cease on April 17th.
Item 59 (M-25) – Building Serviceman to Laborer (A) Ratio – The 2 new Building Serviceman jobs have already been posted and the 2 Laborer (A) positions have been abolished.The new MOC is in the final proof reading process. As soon as it is finalized, it will be posted on all of the Locals web sites.These are all of the dates I have been given by Labor Relations for the implementation of the new contract. If I get any more updates to the implementation, I will get it posted. Please work safe and follow all of the rules!

Fraternally,Joe

January 26, 2009

2009-01-26T22:51:00.002-05:00

Brothers and Sisters,

The contract was passed by the membership today. The following are comments from SCU-8 Business Manager Joseph Adams:

The results are in and I want to let everyone know that the contract was ratified tonight. I will contact the Company to confirm the exact day the new contract will be implemented. I do not want the same fiasco that we had after the 2005 negotiations when the Company implemented a portion of the contract over a period of time. Thanks to all of the members who voted and keep checking back for further updates on the implementation of the contract.Fraternally,Joe
# posted by Joe Adams, Business Manager IBEW SC-U8 @ 9:01 PM

I also want to thank all of the Officers who spent their day and most of the evening at the hall to make sure that the vote went off without any problems.

Fraternally,

David B Price

01/21/2009 Update

2009-01-21T22:40:00.001-05:00

Brothers and Sisters,

The System Committee was given the Company’s final offer on January 19, 2009, around 1:00 pm. The package you will be voting on next week does have modifications from the previous version. I want to take this time to address those changes.

The grievance process was changed to allow payment for the grievants to attend third steps. The grievance process as a whole will change to some degree but the System Committee feels that we can still be effective with the proposed language. The Committee has changed the current grievance form to address some of these hurdles. The new form will be available upon ratification of the new contract.

Mandatory on-call was another area that has changed since the last vote. The new language takes away the right of management to place employees on the mandatory on-call list. The only provision to allow for mandatory on-call is upon a majority vote of the employees within the headquarters. If the mandatory is voted in by the employees, they will remain on-call for a twelve month period. The details of voting to go on mandatory have not been discussed yet.

The Union was able to obtain a phasing out of the opt-out credits rather than the originally proposed language by the company. Under the final offer, employees who opt-out of medical coverage will receive a $65.00 credit in 2010, a $35.00 credit in 2011 and a $10.00 credit in 2012.

On a personal note, I want to voice my displeasure in the negotiation process. The Union worked very hard to find a middle ground on most of the company proposals. Unfortunately, the company was not willing to reciprocate. The vast majority of the proposals brought by the Union were never entertained by the Company.

Additionally, I do not feel that the company has the level of respect for the Union workers that they should. The Union workers on this property are some of the best out there and should be treated as such. It appalls me that the company will not offer retiree medical to future employees or negotiate an enhancement to the current retirement package.

All of the proposals were not tentatively agreed to by the System Committee. There are several proposals remaining that we could not agree to but are included in the company’s last best and final offer. It is unfortunate that the company was not willing to continue to finish the negotiation process and meet on some middle ground. The company would not settle for anything less than the originally proposed language on several of their proposals.

The decision by the System Committee to unanimously recommend a “Yes” vote on this second offer was not taken lightly or an easy one. We fully understand the impacts of the proposed language. We took action to recommend this package due to the climate we are currently enduring. Today is not the day to take the hill or die trying. We will be back at the table again in three years.

I do want to remind you that this vote will be a little different than the last. A “NO” vote on the package being offered this time will authorize the System Committee to call for a strike. The current contract is in effect until February 19, 2009.

In conclusion, Local Union 1412 will have an information meeting on Thursday, January 22, 2009. The meeting will take place at the Bear Lake Clubhouse and will begin promptly at 7:00 pm. The Vote for the proposed contract will take place on Monday, January 26, 2009. Local 1412 will be open for voting from 9:00 am until 9:00 pm at the Bear Lake Clubhouse.
Please continue to work safely!!

In Solidarity,
David B. Price, President

1/16/2009

2009-01-16T17:55:00.003-05:00

The parties met today with the assistance of a Federal Mediator. We exchanged several counters across the table today and some movement was made.

All indications lead me to believe that the Company will be giving us a "LAST, BEST and FINAL OFFER" on Monday afternoon.

Please check back Monday for additional updates and continue to work safe!!!

Fraternally,

David B Price, President

Update 01/15/09

2009-01-15T13:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday the parties met seperatley and with the help of a Federal
Mediator have come to an agreement over the grievance process. This is the first of several issues thast needed to be addressed.

Today the parties are working on the Line Department issues. I do not forsee an agreement today over these issues but as the saying goes "tomorrow hasn't been touched yet". I am hopeful that we can come to some sort of agreement over these.

I understand that management is still out riding around trying to familiarize themselves with the areas and work duties. Please do not be disrespectful as they are only doing what their "bossman" wants them to do. If you feel that your supervisor is making remarks or taking actions that are inappropriate, please contact your Local Union Representative.

Please continue to work safe and check back here for further updates.

January 13, 2008

2009-01-13T22:04:00.004-05:00

The System Committee met with the company and a federal mediator today. We gave the company a list of the issues the membership has with their current offer.

