IBEW 1837 News

IBEW 1837 Electing Union & Unit Officers This Spring & Summer

2023 is an election year for IBEW Local #1837. This spring and summer we will be electing union officers and representatives including the following: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Business Manager/Financial Secretary, and Executive Board Representatives for each of the eleven units as well as Chair, Vice Chair, and Recording Secretary for each of the eleven units.

Nominations will take place at the April Unit meetings. Check our website calendar at www.ibew1837.org, download a meeting schedule flier, or call the union office at 207-623-1030 for meeting times and locations. Voting will be by mail ballot for all positions except Unit Officers, who are elected at the June unit meetings. Ballots will be mailed to all active members on June 1st.

Derek Willette has agreed to be the Election Judge and anyone with questions may contact him by email at IBEW1837Election@gmail.com or call 207-613-4038. An IBEW Election guide is available for anyone who requests one from either the union office or the Election Judge.

Now is a good time to be sure the union office has your valid mailing address so you receive voting information and ballots. Email the union office at union@ibew1837.org or call 207-623-1030.

Members Approve New 4-Year Contract at Brookfield

February 22, 2023 - IBEW 1837 members at Brookfield have ratified a new 4-year contract agreement with annual pay increases for every member and additional vacation time for most employees. Voting took place on February 1 at multiple locations. The new agreement runs through February 28, 2027.

Members will receive an $8,000 ratification bonus and annual pay increases of 3%, 3.25%, 3.25% and 3.25%. The minimum straight-time call-out was increased to five hours and the contract establishes a two-hour straight-time call-out for solving issues over the phone after hours. Production Clerks and Production Assistants received a wage adjustment and progression pay was increased to $1 every six months, up from 50 cents every six months.

Employees with more than 30 years’ experience make up nearly half of the membership and they will receive an additional week of vacation. Employees will get three weeks of vacation after three years. New employees will no longer be required to wait three months to start accruing vacation or take paid holidays. Sick days are increased from six to eight per year and may be used in 4-hour increments for medical appointments.

“Before negotiations started, we talked to members at each location and the overarching themes were that we had to attract new people, keep the people that we have, and reward those who have been here a long time,” said IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager Renee Gilman. “That’s what we were trying to do, and we think we were able to do that.”

File photo: Chief Steward Ed Goodale on dam in West Buxton in 2013.

IBEW 1837 Members Receive Lifesaving Awards

Versant Maine Members Use CPR and AED Skills to Help Save a Co-Worker:

Cameron Bragg, Scott Madore, Danny Morin and Steve Sager are Lineworkers from Versant Maine who performed lifesaving CPR measures on fellow IBEW 1837 member Kevin Young. Brother Young had suffered an apparent heart attack in Presque Isle on February 2, 2022 and was found crouched down in a snowbank on the side of the road. The actions of the four lineworkers have been recognized by the IBEW International Safety Department with Lifesaving Awards.

Brother Cameron Bragg told IBEW that it was an incredible coincidence that they had just received CPR training earlier that same morning, a training that they receive once every two years. Brother Young had gone ahead of the crew 10 minutes earlier and was shoveling snow around the base of a utility pole where the crew was set to work. When the crews arrived, they saw Young crouching down behind the snowbank.

“We hollered at Kevin and he didn’t move,” Bragg said. “I jumped out of the truck first and ran over and that’s when we noticed something was wrong.”

Brother Steve Sager told IBEW that while the crew began CPR assessments, he jumped on the two-way radio to ask dispatch to call 911 with their location. The approximately 15-minute wait for an ambulance seemed like an eternity.

“We continued CPR,” Sager said, “and as the ambulance crew arrived the paramedic asked, ‘What are you guys doing for compressions?’ and Cameron replied ‘30 to2.’ He said, ‘Great don't stop! You're doing great.’ We continued as the ambulance crew got setup and got a backboard for loading Kevin. The AED assessed and shocked Kevin six times. The paramedics loaded Kevin in the ambulance and they left shortly after that.”

After a few days, Brother Young was sending funny texts and photos to his co-workers from the hospital, and he was recuperating at home less than a week later. He soon returned to work on light duty to a warm welcome from everyone at Versant Maine.

“What they did out there was nothing short of amazing,” Danny Gahagan, a Presque Isle Firefighter and Paramedic said. “In almost 20 years of being in EMS, I have never arrived at a scene and was this impressed with the work being done.”

Central Maine Power Members Help Save Two People from Burning Building:

Adam Douin, Jeffrey Dyer, Carl Urquhart are CMP traveling Lineworkers out of Portland who literally rescued two people from a burning building in Richmond, Maine, on May 18, 2022. Their actions have been recognized by the IBEW International Safety Department with Lifesaving Awards.

