Split Vote at PG&E
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PG&E's Dad Seed' Line Clearance Tree Trimming Contractors Exposed: Pages 7-10 UtilityRe orter I BEW LOCAL 1245 • AFL CIO Union requests new talks Fortier is 'Unionist of the Year' Split vote at PG&E Five hundred trade unionists, elected officials and community n a letter hand-delivered to Pacific leaders turned out on May 15 in Gas & Electric on June 2, Local Berkeley to honor Local 1245 As- 1245 Business Manager Perry sistant Business Manager Dorothy I Zimmerman asked the company to Fortier as "Unionist of the Year" in return to the bargaining table imme- recognition of her outstanding ser- diately to resume negotiations for a vice to working people. new labor agreement. In addition to her duties at Local Members of the Clerical bargain- 1245, Sister Fortier has made time ing unit ratified the PG&E offer 1068- to play a leadership role in the 860 in balloting completed on May larger labor movement. She serves 28. But members of the Physical Steve Pettigrew (left) and Ken Amaral as Secretary/Treasurer ofthe IBEW bargaining unit rejected the PG&E sort ballots in preparation for the vote count. Electrical Workers Minority Cau- offer 2939-4091. cus, was elected to the Executive The company indicated it would Three-quarters (75%) of all eli- Board of the Coalition of Labor Dorothy Fortier: Unionist of the Year begin implementing the Clerical gible voters returned their ballots, an Union Women, and is the Presi- agreement effective June 1, includ- even higher rate ofparticipation than dent of the Alameda County Cen- ing the $900 lump sum payments in the previous round of balloting tral Labor Council. Fortier also belongs to the A. Philip Randolph that were bargained in lieu of wage last December, when 68% of eli- Institute, the Coaliton of Black Trade Unionists and the Asian Pacific retroactivity. gible members cast ballots. American Labor Alliance. At PG&E: wwwhr/ibew UPDATES ON-LINE. On the Web: www.ibew1245.com Union backs bill to repeal electric deregulation Local 1245 is backing a bill in the California Q: Why is Local 1245 getting involved in nomic strains on some of our other legislature to repeal electric deregulation in the electric deregulation debate employers. All of this affects our mem- California. Senate Bill 888 attempts to restore again? bers, and most of it has to do with order to a system torn apart by free-market PZ: We know from experience that these electric deregulation, in one way or an- enthusiasts whose experiment wreaked havoc on policies affect our members. Just look at other. what's happened over the past dozen electric service, disrupted the lives of thousands of Q: We're supporting SB 888. What does years or so. We've had power plant sell- utility workers, and will ultimately cost Californian that bill try to do? offs, clerical consolidation, third parties consumers $50 billion or more. Free-market forces doing metering and billing, local office PZ: SB 888 tries to restore state regulated are working hard to undermine SB 888. In this closures, workforce reductions and job electricity service, with the utilities in Utility Reporter interview, Local 1245 Business displacements. We've had a major en- charge of generation, transmission and Manager Perry Zimmerman explains why SB ergy crisis, market manipulation, black- 888 makes sense for workers and consumers. outs, bankruptcy at PG&E, and eco- Page 4 Feature Retiree Corner Medicare Privatization 13 `Bad Seed' Your Union Safety Matters Contractors Exposed 7-10 A Fully Informed Membership 2 Youngsters Define Safety 11 Frontier Unit Schedule Women at Work Stewards Confront Threat 6 July-December Unit Schedule 144 - 15 OT Bill Would Hurt Families JUNE 20 Service Awards Stockton, CA A fully-informed membership JUNE 30 Union Relocates Headquarters to Vacaville, CA AUGUST 2-3 Advisory Council Reno, NV By Perry Zimmerman, Business Manager APPOIN TMENTS It's time for Monday-morning on May 28. a message for you. You're wrong. quarterbacking on the PG&E nego- Seventy-five percent ofour mem- Your employees are fully in- PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC CO. tiations and ratification process. bership voted. Seventy-five percent. formed. Your employees are in- Ballot Committee What do the numbers mean? Why This represents a level of participa- volved to a degree that they have Jim Findley did the Clerical unit approve the tion that is virtually unheard never been involved. Changing even Ken Amaral package? Why did the Physical unit of even in our great democracy. a few votes will not be as easy as you Sam Burton Leroy Foster vote it down? What can be read into Nationally, half the eligible vot- might think. Larry Gibson the margins of the two votes? Given ers register to vote, and half of the In 1993, it was a poorly informed Sal Lazano the margin of defeat in the Physical half vote. This means that just over and unengaged membership that Joe