Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists (also known as "Writers") at Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) will be voting by mail ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The election will determine whether or not the Writers desire to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by our union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 1837, AFL-CIO.

The NLRB has confirmed the following arrangements for this election:

IBEW 1837's Pete Compagna and Matt Beck (far left of photo) join rally outside Portland office of Sen. Olympia Snowe.Monday and Tuesday, June 18 & 19, local workers and labor and community leaders across Maine and New Hampshire gathered outside the offices of our U.S. Senators to call on them to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act -- legislation that would make it more difficult for employers to thwart workers’ efforts to form unions to bargain for better wages and benefits. Members of the New Hampshire and Maine AFL-CIOs and Central Labor Councils, community activists and workers will gather for rallies in Manchester, New Hampshire and Augusta, Bangor, Lewiston and Portland in Maine.

“The middle class is under attack in this country,” said Edward Gorham, President of the Maine AFL-CIO. “For decades, unions have helped working men and women improve their wages and win access to health insurance and other benefits for themselves and their families. If they really care about the middle class, Senators Snowe and Collins should step up to help Maine working families who are struggling to make ends meet and support the Employee Free Choice Act. And for the working poor in our state, a union job is their best shot at a better life. After all, unions are our nation’s best anti-poverty program.”

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:

Following months of investigations and weeks preparing for trial, Unfair Labor Practice charges filed against Central Maine Power Company (CMP) by IBEW Local 1837 were settled just days before the trial was set to begin.

Immediately after the Union was certified to represent them, the Company announced that members of a unit of 47 employees would not be eligible for merit increases, for the all-employee incentive bonus, and certain other programs. Believing the changes to be illegal unilateral changes to mandatory subjects of bargaining, IBEW had attempted to convince CMP to withdraw the letter. When the Union was unable to persuade the Company to change their position, charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists at Public Service Company of New Hampshire are awaiting a decision from the National Labor Relations Board to determine if they can have a statewide bargaining unit as IBEW Local 1837 has proposed. The NLRB held a hearing in Boston on May 15 and 16 to determine the scope of the proposed bargaining unit for the "Writers" at PSNH.

At the hearing, an attorney for PSNH argued that the employees cited in the Representation Petition should be split into more than a dozen different bargaining units across the state. IBEW feels strongly that the composition of the bargaining unit should be statewide for the benefit of our new members. Our attorney and various witnesses presented a clear case for the NLRB Regional Director to consider.