Utility Reporter
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At9C1111 MAY 1988 VOLUME )0=11 NUMBER 5 4111111:10=1). 513 HEADQUARTERS IN WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA UTILITY REPORTER OFFICIAL VOICE OF IBEW LOCAL UNION 1245 AFL-CIO Clericals greet PG&E shareholders Cal/OSHA By Steve Diamond Clerical employees of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company brought Petition their demand for equal treatment to the shareholders of the Company during the April 20 annual meeting Drive a held in San Francisco. More than sixty people took off time from work to distribute a statement and success brochure which described the problems facing clerical employees Led by the California Labor Move- of the Company. They were joined ment, the campaign to gather by Physical employees of the Com- enough signatures to place the Cal/ pany and staff members of IBEW OSHA initiative on the November Local 1245. ballot announced that it had Negotiations between the Union reached its goal of over 700,000 and Company over Clerical wages signatures last month. are now at a standstill. The Com- The Coalition to Restore Safety at pany refuses to grant Clerical em- Work, formed by the California ployees the 2.75% wage increase AFL-CIO in December, announced which they agreed to implement for that 724,000 signatures were Physical employees. Instead, the handed over to county registrars Company is offering a one-time throughout the state. Once they are bonus payment of 2.75%. Auditorium. Several Company the productivity of thousands of reviewed and tabulated by the re- The IBEW members assembled executives stopped on their way PG&E employees." gistrars, the Initiative to Restore outside the Masonic Auditorium of into the meeting to speak with The Union statement noted that Safety at Work will achieve official San Francisco at about twelve Union representatives. Union employees of the Company ballot status. noon. Several delegations moved are the single largest block of Help us help you Originally, the Coalition had inside the parking structure to shareholders in the publicly regu- thought they would need 800.000 distribute the Union materials as The Union statement to the lated, but privately owned, utility signatures to qualify for the ballot. shareholders drove in for the meet- shareholders, headed PG&E company. Through an employee But a very high percentage of signa- ing. A second delegation placed SHAREHOLDERS — HELP US HELP stock ownership program, PG&E tures gathered were accurate and themselves at the entryway of the YOU, argued that Company manage- employees own 12% of the Com- so the number of signatures overall auditorium. Each of the 1800 ment's refusal to grant its predomin- pany's stock. Most of that stock is could be reduced. shareholders and PG&E manage- antly female clerical workforce a held by Union employees of the The Campaign is a joint effort of ment present for the meeting was wage increase equal to that granted Company. California labor and a variety of approached by a Union member. the physical employees,of the Com- The statement said further that public interest organizations. Most shareholders took the mate- pany, who are mostly men, "is un- "PG&E management agreed at the Among the backers of the petition rials willingly and many were seen dermining the morale and, hence, SEE Page six drive were the California Medical reading the material inside the Association, the Sierra Club, the American Cancer Society, the Amer- ican Lung Association and the Cali- fornia Trial Lawyers Association. "No labor-led campaign in mem- Sierra Pacific members accept contract ory has drawn more support from such a diverse cross-section of California society as has our fight Local 1245 members working for Local 1245 members and their Another significant improve- to restore Cal/OSHA," Jack Hen- Sierra Pacific Power Company families covered by the Company ment in working conditions in the ning, Executive Secretary-Trea- voted overwhelmingly last month to medical plan have also won in- new agreement is an increase in surer of the California Labor Feder- accept a new three-year contract. creased benefit coverage for Conva- the rest period from eight to nine ation, said. Assistant Business Manager Or- lescent Hospital and Home Health hours. Business Representative "Although labor began the fight, ville Owen reports that the agree- Services as a result of bargaining. John Stralla, who served as spokes- support for the Cal/OSHA initiative ment represents "one of the best In addition, prescription birth con- person for the Negotiating Commit- transcends the trade union move- settlements in the Utility industry trol devices will be treated as a tee, noted that this type of non- ment," Henning said. this year," with a wage package "covered charge" for application to