Business Managers Report

 

We continue to work and monitor REV and the CHP Line from Canada. We also have a training program for Utilities issue in the West where they want to know how the IBEW is doing it.

 

We are in the process of updating our website. You should all have received letters about updating your personal information. Please return them. You should be receiving a test e-mail shortly.

 

 

We are still continuing with negotiations for Bear Swamp. This is the company we were successful in organizing. Negotiations are going slow.

 

 

We continue to meet on the contract extension. Their contract expires on September 30th.

 

 

I signed a Line Series Agreement on disqualification process to self –withdraw from Line School. You have a seven day period where you can go back to the job you came from. There will be a 90 day waiting period to get back into school. After the second bid if you were to opt out or fail, you will then have a five year waiting period to go back in.

 

Mercer will no longer be the Health and Welfare administrator. The SDC (Service Delivery Center – formerly Transaction Delivery Center) will now administer your benefits along with a third party.

 

We have received a Gas proposal from the company. We will be setting up the Gas Committee to review the proposal.

 

Tentatively have a meeting set up for August 24th for the Field Tester MOA getting to the E level.

 

Met with Labor on Retiree Cap issue for those retirees who retired from 1996-2004. We cannot negotiate for them but presented alternate plans to the company to help save the retirees and company money. They have to take back to review.

 

We had a Labor Board charge brought against the Local in Albany. We gave a deposition on the charges and waiting on the results from the Labor Board hopefully within the next couple of weeks.

 

We had an issue with Stretch and Flex in Watertown. This program is totally voluntary and one which we support. One of our members who was sitting in the room and not participating, got up and went into the hall. The supervisor came and told him he had to be in the room.  He said no and then the steward came out and convinced him to come back in. They ended up saying he was insubordinate and was given five days off without pay. I tried to talk to the company and they said they would reduce it a day as long as we did not grieve.  I refused that offer. I am asking you to go back and just sit in the room when they do Stretch and Flex and do not participate. Do not be disrespectful; just do not participate. Maybe you can do it when you go out to the job. We will be grieving it.

 

 

We were able to get for the Procurement to Pay Department auto progression. We will be scheduling a meeting in Syracuse at the hall to explain the agreement.

 

 

We were able to get a six month extension of their contract and pushed it out to March 24, 2016.

 

 

We are asking for contract proposals on that property. Their contract expires October 31, 2015. We are trying to set up days with the company for negotiations.

 

 

We had a conference call with the Company to clarify language on a contract we negotiated. We are hoping to get contract printed shortly.

 

 

Labor Day is coming. Please remember the meaning of Labor Day and what we are all about.