 “They definitely deserve recognition,” Richmond Fire Chief John Bellino told the Portland Press Herald. “It was very dramatic. They certainly went above and beyond.”

Kevin Young (second from left) joined by IBEW Lifesaving Award recipients Dan Morin, Steve Sager and Scott Madore. Cameron Bragg (not pictured) also received an award.

IBEW 1837 Member Retires After 64 Years at CMP

January 9, 2023 - Vaughn Bridges has retired from Central Maine Power after an incredible 64 years working for Maine’s largest electric utility. The 86-year-old Service Worker 2/C had the longest tenure of any member of IBEW Local 1837 and apparently worked longer than anybody for any Avangrid affiliate.

“As far as I know, nobody from Spain, Japan or anywhere has worked as long,” Brother Bridges said. “When they were handing out service pins, that’s when they realized it.”

Starting out as a Meter Reader Apprentice in Bucksport in 1958, Bridges worked many jobs at CMP, moving to the Belfast Service Building around 1973 and up through the ranks, finishing his lengthy career in Belfast.

“I really loved my job and the people around me,” he said. “Everyone has been great. I have no complaints.”

Bridges is part of the CMP retirement wave at the end of November when higher interest rates were set to adversely impact the lump sum payouts on defined benefit pension plans. It just made good financial sense for him and dozens of other employees to retire at that point in time.

“It was time for me to go although I still would like to be working,” Bridges said. “It was a long time, but it went fast.”

Brother Vaughn Bridges admires his new "IBEW retiree" pin presented to him by a member of the Local 1837's staff late last year.

Members Approve New Contract at Kittery Water

December 14, 2022 - IBEW 1837 members at the Kittery Water District have ratified a new 2-year contract agreement with improvements in wages and benefits and without any concessions. The District’s trustees, who actively participated in the negotiations along with the District Superintendent, must formally approve the agreement when they meet on December 21.

“We’re grateful to negotiating team members Linda Johnson, Matthew Crosby, and Brandon Woods for the time and effort they put into negotiating an excellent contract,” said IBEW 1837 Organizer and Business Representative Matt Beck. “To their credit, the Trustees recognized the value of their employees and wanted to ensure that the Kittery Water District continues to be an attractive place to work.”

IBEW 1837 Business Manager Tony Sapienza also participated in the contract bargaining along with Brother Beck.

The 2-year contract agreement includes $2.00 per hour wage increases in each year and maintains 100% health insurance coverage paid for by the Kittery Water District. Other improvements include larger longevity pay increases, increased boot allowances, new mileage and toll reimbursements for use of personal vehicles for District business and an additional personal day added to recognized holidays. 

The 15 workers at the Kittery Water District include office staff, filtration plant workers, laborers, meter readers, service technicians and others.

Kittery Water District Service Technician Matthew Crosby casts his contract vote ballot in the District’s garage.

Member Profile: Don Palmer, Marathon Runner


                                                     

Quick Notes and Announcements
New Mailing Address for IBEW Local #1837 Maine Office

We haven’t moved but we are now asking everyone to direct USPS mail to our new P.O. Box. Please send U.S.mail to IBEW Local #1837, P.O. Box 457, Manchester, ME 04351. And don’t forget to update your mailing address, email addresses, or phone numbers if they change by calling the union office at 207-623-1030 or email union@ibew1837.org.

 
New E-Board Members Join Leadership Team
Members at Sea-3 Propane Facility Approve 2-Year Contract

June 30, 2022 - IBEW 1837 members at Sea-3 approved a two-year contract in June with 5% wage increases each year, July 2022 and July 2023. The agreement includes Sunday premium increases to $10 per hour and boot allowance increases to $150 per year. There are no changes to the health plan and the cost sharing. 

The sick plan is changing to a personal day plan. There will also be a transition from the existing pension savings plan into the union-sponsored National Electrical Annuity Plan.

Members at Bangor’s WABI-TV Approve 18-month Contract as Changes Loom

IBEW 1837 members at CBS affiliate WABI-TV approved a new 18-month agreement with 2½% increases in January 2022 and in January 2023. Some members also received wage adjustments.

“I’m grateful to Assistant Business Manager Renee Gilman for her assistance during these negotiations as well as union member Jordan Verge from WABI-TV,” said IBEW 1837 Organizer and Business Representative Matt Beck.

Pres Biden Celebrates the IBEW in Historic Convention Presidential Speech

President Joe Biden electrified the IBEW Convention in Chicago on May 11, drawing thunderous cheers for infrastructure 

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