economic issue is extremely impor- totalling 10.5% over the life of the IBEW's Contribution Major Medical benefits. The hear- tant for Sierra Pacific members, contract. The journeyman rate ing aid benefit has been increased whose demanding jobs require the IBEW Local 1245 made a major under the agreement will increase to $500 per ear in a five-year safest possible conditions. contribution to the campaign. At a by 3% on May 1, 1988 to $18.09 per period. Balloting Results recent convention of the California hour and on May 1, 1989 the rate AFL-CIO Committee on Political will increase by 3.5% to $18.72. In Owen and Stralla expressed Union Wins Agency Shop Clause Education, the Local received spec- two years, effective May 1, 1990, strong support for the package ial mention by Henning. Local 1245 the journeyman rate will go up to Under the new contract, all new which was adopted by the member- donated $100,000 to support the $19.47, representing an additional California employees hired by the ship, with Owen stating that "the campaign financially. 4% increase for bargaining unit Company will be covered by an agreement will provide security for In addition, members and staff of members. Other improvements agency shop clause, which requires the members and their families the Local gathered 10,000 signa- won by the union include an in- that workers in the bargaining unit over the next three years." The 493 tures through both Local'union crease in the shift premium relat- either join Local 1245 or pay their members voting clearly agreed, efforts and with Central Labor ing to out-of-town expenses; an fair share of representation costs. casting their ballots in favor of Councils throughout the state. "Emergency Availability Clause" Owen told the Utility Reporter that acceptance by a two to one margin. Local Union's top signature- providing $2.00 per hour for work- "agency shop will help put an end In addition to Owen and Stralla, gatherer is Bill Brill, Unit Chairman ers who carry beepers; and in- to the problem of 'free-riders' who the Local 1245 Negotiating Commit- of the San Jose Clerical employees. creased matching monies for em- refused to support the bargaining tee consisted of Gino Aramini, Frank ployee 401(k) contributions. and grievance process with their Davis, Louis Johnson, Pat Lantis, dues while reaping the hard-won Ken Lutzow, Betty Newberry, Jack See PAGE TWELVE Medical Plan Improved benefits in the Union contract." Pardick, and Keith Smith. Right to Work letter called totally biased The following letter by Local number of indictments, resigna- way of life and the fundamental free- 1245 Business Representative tions, waste of money and disre- doms which are the basis of our Mike Haentjens appeared recently spect for the laws of our country, democratic society." in the Five Cities Times-Press- the Teamsters and AFL-CIO organi- These are not the words of Recorder (Arroyo Grande). zations pale considerably. gangsters and criminals but the Utility In part, the preamble to the AFL- foundations upon which unionism To The Editor: CIO constitution reads, "We pledge was built. ourselves to the more effective or- The Right To Work Committee, if Reporter I read with amusement and dis- ganization of working men and it had its way, would put the work- gust the letter published in your MAY 1988 women; to the securing to them of ing conditions, wages and benefits paper on Wednesday, November 18, full recognition and enjoyment of the of the working class solely back into VOLUME )0=11 NUMBER 5 titled "Union Merger Bothers Right the hands of employers. To Work." Right To Worker's Organized labor has fought for CIRCULATION: 24,500 I find it hard to believe that you the rights of working men and would actually publish such a to- would return us women everywhere and has ele- (415) 933-6060 tally biased letter in your news- vated them from virtual slaves at paper. to days of the hands of greedy and corrupt I can certainly understand that "Big Business" to the middle class Business Manager the Teamsters reaffiliation with the heavy-handed working conditions we enjoy today. & Executive Editor AFL-CIO would bother The Right To Right To Worker's would return JACK McNALLY Work Committee. The Right To Work management and us to days of heavy-handed man- Committee's sole purpose undoub- agement and unfit working condi- tedly supported by "Big Business" unfit working tions. Minimum wage and less and the conservative right wing is to paints an unpleasant picture of the Managing Editor undermine unionism in this great conditions. future, but Right To Worker's are Jenny Lipow country of ours. painting this picture. Certainly, whenever power and rights to which they are justly enti- God help us if California should large amounts of money are con- tled; to the achievement of ever ever become a Right To Work state.