April 2011

Business Manager’s Report

April 2011

GENERAL

  •  Business Manager Skerpon is attending his final week of a two week Business Managers’ training school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He reports the following:
  • As we continue to monitor the attacks in Wisconsin and other states, please help support our efforts by reminding the political leaders in your area that they need to come together to create quality jobs and solutions to the economic problems that working families are faced with today.
  • Local 97 continues to remind the Governor, Members of the Senate, The Energy Committee and local officials the importance of keeping work within New York State and the effect importing power from Canada or New Jersey will have not only on our members however; our local economy.
  • At a recent staff meeting, we discussed the possibility of having a clam bake in each division, in an effort to try and bring members together outside of the work environment.

BROOKFIELD

  • We met on April 4th in Queensbury to discuss the Regional Operator/Comp Tester issue and will be discussing Article 23’s for the Communication Testers and Relay Testers in the near future.

CONSTELLATION

  • Senator Pattie Ritchie invited me and Jim Card to meet with upper management of Constellation for an overview of the plant’s safety features and general operation of the plant. Marty Currier arranged for the Senator, Jim Card and I to meet with several of the local trade unions. Discussion took place over her support of the trades and concerns we have regarding the Transmission congestion issues we struggle with.

ENTERGY

  • We are in the process of negotiating a job specification for HVAC work that will bring the work back from a contractor and place it under Local 97’s umbrella. 
  • Kern Yerdon met with OSHA to provide information on the concern of asbestos at the plant. They were receptive to our ideas and we should have resolution to the issue shortly.

NATIONAL GRID

  • We met to discuss phase two of the Stations/Relay agreement. Because of the re-org the company was not prepared to move forward. We have another meeting set for May 16th.
  • The DLC group has transitioned back under Distribution where the work for the upcoming season will be completed from.
  • We have completed an agreement that will allow for Field Coordinator positions in the Gas Department to oversee contractor work.
  • I met with Bob DeMarinis (VP of New York Gas). I raised the concerns of the number of contractors along with our concerns over Drive Cam.
  • The Office Tech committee met and will provide outstanding issues that need to be addressed with Neil Proudman.
  • We completed one review of the contract and have forwarded the corrections to Labor Relations.

NRG

  • 42 Union Members opted to accept the severance package.

NYISO

  • Contract language was reviewed and copies are being sent to the International for approval.

PSEG

  • We continue to work on ways we can get work back from contractors and increase our in-house workers.

SERVICE EMPLOYEES

  • Contract language was reviewed and copies are being sent to the International for approval.

ST. LAWRENCE GAS

  • Contract language was reviewed and copies are being sent to the International for approval.

 

Theodore J. Skerpon

President/Business Manager                     04/12/11