The AFL-CIO ■ the California Labor Federation ■ IBEW Local 1245
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Vol. 49 • No. 2 February 2000 Unity Is Strength UtilityRe orter 58 PBEW LOCAL 1245 • AFL CIO Millionaires IBEW warns DOE that downsizing take aim at has compromised service reliability working folks ocal 1245 Business Manager Jack Power Outage Study Team in McNally told federal energy regu- Burlingame. L lators last month that utility The budget crunch retards needed workforce reductions contributed to maintenance activity and pressures a spate of power outages last year and utilities to reduce training, McNally warned that it will take a proactive said. public sector to assure electric reliabil- "This puts us on a collision course ity in the dawning era of competitive where reduced maintenance inevita- markets. bly leads to bigger reliability prob- McNally's testimony came in the lems, but with fewer skilled employ- first of three public ees to respond to meetings sponsored by Text of McNally's testimony these emergencies." appears on Page 2 the Department of En- McNally's con- McNally testifies at DOE hearing. ergy last month to ex- cerns were echoed Prop. 25 lets amine recent electric reliability prob- by IBEW officials at subsequent 1.■•=l■E millionaires spend more lems and look for solutions. hearings in New Orleans and New- on political campaigns, "As utilities struggle to stay in some ark, NJ. GRC delayed...again but curbs spending aspect of the electric service busi- James Hunter, president of IBEW by labor unions ness, they will continue to see Local 1900, testified in Newark that The CalifomiaPublicUtilffiesCommission utility staffing levels had declined delayed its decision on the PG&E General downsizing as a quick fix for their Rate Case until Feb. 17. Meanwhile, See Pages 8-9 cost control problems. Unfortu- 34% in New York and 30% in New Commissioner Carl Wood has issued an nately, some regulators are abetting Jersey, two states hard hit by outages alternate proposed decision that would this process by chiseling away at the in 1999. provide additional revenues to PG&E. Vote March 7! utilities' budgets, in effect encourag- Hunter said the IBEW supports See Page 18 ing utilities to adopt bare bones op- erations," McNally told the DOE Page 17 Of NCPA votes 53-1 for union Conference on PG&E clerical issues mployees of the Northern Cali- "The employees felt powerless," said On Saturday, February 26, Clerical union stewards from PG&E fornia Power Agency (NCPA) Local 1245 organizer Junior Ornelas. will gather in Sacramento to examine issues affecting Clerical Evoted overwhelmingly on Jan. 19 "Issues like downsizing, favoritism, a members in the wake of utility restructuring. for representation by IBEW Local lack of respect, and the threat of being Among the issues considered will be Title 19 rights, including 1245. `sold out' in the deregulation frenzy wage protection, rehire rights, "a" rights, the sequence of NCPA, which employs electricians, made them realize that they needed consideration for filling vacancies or bumping another employee, mechanics, instrument and control the collective strength and expertise how to determine job qualifications, and how meter reader jobs fit into the equation. technicians and other classifications, is offered by Local 1245." The conference will also focus on relevant regulatory a consortium of municipalities with Conducting the organizing drive, developments, including the CPUC decision in the PG&E General interests in hydro facilities, steam units along with Ornelas, were Local 1245 Rate Case, PG&E Employee Assistance Program, PG&E benefits, at the Geysers, and gas-fired turbines. Organizer Bill Brill, Business Rep. and personal money management tips. The employees voted 53 to 1 in Roy Runnings, and staffattorney Tom favor of IBEW representation. Dalzell. Feature Ins California Primary Election Voters' Guide 7-13 Dunkin Point of View Outside Construction Retires 3 Needed: Proactive Public Sector 2 Apprentices Picnic 15 Sierra Pacific Call to Action PG&E General Rate Case The Investigator 5 Prop. 25 Poses Threat 8 Wood's Alternative 18 NTS POINTVVIEW February 26 PG&E Clerical Conference Reliable service requires Sacramento, CA proactive public sector Stewards Conference & Pin Dinner Eureka, CA By Jack McNally, Business Manager Stewards Conference & Pin Dinner Salinas, CA The following is excerpted from In 1996, the California Legislature reforms...has lagged behind eco- Jack McNally's testimony to the De- Service Awards enacted AB 1890, the Electric Re- nomic reforms in the electric indus- partment of Energy Power Outage structuring law. Once again, reliabil- try." I suggest a simple reason for Pacifica, CA Study Team, Jan. 20, 2000, in Burlingame. ity was virtually ignored. It was la- this lag: the economic players push- March 18 bor who insisted that language be ing electric restructuring have no Stewards Conference Let's start with the basics. The inserted into the law assuring ad- allegiance to the broader public in- Sacramento, CA