Osterlund David Pyle bargaining unit, what will it take to one-eighth of the eligible electorate approved a bargaining package that Liz Rounds get a contract ratified? constitutes the majority (or in the in one sentence instantly gave the David Ryan No thanks. In my opinion, this is case ofPresident Bush, the minority) company $450 million by freezing Steve Pettigrew neither the time nor the place for that chooses who will govern. company contributions to post-re- ISTS Labor Management Committee these questions to be answered. There If anyone in PG&E management tirement medical insurance, a fact James Grady is one number, and only one num- is looking at the election results and that is having calamitous effects on Richard Storamski ber, that I want to talk about, and it is Mark Newman interprets the rather small margins as retirees today. There is no way that by far the most important number a mandate for little movement this would have happened with a Fleet Labor Management Committee that emerged during the vote count when we get back to the table, I have membership as well informed and Alan Parker involved as our membership now is. Billy D. Wallace Robert L. Clary Jr. Clearly there are several issues Joseph Osterlund that leap out as reasons for the "no" John Sportsman UtilityRe por ter vote in the Physical unit, some of which can be addressed at the June 2003 WLCA Vol. 52 No. 6 table and some of which cannot. As PACIFIC GAS TRANSMISSION NW Circulation: 24,000 we move back into negotiations with PG&E, Local 1245 will be doing so PGT Labor Management Committee Business Manager & Published monthly at 3063 Citrus armed with the strongest of all tools, Tim Sedgewick Executive Editor Circle, Walnut Creek, California Perry Zimmerman 94598. Official publication of Local a membership that is watching, lis- Communications Director & Union 1245, International Brother- tening, and thinking. A membership CONFERENCES, COUNCILS & Managing Editor hood of Electrical Workers, AFL- that understands what it is watching CONVENTIONS Eric Wolfe CIO, P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, and listening to. CA 94596. A membership that understands National Safety Council Labor President Division Spring Meeting E. L. "Ed" Mallory Periodical postage paid at Walnut its power. Art Torres Creek and at additional mailing Executive Board offices. USPS No. 654640, ISSN R. Stoney Burke Michael J. Davis Keith Hopp Chris Habecker No. 0190-4965. David Vipond Dave Scott POSTMASTER: Please send Form Anna Bayless-Martinez Complete Unit IBEW 9th District Progress Meeting Kathy F. Tindall 3579, Change of Address, and all Perry Zimmerman John Mendoza correspondence to Utility Reporter, Meeting Schedule Landis Marttila P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, CA Bob Choate Treasurer 94596. Sam Tamimi Ron Moon for July-December John Mendoza Dennis Seyfer Single copies $1. Subscription by arrangement. Have you moved recently? Mike Davis Please send complete new address and your Social Security Number (by is Located On Chris Habecker U.S. Mail) to: "Address Change", IBEW Local 1245, P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Dave Scott Creek, CA 94596. Our Web Site can be viewed at www.IBEW1245.com . Our phone number is (925) 933-6060. Pages 14-15 2 Utility Persistence pays off at Utility Tree Members OK agency shop at By Ray Thomas ersistence paid off this spring City of Ukiah for Local 1245's effort to make p sure that line clearance tree trim- Members of Local 1245 have ming work at the Trinity Public Util- approved an agency shop require- ity District pays union scale. ment for the Electric Department In late 2002, the union learned at the City of Ukiah. that the District had erroneously put The City had refused to agree the Line Clearance work out to bid to agency shop during negotia- without listing the work as a "pre- tions, forcing the union to seek a vailing wage" job subject to Califor- vote under the auspices of the nia Labor Code. Subsequently, the State Board of Mediation and issue was referred to the California Conciliation Services. Labor Department. Serving as observers at the Even though Utility Tree was the March 11 election were Melody current tree company on the prop- Harris for the City, John Jaeger erty, the Trinity PUD put the bid RATIFICATION ON RATTLESNAKE ROAD for Conciliation Services, and back out so that all bidders were Local 1245 members employed by Utility Tree at Trinity Public Utility District after Local 1245 Business Rep. Rich- aware of the "prevailing wage" cri- their ratification vote this spring on Rattlesnake Road in Peanut, south of Hayfork, ard Cowart. teria. Ca.: Aaron Still, Chris Smith, Randy Fullerton, David Blalack and Dave Nugent. On April 18, while Utility Tree Super-Crew Foreman Aaron Still The non-union contractor did the PUD's power lines with a rotat- The union's persistence in pursu- (on left, in photo) and I were negoti- show, but there was a problem.