The majority of the day was spent working on M-19 (Grievance Process). There were no agreements made today but some progress was made.

Tomorrow we plan on discussing M8, M11, M12, M14 and M17. All of these Company proposals have a major impact to the Line Department.

The parties have tentatively set January 14th and 16th and possibly the 19th and 20th for meeting dates. I am hopeful that we can get through the issues in such a short amount of time. The System Committee continues to maintain that we are available to meet as often as needed to negotiate a fair contract.

In closing, I want to say "THANK YOU" to our Brothers and Sisters in the Plants. Thanks for standing side by side with your Brothers and Sisters in the Line Department. We are only successful when ALL of us stand together in solidarity.

Contract News

2009-01-10T22:08:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to update all of you with some news.

The System Committee and the Company will be meeting this Tuesday. There will be a federal mediator at this meeting and I look forward to discussing the issues.

There are a lot of rumors out there right now, so please check back with the blog often. I will be posting updates as they become available.

Please continue to work safe.

In Solidarity,

David B Price

Contract Vote

2009-01-08T00:01:00.003-05:00

Brothers and Sisters,

The Contract offered by the Company was overwhelmingly rejected by the membership today.

I want to thank all of you for such a good turnout. I am proud of all of you for standing up and leaving no doubt about where you stand on the company's offer. Additionally, I want to thank all of our Brothers and Sisters around the system (LU's 433, 626, 682 and 1491)for their turnout. Great Job!!

I also want to thank Brothers David Edenfield, Mark McGuffee, David Koczan, Gary Dotten and Darrell Reeves for helping out today. I know it was a long day but you all did a great job.

The final results for the vote was 982 "no" votes and 186 "yes" votes.

I will be updating everyone on the next steps as soon as that information becomes available.

Please take a minute and read Brother Joe Adams' remarks at http://ibewscu8.blogspot.com/

Please continue to work safe.

In Solidarity,

David B. Price
President/F.S.
IBEW LU 1412

System Committee Statement

2008-12-23T16:15:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/23/2008
Brothers and Sisters,
Monday December 22, 2008, the Company and Union met to continue negotiations. Through the course of the day it became apparent to the Union Committee that the Company was moving very little on the issues and we stated that the Company may as well give us their last best offer.
At 4:33 pm the Company gave the Union their “last best offer”. The Company characterized their offer as an outstanding package for the employees, especially in today’s economy. The Company stated that the package includes significant benefit enhancements that make good business sense for the Company and for the employees.
The Company stated that they gained work rule changes that improve customer service and reliability, eliminated “un-needed” business costs, more structured training for the employees, and work schedules that enhances the employees’ quality of life.
The Company wanted to know what recommendation the Union System Committee would make to the members on how to vote on the package.
The System Committee has decided to abstain from making a recommendation on how to vote on this package and will leave it up to the membership to decide the value of the Company’s “last best offer.”
The package that you will be voting on, including the items that the parties tentatively agreed to, are items that the parties could not agree on. Some of the items that could not be agreed on include the Company’s proposal on changes to the grievance procedure (M-19), benefits (U1, U3, M45, M46, M47), Line department (M8 SL Crews, M11 Rest Time, M12 Call-outs, M14 Red Time, M17 Work Assignments), Fossil Operations (M40 In-plant Projects, M42 Control Tech/Elect Shared Work), Safety (U-38), and other proposals. M-42 also includes safety issues regarding the work that Control Techs will be required to perform. A significant proposal to the Company is M45 to eliminate for new hires their subsidy for retiree medical coverage. The Union vehemently opposed this proposal, however, the Company insisted and has included M45 in the offer.
The Union has assembled the package and it is available for download.
The Union has scheduled the vote for Wednesday January 7th, 2009.
As a reminder, the current contract has been extended until February 19th, 2008, as mutually agreed upon by the parties.
Please work safe and remember to vote on the Company’s “last best offer” on January 7th.

Respectfully, your System Council Committee

2008 Contract Update

2008-12-23T16:03:00.003-05:00

Brothers and Sisters,

The Company gave the Union System Committee a "Last and Best Offer" on Monday, December 22, 2008. Local 1412 will have an information meeting on January 5, 2009. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm at the Bear Lake Clubhouse. Voting will take place on Wed, January 7, 2009 from 9:00 am until 9:00 pm at the Bear Lake Clubhouse. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me after Christmas. I will be on vacation until January 5, 2009 but will check my voicemail and my email. You can click on this link http://d943626.u38.infinology.net/downloads/2008lastbestoffer.pdf for a statement from your System Committee and for a copy of the final offer from the Company.

12/08/2008

2008-12-08T21:42:00.003-05:00

I hope that everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I know that I enjoyed the time away from the table and the quality time I spent with my family. We are back at the table again and have been since last Tuesday. The parties used Last Monday as a work day to get prepared for the coming week.

Right now we are working on several of the production dept issues and all of the major line dept proposals. I want to touch on the production department first. The Company withdrew several of their proposals in that department and both parties withdrew the 12 hr shift proposals. M6, M30 and M31 were all withdrawn by the company and the parties are working on counters for M40 and M42. All of these were major issues in the production department.

