Updates from Around Our Union

By now everyone should have heard about the incident in the West in Distribution Line with Dave Gilbert being injured on the job. We have received an update from Dave saying he is doing well and he appreciates everyone's thoughts, cards and prayers. He has a long road ahead of him so please keep him in your prayers.

Thank you to all who have shown your generosity and donated a day of your vacation to allow Tim Davis to be with his son, Jack, as much as possible while he undergoes treatment for cancer. The show of support has been overwhelming, so much so that there have been more days donated than can be used this year. A separate notice will be sent directly to those who have donated beyond the policy limit so you can know that, although much appreciated, your donated day can not be utilized this year.  

Meetings were held on switching errors with John Spink and Len Fiume. We gave them some ideas to hopefully reduce these errors. Remember to try to not be distracted on the job. Our next meeting is scheduled for September 29th.

Recently, we had a US Leadership SPC phone call with John Bruckner. This included all locals under NGrid territory. Issue was brought up on cell phone use. Remember again to stay focused on the job. NYS has laws on cell phone usage. Do not be afraid to not accept supervisors' calls while you are driving. If you have an issue, let the hall know.

Exelon negotiations for the Fitzpatrick plant have been delayed and re-scheduled for the first week of October. We still have a few bumps in the road politically on subsidies for the plant, but we are working hard to make sure the plant remains open.

We are struggling with Labor Relations for National Grid. I was told we were getting a Director for Upstate and that they have gone to the outside and are interviewing candidates. It would be better to have someone with knowledge of our company to be in that position. We are waiting to hear who it will be.

Benefit meetings will be held in all divisions to give a more detailed explanation of upcoming changes to the National Grid medical benefits in 2018. Both the union and company are participating. They will be held at 6:00 p.m. in Buffalo on September 26th at the Millennium Hotel on Walden Avenue; Syracuse is September 27th at the Holiday Inn on Electronics Parkway, Syracuse; and Albany will be on September 28th at the Union Hall.

As Labor Day approaches please remember that Labor Day means more than the end of summer. It is a good reminder of the struggles that we as a Local Union have won and the new struggles that we will face.

 

It is a time to reflect on the working people who brought us Labor Day and the many benefits that we enjoy today because of their efforts.

Labor Day is also a time to take stock of where our families, our economy, and our democracy are heading.