fundamental purpose of an electric equate supplies of electric genera- terest. The market is not equipped to system is to provide safe and reliable tion. We took active steps to protect address reliability issues. It will take power. Electric systems also create the consumers' interest in reliable a proactive public sector to safe- Service Awards profits, employ utility workers, and power at a time when no one else guard reliability, and I hope this in- Santa Rosa, CA provide j obs for regulators. But none seemed to even be aware that reli- vestigation by the DOE turns out to March 25 of these other factors matter very ability was a critical issue. be a step in that direction. Stewards Conference much if the system is unable to de- Even with this law now on the So how do we safeguard reliabil- Reno, NV liver power. books, the ISO is -under pressure ity? In the past, utilities brought a This point may seem obvious, from various quarters to modify its flexible approach to maintenance. In March 31 but a lot of people have managed to priorities, which raises the possibil- general, maintenance was performed Service Awards overlook it. In 1994, the California ity that reliability concerns may be as needed, although other spending Napa, CA Public Utilities Commission issued subordinated to the economic inter- priorities would influence the amount its "blue book" proposal for electric ests of various other market players. of resources made available for April 7 restructuring. There wasn't one word Your report notes that "the devel- maintenance in any given year. For Service Awards opment of reliability management the most part utilities had enough Marysville, CA of concern about service reliability. employees to maintain the system and to respond to outages and emer- gencies in a timely fashion. UtilityReporter But this approach is fading into APPOIN TMENTS411 February 2000 history, and it will be up to public Vol. 49 No. 2 regulators to insure that it is replaced 1111WAINESTE. UODFI 0314.41CATIONS .45:13C Circulation: 25,300 with something that works at least as well. Reliability is not a theoretical CONFERENCES & CONVENTIONS Business Manager & Published monthly at 3063 Citrus Executive Editor Circle, Walnut Creek, California problem: it is a real problem with real Open World Conference Jack McNally 94598. Official publication of Local consequences. Your own report Hunter Stern Union 1245, International Brother- Millie Phillips Communications Director & documents the scope ofthe problem, hood of Electrical Workers, AFL- Dave Walters Managing Editor citing outages last year in New York, C10, P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, Robin David Eric Wolfe the South-Central states and Chi- CA 94596. Jeff Schlocker President cago. We've had our own experi- Howard Stiefer Periodical postage paid at Walnut IBEW Utility Conference ences with outages here in California. Creek and at additional mailing Jack McNally Clearly a reliability problem ex- Executive Board offices. USPS No. 654640, ISSN No. Howard Stiefer Jim McCauley ists. And I think workforce reduc- Jim McCauley 0190-4965. E. L. "Ed" Mallory tions account for a big part of that Darrel Mitchell Anna Bayless POSTMASTER: Please send Form John Mendoza Chris Habecker problem. In the United States, In- 3579, Change of Address, and all Anna Bayless Kathy F. Tindall correspondence to Utility Reporter, vestor Owned Utilities have Mike Grill John Mendoza downsized the workforce substan- Chris Habecker P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, CA Larry Pierce Treasurer 94596. tially in anticipation ofrestructuring Ray Thomas Michael J. Davis and competition. Between 1990 and 1998, the utility workforce shrunk Coalition of Labor Union Women Single copies $1. Subscription by arrangement. Have you moved recently? Dorothy Fortier Please send complete new address and your Social Security Number (by U.S. by 127,507 electric department em- Kathy Tindall Mail) to: "Address Change", IBEW Local 1245, P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, ployees, almost 27%. In California, CA 94596. Our Web Site can be viewed at www.IBEW1245.com . Our phone number is (925) 933-6060. Page 17 2 Utility. hen Richard Dunkin retired said Dunkin did his job by the book. from the Local 1245 staff on "He ran his area the way the contract W Jan. 7, he left a legacy that called for. He made sure all the jobs linemen can appreciate: he protected were run by the contract." their work. Although best known for his work Dunkin Dunkin, who worked out of the in Outside Construction, Dunkin held union's Southern Dispatch office in other union assignments early in his Riverside, Ca., has represented Local career. He was first hired by Business protected 1245 members in Outside Construc- Manager L.L. Mitchell in September tion since the late 1980s. A major part of 1976 and assigned to the Diablo of his responsibility was defending District of the East Bay Division of linemen's linemen's work, whether against en- Pacific Gas & Electric, where he rep- Dunkin retired Jan.