Union and PSNH Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract
May 28, 2010  (UPDATED) - After 19 bargaining sessions, negotiatiors for IBEW Local #1837 and Public Service Company of New Hampshire reached a tentative agreement early Thursday morning on a contract. The current collective bargaining agreement was set to run out at the end of this month.
If approved by the union's membership at PSNH, the three-year contract would include a 3% pay increase per year for represented workers at New Hampshire's largest utility. The tentative agreement includes a 10% / 25% cost-sharing formula for medical insurance. The straight eight hour day has been... Read More
CMP Owner Iberdrola USA Sells Gas Companies to Help Pay for MPRP
May 25, 2010 - Iberdrola USA has announced its intent to sell three natural gas companies in Southern New England. The sale will help pay the $1.4 billion price tag of the Maine Power Reliability Project, a major upgrade of the state’s electricity grid that was approved this month by the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Central Maine Power Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Iberdrola USA.
All three Iberdrola USA subsidiaries – Southern Connecticut Gas Co., Connecticut Natural Gas Corp. and Berkshire Gas Co – are being sold to UIL Holdings for approximately $1.3 billion, including the... Read More
In Support of IBEW Workers at WGME 13, Democratic Candidates for Governor Refuse to Buy Campaign Ads on the TV Station
April 22, 2010 - All of the Democratic candidates in June’s gubernatorial primary have decided not to purchase political campaign advertising on WGME, channel 13 in Portland, to demonstrate their support for workers at the television station.
The refusal of Pat McGowan, Libby Mitchell, John Richardson, Steve Rowe, and Rosa Scarcelli to buy ads on the station is in response to a request from the union representing more than 40 workers at the station. That request came after WGME-TV and Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., of Maryland, unilaterally declared an impasse in contract talks, cut wages,... Read More
CMP Plans Layoffs to Boost Profits
April 7, 2009 - Central Maine Power Company has notified the union representing some 700 workers at the state’s largest utility that they plan to lay off over 100 workers in order to boost their profit margin from 9% up to 11%. This comes less than a month after most of the union members ratified a contract set to run for another four years, and right on the heels of approval to use stimulus funds to replace 141 meter employees with automated meter infrastructure.
 After reaching a tentative agreement on a collective bargaining agreement in early March, CMP representatives told... Read More
Workers at WGME-TV Begin Reaching Out to Public for Support
March 31, 2010 - Workers at WGME-TV have begun public demonstrations, re-launched a website that was first started four years ago, and have collected "fans" for a new Facebook page as they struggle to get a fair contract offer from the Portland television station. At the same time, IBEW Local 1837 has filed unfair labor practice charges against the Company with the National Labor Relations Board.
On Wednesday, March 17, both in the morning and early afternoon, workers from WGME-TV and their allies peacefully demonstrated in front of Northport Business Park on Washington... Read More
Maine PUC Approves AMI System at CMP; 141 Jobs Will Be Lost – Many IBEW 1837 Members
February 1, 2010 - The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will be issuing an order for Central Maine Power Company to move forward with their Smart Grid Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) initiative. The PUC held deliberations on the AMI case on February 1, and all three commissioners agreed that CMP had done a good job at working toward and achieving 50% of the funding for their proposed system through a federal stimulus grant. The commissioners believe that the system will produce benefits for customers that will outweigh the costs. The installation of so-called “smart meters”... Read More
WGME-TV and Sinclair Broadcasting Force Pay Cuts on IBEW 1837 Members
February 18, 2010 - IBEW members at WGME-TV, channel 13 in Portland have had their pay cut as much as 10% as Sinclair Broadcast Group began implementing part of their last contract offer without the agreement of the workers and their Union. As the union’s Negotiating Team brought new proposals to the bargaining table in hope of reaching a contract agreement with the Company, WGME 13 and Sinclair pulled the plug on the talks by declaring the sides were deadlocked – even as they thanked IBEW for all the movement they were making.
“We’re disappointed by Sinclair’s decision to do this to their... Read More
IBEW 1837 Reaches Tentative Agreement for New Contract at CMP
February 22, 2010 - The Union Negotiating Team at Central Maine Power has reached a tentative agreement for a contract for 650 workers at Maine’s largest utility. Prior to negotiations on Thursday, February 15, it had been nearly six months since the last bargaining session between the parties. During that time, three other Iberdrola USA companies settled contracts with their respective unions.
Those contracts were better deals than CMP had offered to their workers represented by IBEW Local 1837. For their employees in Maine, the Company was willing to meet a few of the inequities between the... Read More
Contract Extension Approved at Unitil
January 19, 2010 - IBEW Local 1837 and Unitil Energy Systems have agreed to a two-year contract extension. The current collective bargaining agreement was due to expire May 31, 2010.
On January 14, 2010, the IBEW members at the Company approved the extension which left the hours, terms, and working conditions unchanged. Members  agreed to a 2% wage increase effective May 30, 2010 and an additional 3% wage increase effective May 29, 2011. 
"This is a good deal for our members. Keeping medical costs fixed and retirement benefits intact along with a fair wage adjustment made it an easy... Read More
Member from NH Electric Co-op is a Reluctant Hero
August 8, 2008 - IBEW 1837 member Rob Lang was enjoying a summer Sunday afternoon in mid-July when two young children who lived next door came running up to his New Durham home. They told him their dad was hurt. Hurt bad. They needed his help.
The first class lineworker in the New Hampshire Co-op’s Alton District went racing down to find his neighbor bleeding profusely and in a desperate situation. While cutting down some trees behind his home with a chain saw, he had cut some tendons and severed an artery in his leg. He had driven his tractor out of the woods, told his children to see if Rob... Read More