The line department is another story. Right now the Company is dug in on having 24-7/365 coverage, crossing boundaries, journeyman is a journeyman, expanded SL duties, and reducing or the elimination of rest time as you know it all in exchange for NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION. I am hopeful that having the weekend to think about things will help clear the air but I doubt it.

This week should be a busy one and I will try and update you all as soon as I can. Please stay focused on your work and be safe. Speaking of safety, I understand that one of our Brothers in the Transmission Dept was injured last week. We also have another Brother that was hospitalized. Please take time out of your day to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

In Solidarity,

David B. Price

11/24/2008

2008-11-24T22:29:00.003-05:00

I want to start this blog off with good news, so here it is. We are still at the table negotiating and progress is being made. I know, there are rumors out there that may lead you to believe otherwise but the truth is, we are making progress and we are still talking.

The schedule for this weeks talks has been shortened for the Thanksgiving holiday. The two committees met today and will meet again tomorrow. We will be off Wednesday - Friday and will most likely meet again on December 1st.

Speaking of December 1st, that will be the date of the next Union meeting. I urge you to attend since it will probably be the last regular meeting prior to having a "last best and final offer" from the company. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm and I will be happy to address any questions or concerns you may have at that time.

To date there are roughly 28 management proposals on the table and 26 Union proposals. We are fairly close to resolving some of these but most will require a lot of work to get done. In the production department, the nuclear issues are all but finished. I believe there may be one or two small issues left to resolve but the bulk of those issues were agreed to today. Fossil is a whole different ball game. Let me put it this way, we definitely have a difference in opinion on how to fix the issues in the world of fossil.

Fleet, Meter Reading, Substation and the ECC proposals are finished and tentatively agreed to. The DCC proposal is still a work in progress as well as many of the line dept issues.
I want to say this about the line dept issues. I am not loving where we are at right now but..... movement has been made to resolve the issues. Unfortunately, ther are other areas (red edge #4) that we are not so close on.

Wages, benefits and the grievance process are all still on the table. There has been a lot of discussion concerning these issues. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you what the offer on the table is. As far as the grievance process goes, I can sum that up in a nut shell. ENOUGH is ENOUGH. We have given concession here the last two negotiations. I have not been bashful about letting everyone know how I feel about this issue. I have mentioned it before but let me repeat it again. " The grievance process is the most important article in the contract. Without it, you have nothing ."

I want to clarify one thing right now. Your System Committee is committed to the negotiation process. We notified the Company last week that we would meet right up to Christmas Eve and reconvene after the New Year if need be. I am not sure how long it will take to get a finished package but we want to make sure it is done right. I do not feel that negotiations should be rushed. Too many mistakes are made when that happens.

I hope that all of you have a great Thanksgiving. Please continue to work safe. I look forward to seeing all of you Monday night.

In Solidarity,

David B. Price
President, LU 1412

11/14/2008

2008-11-14T11:38:00.002-05:00

The Union and the Company have finished with talks for the week. I wish I could say they went good but I pride myself on being truthful. Progress is still being made but the bigger issues in Production and the Line Dept are on the table. I updated the website with the current newsletter which addresses all of these issues. So please check www.ibew1412.org for it and I look forward to seeing you on December 1st at the Union Meeting.

Update 10/29/2008

2008-10-29T12:20:00.005-04:00

Talks are still ongoing and continue to be civil and professional. There has been a lot of discussion concerning the nuclear and line department proposals and some discussion about benefits.

Yesterday the Union discussed the supplemental benefit portion of Union Proposal #1. The folks from National Group Protection were here to explain to the company exactly how this proposal works. This is a no cost, or minimal cost, proposal. The only requirement the company has is to provide access to the employees for open enrollment and provide payroll deduct to allow the employees easy payment of the premiums if they choose to enroll. We will be providing a flyer that will capture the benefits of this program and will answer any questions at the next union meeting on November 3rd. The supplemental insurance that NGP is offering is a great product and would help many of our members.

The Union has actively engaged the company over M8 (SL CREWS), M11 (Rest Time), M12 (On-Call), M14 (Red Time) and M17 (Red edge #4). I look at these proposals as a SEARS Catalog book for management. In some cases they went shopping for a 9/16 socket and are trying to buy the whole damn store to get it. Well, maybe "buy" isn't the proper word but I am sure you all will insert one that is better suited. Either way, you get my point. It is taking a lot of discussion to get to the root of the problem the company seems to be having but we are getting down to the real issues. Wholesale changes make for a messy outcome and we can not afford that, nor do I think the company really wants to have that happen. The Proposal, as written by management in the original form, provides no benefit to the employees. Furthermore, it destroys the spirit and meaning of Article VI, Section 6. All of these proposals intermingle in some form or fashion and would have a direct and negative impact to the membership.

