A hearing before the National Labor Relations Board in Boston has been rescheduled to mid-May. The hearing before the NLRB Regional Director will determine the scope of the bargaining unit for the Writers at Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH).

A substantial majority of PSNH Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists, also known as “Writers,” have authorized IBEW Local 1837 to represent them for the purpose of collective bargaining. On Friday, March 30, 2007, IBEW asked PSNH to voluntarily recognize our Union as Bargaining Representative for the 32 employees in those job classifications. The Company declined our request.

As a result of the Company’s response, IBEW Local 1837 filed a Certification of Representative Petition with the National Labor Relations Board Region 1 in Boston. We then attempted to reach agreement with PSNH on an overall, Statewide bargaining unit encompassing all the Writers, but the Company insisted that only 15 separate bargaining units, encompassing each separate location at which Field Techs and /or Field Tech Specialists worked, was appropriate. We strongly oppose such a piecemeal approach.

Since we were unable to reach agreement on the unit, a hearing was scheduled for Friday, April 13, 2007, at the NLRB in Boston, so the Board could make a decision based on the evidence. Because of the extent of evidence to be presented at hearing, and due to scheduling issues, we agreed to reschedule the hearing to a two-day period next month: May 15th and 16th. We have withdrawn the pending Petition and will re-file it at the beginning of May. The NLRB’s Regional Attorney has assured us that we will have a prompt and complete hearing, so that the Regional Director can make a quick decision on the scope of the unit.

We were disappointed not to be able to get agreement from the Company on this Statewide unit, but the Union feels that the composition of the unit is important enough to take to a hearing, and we will develop a clear record for the Regional Director at the hearing in mid-May.

Meanwhile, if the Company engages in any anti-Union discussions, please contact Organizer Matt Beck at 207-623-1030.

“Writers” at PSNH perform a wide range of technical and clerical work, often working directly with customers. They are responsible for work associated with the design, maintenance, construction and operation of the PSNH electric distribution system. IBEW 1837 is very proud to have the Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists on board. We look forward to joining with them as they get a voice in their workplace at New Hampshire’s largest electrical utility.

Approximately 460 members of IBEW Local 1837 already work for Public Service of New Hampshire. PSNH provides electricity for more than 475,000 homes and businesses. PSNH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, a utility holding company based in Connecticut.