October 28, 2008 - Union stewards and officers continue to spend a significant amount of time and energy contending with large problems resulting from conflicts between IBEW 1837 members. Some small problems became larger ones when members chose to escalate their disagreements to the point where representatives of management became active players in their disputes.

“Sometimes there are problems when one union member thinks that another member is doing something wrong like not following the terms of our contract or mistreating other employees,” said IBEW 1837 Business Manager Cynthia Phinney. “If the first thing that they do is go to management, instead of trying to work it out or consulting their shop steward, we may end up in the unfortunate situation of being unable to do anything to help.”

IBEW's Bill DeMotta & Ray Boyle

July 23, 2008 - IBEW 1837’s Bill DeMotta from PSNH and Ray Boyle from CMP represented our Local at the National Safety Council 2008 Spring Labor Division meeting in Bettendorf, Iowa. Over the course of 3½ days in mid-May, Brothers DeMotta and Boyle joined around 240 other union members—including 133 from the IBEW—to attend training sessions and union caucuses covering a wide array of important safety issues both in our workplaces and also right in our own homes.

“Being around people who have the same safety interests that we do in the electrical industry was great,” said Bill DeMotta. “We have a lot in common with those folks and its great to hear what they’re doing and get feedback about what we’re doing.”

“I get so much out of the networking at the conference and afterwards by email,” agreed Ray Boyle. “We share great information with each other.

About 150 union members and their allies gathered in Lewiston on Saturday morning, April 28, to mourn for the 38 Maine workers who died on the job last year. Besides looking back, they sought to look ahead and join together to improve the lives of working people and their families.

The occasion was the First Annual Workers Memorial Day Observance and May Day Breakfast, sponsored by the Western Maine Labor Council, AFL-CIO and Museum L/A. The gathering, which took place at the Bates Mill Complex, also celebrated the gains and local history of working people. Jack Amrock, Matt Beck, Cynthia Phinney and Doug Wall were on hand to represent IBEW Local 1837.

Safety Concerns Highlighted for IBEW 1837 Members

IBEW 1837 members Ray Boyle, Bill DeMotta, and Assistant Business Manager Bill Dunn represented our union at the 2006 National Safety Council Congress and Expo in San Diego. The November gathering was billed as "the largest annual event in the world of Safety, Health and the Environment."

The National Safety Council was founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953. The Council's mission is to educate and influence people to prevent accidental injury and death. Many IBEW locals from around the country gathered at the Congress and Expo for seminars and workshops to explore safety issues for utility workers.