I want to take some time here and let you all know that both sides have issues surrounding the current call out process in the line department. Rather than change everything in the COORS book, the System Committee has countered with another option that management can utilize. We have asked for a one week on-call that gives the company 24-7 coverage and provides employees reasonable compensation for being available. This proposal would eliminate any perceived game playing of the call out list (by either side), ensure response to emergent calls for a seven day period, allow the employee who is on call to actually be called and not by-passed and provide compensation if the company chooses to enact the on call status. I am hopeful that the company will be open to thinking a little "outside of the box" on this. It would definitely help solve a lot of the issues the company has concerning call outs without negatively impacting the membership.

We approached the company about raises a couple of weeks ago and have not gotten a response to our proposal as of today. Generally the company likes to address this issue last. The System Committee truly believes that you all have spoken loud and clear about raises, so we have expressed just how important our wage proposal is.

Please continue to stay informed about the ongoing negotiations. I know a lot of you have concerns about the on going rolls. I have fielded a lot of calls concerning the rolls and the System Committee is addressing the problems when they are brought to us. If you are having a problem, please do not wait until the last minute to let me know. I can not help you out if I do not know about it. I am easily reached by email (dprice@ibew1412.org).

I look forward to seeing all of you Monday,November 3rd. Please continue to work safe

Fraternally,

David B Price

President LU 1412

Update 10/16/2008

2008-10-16T21:54:00.003-04:00

Please check the October 2008 newsletter for an update on negotiations. It can be found at http://d943626.u38.infinology.net/downloads/october2008.pdf . I have also posted the proposals that have been tentatively agreed to. They can be found on the locals web site www.ibew1412.org

I want to remind all of you that the next union meeting will be held on Monday, November 3rd. We will start at 7:00 pm.

Update 10/13/08

2008-10-13T16:11:00.001-04:00

Brother Adams, BM SCU-8 has an update that all of you should read. I will publishing another update later this evening or tomorrow.

Sunday, October 12, 2008
Negotiations Update
The first three weeks of negotiations has evoked many discussions over the majority of the proposals from both parties. There have also been quite a few counters back and forth across the table over some of the proposals. We have just started negotiating some of the Line and Production Departments’ proposals. I will try and update everyone very soon concerning proposals agreed to or those withdrawn.Please remember, some proposals from either side may not appear anything similar to the original proposals and some are only slightly changed. The System Committee has been working very hard on negotiations and will continue to do so throughout.One of the proposals discussed last week, that could severely impact the Line Dept., was Company proposal M-17. It was a very lively discussion. This week, I understand the Company has been reading M-17 and discussing “talking points” to M-17 with the members during morning crew meetings. The System Committee is aware of these meetings and we have been given several copies of these “talking points”. In some yards, we feel the Company has crossed the line in dealing directly with employees. We are investigating those situations and will take the appropriate action, if needed, in the near future. The action taken by the Company resembles the action of a used car salesman trying to sell you a “lemon”. I am sure there will be more sales pitches in the future by the Company on other hot issues on the bargaining table. I ask you all to, please, be professional in these captive audience type meetings and remember when the Company is reading these proposals to you, it is still hot outside so enjoy the air conditioning.
# posted by Joe Adams, Business Manager IBEW SC-U8 @ 4:41 PM

U8 Update

2008-10-02T00:15:00.003-04:00

Brothers and Sisters,

Here are a few comments from SCU-8 Business Manager, Joe Adams:

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Line Department Downsizing Update

As most of you are already aware, the Company has rescheduled the date to issue roll papers due to the storms in Texas. The new date is now scheduled for October 14th. They have also extended the time to fill out your reverse severance selection. If you originally checked ‘no’ and want to check ‘yes’ for reverse severance, you now have until this Friday, October 3rd to make the change. Ask your supervisor for another severance form if you are changing your selection.I want to thank all of the members who traveled to Texas for the storm restoration efforts due to Hurricane Ike. I have heard over and over about your dedication to the job and safety under such adverse conditions. It is great to hear how our Union labor is appreciated in other parts of the Country! I commend all of you!In the past few weeks, I have received numerous calls from Local Unions looking for Lineman and in some cases Apprentices. I spoke with Brother Mike Bell, Business Manager, IBEW Local Union 222, and he has assured me that if he is unable to find work for you locally, he will find you work elsewhere across the country. Brother Bell also informed me that Local 222 accepts applications for Apprentices on a daily basis. IBEW Local 222 is an outside construction Local, so you are required to have an “A” card to travel there. If you do not currently have an “A” card and would like to go to Local 222, please contact your Local Union’s Financial Secretary to make the change to an “A” card.I also received a call from IBEW Local Union 1439 in Saint Louis, MO regarding our job cuts and wanted me to pass on their employer’s website. Their employer is Ameren and the website is www.ameren.com or you can contact Local 1439 for more information. I will also update everyone very soon on the ongoing contract negotiations.

Job prospects:

IBEW Local Union 222
Mike Bell, Business Manager
17850 US Hwy. 441
North Reddick, FL 32686
Ph: 352-591-3332
www.ibew222.org

IBEW Local Union 1439
2121 59th Street
St. Louis, MO 63110
Ph: 314-644-6111
www.Ameren.com

# posted by Joe Adams, Business Manager IBEW SC-U8 @ 11:53 PM

WEEK 2

2008-09-28T00:24:00.006-04:00

We met with the company for the second week of negotiations and there were a lot of proposals discussed. The week went as well as could be expected for the issues that are on the table. We did touch on a few issues that are near and dear to the line crews. In particular, the SL crews, red time and call outs.

