The Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board has determined that a system-wide unit would be appropriate for Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists (also known as “Writers”) at Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH), the state’s largest electrical utility. IBEW Local 1837 had petitioned for such a unit, only to have it challenged by an attorney for PSNH who sought to have the 33 employees divided into 13 or 14 separate bargaining units.
A hearing was held in Boston on May 15 and 16 to consider arguments from the Union and the Company regarding the composition of an appropriate bargaining unit. Written briefs were subsequently filed by attorneys from both sides, and a Decision and Direction of Election was issued by NLRB Regional Director Rosemary Pye on June 7, 2007. In the decision, Pye states:
"Here, the Union has petitioned for a system-wide unit, which is presumptively appropriate. PSCNH cites no cases, nor am I aware of any, in which the Board has ever found a petitioned-for system-wide unit in the utility industry to be inappropriate. Because the Board considers system-wide units to be not only appropriate, but optimal, in the utility industry, I find the petitioned for unit to be appropriate."
The NLRB Regional Director will issue a notice of election indicating a time and place for a secret ballot election during which eligible employees will indicate if they choose to have IBEW Local 1837 represent them for purposes of collective bargaining. It is our hope and expectation that a mail ballot will be used given the geographical diversity of the Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists. In previous discussions, the PSNH attorney seems to have agreed with IBEW’s contention that a mail ballot would be appropriate, and we hope that the Regional Director concurs.
The complete text of the decision is in a Word document which may be downloaded below:
