Magicians with Metal Bankruptcy Trial Begins
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Vol. 51 • No. 12 . December 2002 Reporter Unity Is Strength Utility BEW LOCAL 1245 • AFL CIO Bankruptcy trial begins Magicians with metal acific Gas and Electric Co. and payment of its debts by spinning off the California Public Utilities power plants, gas pipelines and its p Commission began an historic electricity transmission system and confrontation in bankruptcy court borrow against the transferred assets last month over the future of to pay off the utility's debt. Sierra Pacific Power California's electric industry. The CPUC wants PG&E to re- Fab Shop Makes On the surface the trial is about main an integrated utility—with its Just About Anything restoring the utility's financial health generation, transmission and distri- in the wake of PG&E's bankruptcy. bution operations intact under state Story & Photos But in choosing between reorgani- regulation. The CPUC plan would Page 3 zation plans put forward by PG&E have the utility pay back its creditors and the CPUC, Judge Dennis Montali by issuing $8.3 billion in debt secu- is also deciding whether to expand rities and $500 million in stock. federal regulatory authority over Ultimately it is up to Judge Montali PG&E's operations at the expense to "confirm" one of the competing of the state's traditional regulatory plans, although further litigation is authority. Scott Tittensor, Sierra Pacific Power welder PG&E wants to finance the re- Page 4 PG&E Bargaining Members debate merits of table agreement Sierra Power talks focus on inequities embers of the Local 1245 Bar- gaining Committee at Pacific M Gas & Electric fanned out to Wage inequities and benefit is- unit meetings across northern Cali- sues were the focus of talks be- fornia last month to explain the re- tween Local 1245 and Sierra Pa- cently-negotiated Table Agreement. cific Power in November, with the Ratification ballots were due back parties meeting on Nov. 19, 22, 25 by 10 a.m. on Dec. 10, a few days after and 27. this issue of Utility Reporter went to The company's financial con- press. Results of the balloting will be dition is a factor in the talks, ac- available Dec. 10 by calling the union cording to Local 1245 Business hall at 925-933-6060. Ballot results Rep. Randy Osborn, who said the will also be published on the IBEW company had a lot of credit coming website at www.ibew1245.com . Gas Crew Foreman Ken Hartje offers his view of the Table Agreement during the due in 2003. Business Manager Perry November San Francisco Unit Meeting. Management has a relatively in- Zimmerman and members ofhis staff experienced bargaining committee, joined Bargaining Committee mem- which has slowed the pace of ne- bers on the stump, offering back- on medical premiums, the timing of If the package is approved by a gotiations, according to Osborn. ground on some of the more contro- the negotiated pension increases, the majority vote, the new agreement will The current labor agreement at versial aspects of the agreement. size of the general wage increases, and take effect Jan. 1, 2003. If a majority Sierra Pacific Power expires at the Concerns expressed by members the narrow scope of the company's rejects the package, the union and end of the year. included the proposed co-payment offer on high cost-of-living areas. company will return to the table. Feature Ins i d e Political Action Celebrating Prop D's Defeat 8 - 9 This Job's Your Union Safety Matters for The Birds Don't Underestimate the Members 2 DOT Rule Change 13 Pacific Gas & Electri Sierra Pacific Power Unit Schedule To Ratify or Not to Ratify Magicians with Metal Unit Meetings 2003 18 - 19 DECEMBER 10 Deadline for Returning Ballots in the PG&E Ratification Vote. Ballots received after 10 a.m. will Don't underestimate the members not be counted. FEBRUARY 1-2 Advisory Council Concord, CA By Perry Zimmerman, Business Manager PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC Late last month, a member sent and early 1950s, it was not a mass Then look at the negotiating com- Ballot Committee Leroy Foster me an e-mail, wondering why so movement. A relatively small num- mittees. Every year, hundreds of Rick Davis few Local 1245 members participate ber of dedicated activists put their Local 1245 members serve as rank Vida Anderson in the union. He himself had been working lives on the line and me- and file members ofnegotiating com- Sal Lozano Cesar Custodio very active in Local 1245 in the thodically persuaded their fellow mittees. They serve as the liaison Steve Smith 1960s, dropped out of sight for a few workers that union representation between Local 1245's negotiators Shawn Rocha decades, and then recently gotten was in their best interest. and our members, providing the Steve Pettigrew Larry Gibson very active again as he approached This dynamic—a dedicated few background and knowledge of the Ken Amaral retirement. Like many of the ques- willing to sacrifice and work hard for workforce and working conditions tions our members ask, it was a very the abstract goal of unionism as well that our negotiators need to do their good question. I answered him, but as the concrete goals of better wages job. They analyze proposals, cost DUKE ENERGY I've been thinking about his ques- and working conditions—is exactly proposals, and make tough decisions. Negotiating Committee tion and my answer for a few weeks. what you will see throughout his- This is another thankless j ob, but one Galend Hecht There are two parts to my an- tory. Movements that advocate and that highlights truly dedicated union Hazel Bailey Mark Scherer swer. First, I believe that all social achieve change are almost invari- members participating in their union. Dennis Hill movements are led by a dedicated ably led by a small core of believers Don't overlook the grievance Doug Paslay few. Second, I am not sure that it is who mobilize many others to brief committees. At every one of our Elton R. Bryant fair to say that only a few Local 1245 periods of activism to achieve the major employers, Local 1245 mem- members participate in the union. change. bers are key players in the investiga- When Local 1245 first organized If we were to look around and see tion of grievances. Our business rep- the PG&E workforce in the 1940s only a few hundred dedicated activ- resentatives and administrative staff ists visibly supporting Local 1245, it are involved, to be sure, in decisions would be in keeping with this his- about grievances, but the nuts-and- torical pattern. bolts work of gathering the facts UtilityReporter When I look at Local 1245, how- needed to analyze and decide the December 2002 ever, I don't see just a few hundred grievances often falls to rank and file Vol. 51 No. 12 WkCA Circulation: 23,400 dedicated activists. I see thousands members. of union members who in one way And then there are the unit meet- Business Manager & Published monthly at 3063 Citrus or another lend their voice to their ings. Each month, hundreds, some- Executive Editor Circle, Walnut Creek, California union, and who by their participa- times thousands, ofLocal 1245 mem- Perry Zimmerman 94598. Official publication of Local tion exercise some control over their bers attend their unit meeting, chaired Communications Director & Union 1245, International Brother- work lives. and recorded by rank and file mem- Managing Editor hood of Electrical Workers, AFL- Eric Wolfe CIO, P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, Let's start with the shop stew- bers. CA 94596. ards. Our ratio of members per shop Don't forget the service awards President steward is well under 20:1, much dinners—attended by hundreds of E. L. "Ed" Mallory Periodical postage paid at Walnut Creek and at additional mailing better than in many other organized members each year. And Local Executive Board offices. USPS No. 654640, ISSN No. shops. Our shop stewards do not get 1245's retirement planning seminars, Michael J. Davis Chris Habecker 0190-4965. special treatment because they are where several thousand union mem- Dave Scott POSTMASTER: Please send Form shop stewards; ifanything, they jeop- bers will turn up after work or on the Anna Bayless-Martinez ardize their standing at work be- weekend to listen to learn about re- Kathy F. Tindall 3579, Change of Address, and all John Mendoza correspondence to Utility Reporter, cause of their willingness to take the tirement issues. P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, CA company on, and they jeopardize The list goes on—the members Treasurer 94596. their friendships at work because of who are elected and serve on the Ron Moon their willingness to say "no" when Executive Board, the members who Single copies $1. Subscription by arrangement. Have you moved recently? "no" is the right answer. They do the are elected and serve on the Advi- Please send complete new address and your Social Security Number (by U.S. heavy lifting of union representa- sory Council, the members who vol- Mail) to: "Address Change", I BEW Local 1245, P.O. Box 4790, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. Our phone number is (925) 933-6060. tion, and they freely give up their unteer and are appointed to partici- time, including weekends, for train- www.IBEW1245.com Page 17 ing and for their shop steward duties. 2 Utility Reporter Metal Sierra Pacific Power Co. Magicians hey build substation structures. Recently the shop fabricated 88,000 They maintain compressors at pounds of steel for a new substation. But T the compressed natural gas that's not unusual, says Fabricator-Welder station.