In regards to the call out issues on the table, I do have a few thoughts. Currently the company uses " discipline" as the tool to use to encourage employees to respond to calls. Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that with fewer employees (due to layoffs) the call out burden will be heavier on everyone. The expectation is for you to answer more calls or face discipline. The following is a list of some of those "wants" the Company has proposed this negotiations.

No red time. The Company cited too much work for the supervisors as the reason to do away with it. I feel that this would negatively impact the company's ability to equally distribute overtime opportunities.

Call outs only count from home. Pretty self explanatory. No hold over credit, no prearranged credit. Strictly those 2 am wake up calls.

Bypassing employees who "may" get into red time. The company does not want to call the number one employee on the list if they may get into rest time. They want to be able to skip you if there is even a remote possibility of getting into rest time.

Use someone who is already at work, forget the overtime list. This is what they have been trying to do for quite some time now. The issue here is the same as those previously mentioned, how do you equally distribute the overtime?

There are a lot of ways to service the customer but I feel this is not one of them. When the company was asked about compensating employees to be on call, we were told by management that being on call was already figured into your hourly rate. Well now, what was I thinking? That statement was burned into my memory bank and I brought it with me this weekend to a meeting with all of the utility locals in the state. After speaking with our Brothers and Sisters across the state, I have discovered that the statement made was not the facts for most other utilities. Most provide incentives to their employees to answer call outs. In fact, we have one of the least "worker friendly" policies among our peer utilities.

Proposals that concern DCC, Fleet, Meter Reading, Data Collectors and R&D were also opened up for discussion. I look forward to working on these issues as time progresses.

I want to give a big thank you to all of the membership for your work in Texas. I am proud of the work that our Union members did out there and I am sure that the people of Texas appreciate it too. Great job working safe!!

I will provide another update later this wee. I hope that all of you will make it to the meeting Monday, October 6th.

Fraternally,

David B Price

Negotiation Update

2008-09-20T23:08:00.002-04:00

Brothers and Sisters,

The first week of negotiations is complete and for the most part it went well. The parties did agree on U-13, which is a housekeeping proposal over holiday pay. The better part of the week the company and the Union asked questions concerning each proposal. Generally the questions surround the needs or the problem the proposal deals with. Essentially, "Why do you need it?"

Next week the parties will be back at the table. I will update the web later in the week so that everyone can stay up to date with the negotiations.

Fraternally,

David B Price.

Contract Update

2008-08-27T23:04:00.002-04:00

Due to TS "FAY" and the fact that two of the Line dept VP's will not be available, the dates have changed for the upcoming contract negotiations. We will now exchange proposals on September 4, 2008 and begin negotiations on September 15, 2008.

I also want to remind all of you that the next meeting will be held on September 8 beginning at 7:00 pm. I will have a lot to talk about, so please be on time.

Tomorrow we meet with Mike Lewis to get the news on how many of our brothers and sisters will be laid off this year. I cannot believe that I actually had to write that but there it is. I will post something tomorrow evening and give you my thoughts on what is going to happen in the near future.

Now is the time to stand up and be a Union Brother or Sister. This Union belongs to all of us and it is about time we start acting like one.

Fraternally,

David B. Price
President

Mother Jones:
My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want. We do not want to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to each other: "We must be together; our masters are joined together and we must do the same thing."

Layoff Update 8/18/08

2008-08-18T19:33:00.003-04:00

Earlier today, the company notified the Union that they cancelled the meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. The intent of that meeting was to announce to the System Committee the number of jobs being cut later this year.

I have not beeen given a new date for this meeting but will post it as soon as I know. Please be safe as we work to restore power in the next couple of days.

David B. Price

Layoff Update

2008-08-14T21:24:00.004-04:00

Earlier today the System Committee and the Company met to discuss the pending job cuts. The meeting was requested by the Union for the sole purpose of exploring alternatives to a layoff. The System Committee proposed several areas where work could be performed by bargaining unit employees within the distribution area.

The first area addressed was urd trenching and make-up crews. The Union proposed changes to item 48 of the 1986 MOC. This language was a "must have" by the company in 1986 to reduce the cost of urd trenching. The Union updated the language to reflect the conditions we have now in 2008. The Company responded by saying that this was not in their "business plan" and had no interest in bargaining unit employees doing this type of work or "tree trimming". All of this urd work is routinely performed by the bargaining unit and the proposal would only expand the amount of this work being performed by bargaining unit crews.

The next area was under build on transmission projects. This work at times was performed by contract resources due to the lack of resources available. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this should not be an issue.

In discussions about the TRIP program, the company stated that the first phase was nearing completion and the second phase of this program would be worked by the bargaining unit. The amount of work in the second phase is minimal but would be scheduled in with regular work.

The actual implementation of the layoff was the last item on the agenda. The Union offered at the first meeting several weeks ago to allow the layoff to be offered by reverse seniority. The company has tentatively agreed in principle to do that. The Union and the company will be working on a Memorandum of Understanding in the near future.

The company and the System Committee will be meeting next Tuesday afternoon to discuss the actual number of positions being cut. I would assume that the information will be given to all of the employees the next morning.

I will post any changes or updates to this information as soon as it becomes available.

Fraternally,

David B Price
President

SCU-8 Officers

2008-08-06T20:42:00.003-04:00

Brothers and Sisters,

System Council U-8 had their elections this past Monday. Here is a list of the newly sworn in officers:

Business Manager - Joseph L. Adams

Chairman - David B Price (LU 1412)

Vice Chairman - William "Billy" Godwin (LU 1491)

Recording Secretary - Robert Hanna (LU 682.2)

Treasurer - Hobie Simons (LU 433)

Congratulations to all of the officers!!!!

Job Cuts

2008-08-06T19:23:00.005-04:00

By now, you have all heard that the company will be laying off later this year. I want to let you know that your Union leadership is doing all we can to limit the impact this will have on our members. Business Manager Joe Adams and the System Committee requested to meet with labor relations and senior management as soon as possible. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss options other than laying off our members.

I do not know what will come of this meeting but hopefully there will be a better understanding of what the real issues are and options offered to fix the problems. The Company has cited a lack of new meters being set and a lack of new construction as the driving force for this pending layoff. What happened to the rest of the work we do? What about "restoring power" and "maintenance" work? I thought that was our primary responsibility anyway. Where has all that work gone?

Financially this company is doing good. It is not like we are going belly up and need to shed costs or go down with the ship. Florida is still growing by the day. Just look east to the other big utility in the state. As of today they have hired over 100 employees and are continuing to do so as we speak. They are not the only ones either.

I feel that our company needs to take a closer look at the phrase "Human Capital Investment". They take great pride in announcing new base loaded generation, capacitor programs, new trucks, etc... What about the employee? What about the investment that gives back with innovation, dedication and commitment?

If you look on our web (http://www.ibew1412.org/) page links are posted to other utilities where you can search for jobs within the industry. The links were put up since we do not know how deep the cuts will be. My goal is to eliminate or reduce any impact to the bargaining unit. This type of information will at least give you an idea of what is out there. If you do not see a job on the web, I encourage you to at least contact the companies and see what options they might have.

I encourage all of you to get involved by going to local meetings, reading the newsletters and checking the web out daily. I will post any changes as soon as I know them.

Fraternally,

David B Price

President, LU 1412

2008 Negotiations

2008-02-25T22:56:00.002-05:00

This is a contract year and your System Council is working hard to get a package together we can all be proud of. This week, delegates from each of the locals are meeting to discuss the upcoming round of contract talks.

Tentatively we are set to start negotiations in September. I am hopeful that the talks will be productive and we can iron out some issues that have been looming about.

I will be using this blog as one form of communications during negotiations. It has been in our best interest to keep all of the members as up to date as possible and this is the quickest avenue to get the info out.

I look forward to seeing all of you on March 3rd for our regular meeting. Work Safe !!!!!

Long time coming

2008-01-29T18:17:00.000-05:00

I know that is has been quite some time since I have posted anything, so bear with me. Let me start with Red Edge #4.

There have been quite a few questions concerning this arbitration ruling. The Arbitrator ruled in favor of the Union. The Company has their interpretation of what exactly that means. The Company and the Union have been in discussions about the ruling and implementation of the award. I don't think we are seeing eye to eye on a couple of the key issues and there is a chance that the arbitrator may be asked to provide guidance in these areas.

We also had the ruling on the payroll deduct for the employees clubhouses. The Company chose to stop taking out clubhouse dues monies via payroll deduct. The arbitrator ruled that they were in violation by not taking out dues and ordered them to restart the payroll deduct within 90 days.

Code 18

2007-10-24T13:59:00.000-04:00

I received the Code 18 arbitration award late last week and the news wasn't what I wanted to hear. The Arbitrator agreed that the Company did not violate the COORS guidelines by calling employees out within 1.5hrs of their normal start time by using the COORS Code 18.

I will post this award up for everyone to read as soon as I can. There will be a link on the website to view arbitration awards as they become available.

The verdict on the Red Edge #4 has not arrived yet. I do not expect to hear back on that case until late November or early December.

Until then, work safe!

Rumors

2007-09-26T20:29:00.000-04:00

I want to address two of the RSO rumors that have been floating around out there. First and foremost, the System Committee has not made any "deals" concerning the Company's initiative to reduce the Troublemen staffing level. This Committee does not cut deals. From time to time there may be Memorandum of Understandings ( IE..Bartow Repower) that are worked on between the parties, or grievance settlements that come out but I can assure you that we are strictly by the contract. Those of you that know me understand how I feel about deal cutting. I don't like it, period !

The other rumor concerns the SL Techs. The System Committee has and will maintain that the SL Tech position much be reduced before the Company can abolish Troublemen positions. This was clearly the intent during the 2002 negotiations concerning the SL Tech.

I will be happy to field any and all questions at the upcoming Union meeting. The next meeting will take place Monday, October 1, 2007, 7:30pm @ the Bear Lake Clubhouse. I look forward to seeing all of you there.

Red Edge #4

2007-08-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

This week brought the final chapter in an effort to clear up any issues with Red Edge Letter #4. We were involved in a 2 day arbitration over the company's use of employees across headquarter boundary lines. I wish I could tell you the final outcome but that ruling will come from the arbitrator in about two months.

I know a lot of you do not understand why it takes so long to get a ruling, so I will take some time to explain it. Once you hear the case before the arbitrator, it takes a couple of weeks to get the transcripts back from the court reporter. Once you get the transcripts back, you generally have 30 days to turn in a written post hearing brief. Once the arbitrator receives the briefs, they tend to take about 30 days to give us their ruling. That is the short version, but it should help explain why it takes so long to get the answer.

I will post the decision as soon as we receive it. I feel like we presented a good case this week but you never know how the arbitrator received it. In contract interpretation cases the Union has the burden of proof. It is our job to show the arbitrator why our interpretation is the right one. These are generally more difficult than discipline or discharge cases as the burden of proof lies with the company.

I would like to thank everyone that was involved in this case. There was a lot of work that went into it and everyone worked really hard to present a good case. The following is a list of the members who were involved, so take a minute to thank them for their efforts if you get the chance.

Joe Adams Business Manager, SCU-8

David Edenfield Treasurer LU 1412

Mike Matson Member LU 1412

Nick Peden Member LU 682

David Price President LU 1412

Thomas Schiferl Member LU 682

Mac Todd Member LU 1412

Fraternally,

David B Price
President LU 1412

RSO Meeting

2007-08-15T14:33:00.000-04:00

The System Committee and the company met today to discuss the company plans to eliminate 21 positions. As you all are aware, the contract gives the company the right to abolish, post and to reclassify. The issue surrounds the reduction in Troublemen positions while we still have Street Light Technician positions.

The Street Light Technician was negotiated in 2002. During talks about the position, the Union had asked and was told that the Street Light Technician positions would not have an impact on the Troublemen classification. The Union left the table with a clear understanding that if Troublemen classifications were to be reduced, than there would be no Street Light Technician positions.

Joe Adams, Business Manager SCU-8, and the System Committee made it very clear today that our stance on this issue has not changed. In order to reduce Troublemen positions, the Street Light Technician positions would have to be abolished first.

I for one believe that a reduction in forces is the wrong way to fix any financial problem we are having. Especially when it comes to highly skilled positions in an industry that is in need of more Journeymen. I would think we would be staffing up and preparing for the future.

I understand that the growth is not like it was the past several years but the key word there is growth. We are not in a declining market. We are still adding customers everyday.

I will keep you informed of any new information as it becomes available. Please continue to work safe and I'll see you at Septembers Union meeting.

Troublemen Update

2007-07-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

I wanted to give you all an update on where we are at with the troublemen "staffing issue". As I have reported previously, the company has had a team of managers meeting to decide how best to handle this "issue". They will be presenting their findings to the Union committee on Thursday, July 26th. As soon as I can publish any information I will.

On a sad note, I would like to let everyone know that Tommy Ferguson passed away earlier this week. Tommy was a Serviceman who worked out of the Jamestown Operation Center and retired during the VERP. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family.

Who knows!!!!!

2007-07-12T20:12:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems that there are a lot of rumors out there about the future of the Troublemen. I can honestly say I have heard at least 20 different versions of what is going to happen. Unfortunately, none of them have been discussed between Management and the Union. These are all just rumors.

Here is what I do know. Management had asked to discuss this issue with us in late June and then notified us that they were not ready to discuss it. The meeting was then going to be rescheduled for the first week or so of this month. As of today, we are still waiting on the company to set that meeting up. I will inform everyone when that meeting is just as soon as I know. The company has had a team put together to evaluate the current staffing levels and work load and they are in charge of coming up with the plan to present to us. As soon as I know what in the world is going on, I will be happy to pass on the information.

Update

2007-06-29T00:02:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take some time to update all of you. On Friday, June 22, 2007 the Union and the Company met at the arbitration table to hear the Code 18 grievance. I feel like we presented a good case and I look forward to getting the ruling from the arbitrator. At this time, it is looking like we will get an answer sometime around October.

The Red Edge #4 arbitration is still on track to be heard the last week of August. This is a very big case and could have a major impact on the RSO. There are several other cases on the board to be heard. The Clubhouse dues case is slated for mid August and the issue over 7 hour shifts should be heard this year.

For those of you who have not been keeping up, three of the power plants in the Carolinas voted today on whether or not to go Union. The votes will be counted tomorrow and will be published as soon as they are available. I would like to thank all of those employees in the Carolinas that had what it takes to stand up and demand a voice at work. It takes courage to do that. We sometimes forget what our Brothers and Sisters did for us so many years ago.

As a reminder, the next Union meeting is Monday, July 2, 2007. I look forward to seeing you

Vacation Period

2007-05-30T11:27:00.000-04:00

Brothers and Sisters,

I just wanted to take some time to update you on some happenings around the local. We had an issue back in December where an employee had taken the week of Christmas off and was called out on Monday (Christmas Day). We had argued the fact that since he was on vacation he should not have been called. We have a revised second step response that the local union executive board has accepted and should clarify this issue in the future. You can view a copy of the response on the local's web page, www.ibew1412.org

While you are on a week long vacation, you are off of the list for nine days. The weekend before and the weekend after will be considered as vacation for the puposes of COORS. As far as the premium pay if you are called on vacation, the contract calls for seven consecutive days being a vacation period. You designate which weekend will be a part of that seven day period and that will be considered your vacation period for the purpose of premium pay. If you have any other questions about this issuen please do not hesitate to call me.

Elections

2007-05-12T22:08:00.000-04:00

May 7th the local had nominations for upcoming elections. The results are as follows:

President/FS/U8 Delegate
David B Price

Vice President
Mark McGuffee

Recording Sec.
Darrell Reeves

Treasurer
C. David Edenfield

Executive Board
Craig Crawford
Gary Dotten
Al Hayes
Mike D. Matson
David Koczan (withdrawn)

System Council U8 Delegate
C. David Edenfield

Alternate Delegate
Mark McGuffee

Since no other candidates are running for office there is no need to hold full elections. The hall will not be open for voting during the day on June 4th. The Regular meeting for June will still be held on Monday the 4th commencing at 7:30 pm. All incoming officers will be sworn in that evening.

Recent Meetings

2007-04-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

The System Council met this week for the first of three meetings this year. There were are lot of topics discussed and I will be giving a full report at our next regular meeting. One of the items that was on the floor for discussion concerned finding a better system to track grievances. The Council examined several different systems and we finally settled on a system that would allow the membership to log on and see the status of each grievance. It will take us some time to get it loaded and up to speed but the final product will provide all of us a tool to research grievances. I will be publishing that web link once we have a sufficient amount of information logged into the system.

One other topic I would like to discuss is the Florida Utility Alliance. I am currently in Gainesville meeting with all of the IBEW Locals who have jurisdiction in the utility sector. The reports from FP&L, TECO, SECO, JEA, Gulf Power and Progress are all so close you'd think it was the same managers running all of the companies listed. The number one issue concerns the staffing levels on the line crews and in the power plants. The need for Journeymen in each craft is only going to get worse and the resolution to the problem may come too late. We have been telling our management team for several years now that home grown Journeymen are the way to go and improvements to our apprentice programs has to come sooner rather than later. Unfortunately I don't think we are moving fast enough to fix the root of the problem. The companies are all looking for journeymen and the pool to draw from has been draining for quite some time now.

There were several other topics discussed at the meeting but I would like to save that for future information. My newsletter should be out in a couple of weeks and I will be giving thorough reports on both meetings at the May 7, 2007 regular union meeting. As a reminder, we have local union nominations at that meeting. I hope that all of you will attend and exercise your right to nominate the officers who will be running the local union for the next three years.

Please continue to work safe and I look forward to seeing you there on May 7th.

David B Price
President
IBEW LU 1412

Information Express

2007-04-11T21:41:00.000-04:00

Beginning this month, I will be using this blog as another avenue to get information out to the members in the field. During the 2005 negotiations I was able to communicate each week on the local's web page everything that was taking place and it appeared to work well. Now I would like to utilize this blog for the same type of communications. Please check back often to see what is happening. I will be discussing issues like arbitrations, grievances and other issues being handled by the Local or the System Council.

Since I mentioned arbitrations, let me get you up to date with the current arbitration case load. Today, Joe Adams (BM SCU8), David Dreggors (LU1412), Jason Wilson (VP LU 682) and myself were doing the final preparations for a case involving a discharged member from Local Union 682. The day ended in a settlement prior to the actual arbitration .

The Red Edge #4 case is still waiting for a new set of dates. Joe Adams (SCU8) and the company will be on a conference call tomorrow with the arbitrator to try and reach agreement on a new set of dates for this case. I know there is a lot of questions surrounding the decision to agree on an extension for this case but I can assure you that there were extenuating circumstances. I urge you to go to www.ibewscu8.org and read the current posting by Joe Adams about this issue.

COORS Code18 is another hot topic. The date for this arbitration is set for June 22, 2007. David Edenfield (LU1412) and myself will be handling this case. Preparations are well in the works and we are looking forward to the case being heard by an arbitrator. This is one more attack on our Troublemen and I am sure that there will be more in the future. The best thing we can do to combat the company's attacks is to show solidarity and continue to work together until we can get some relief through the arbitration process.

The Clubhouse dues deduction arbitration is being handled by David Dreggors (LU1412). The case is set for August 22, 2007. This case has amazed me from the very beginning. I have no idea why the company chose to fight for this "hill". It poses no problems for the company and does nothing but make life difficult for their employees. The practice of allowing employees (Bargaining Unit and Management) to use payroll deduct for clubhouse dues deductions has always been the norm and no different than the old appliance purchase plan that was negotiated away in 2005. So that brings me back to the original question I have had all along," Why would you do something that accomplishes nothing for your business but aggravate your employees?" I suppose this case will continue to be one of those that causes you to scratch your head and wonder "what in the hell is going on?"

Please continue to check up on the blog in the future. I will have additional postings soon and I look forward to seeing all of you at the next meeting.

David B Price
President/FS
IBEW LU 1412