Inside IBEW 1837

August 7, 2019 - Senate President Troy Jackson, Rep. Seth Berry, IBEW Local 1837 and Emera ratepayers held a press conference in Orono to share their concerns about the proposed sale of Emera Maine to ENMAX of Calgary, Alberta.

Mainers are worried about the proposed sale of Emera Maine to ENMAX and the impact it could have on Emera Maine’s workers as well as the ratepayers of Maine’s second largest electric utility.

October 16, 2019 - IBEW 1837 members at Emera Maine have ratified a 2-year contract extension that is contingent on the successful sale of the company to ENMAX of Calgary, Alberta. That proposed sale is currently being considered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission and may close over the next few months.

November 19, 2019 - Operating Technicians at WABI-TV in Bangor, Maine, ratified a new 2-year contract this week with raises of 2.5% each year and a $250 signing bonus. The starting pay rate for Operating Technicians was also increased.

January 23, 2020 - Kevin O’Connell, a longtime member of IBEW Local #1837, First Class Lineworker at EmeraMaine and former Brewer mayor, has been nominated as the Democratic candidate for the House District 128 special election. The vacancy in that seat is a result of the passing of the late State Representative Arthur C. "Archie" Verow.

“I’m proud to carry on the legacy of service that was so important to Archie,” said O’Connell. “In him, we had a representative that represented the values of this city. I am committed to doing my best to be that person for Brewer.”

March 17, 2020 - Workers at the Kittery Water District have formed a union with IBEW Local #1837. The 15 workers include office staff, filtration plant workers, laborers, meter readers, service technicians and others.

March 24, 2020 - IBEW 1837 Business Manager Dick Rogers has announced that all April Unit meetings of our Union have been cancelled. The decision about holding meetings in May will be made at a later time.

April 6, 2020 - Central Maine Power President and CEO Doug Herlilng announced the passing of a company employee today who was also a member of IBEW Local #1837. Christopher Buzzard, a Line Clerk for CMP in Rockland, Maine, has died. Brother Buzzard, 51, worked for Maine’s largest electric utility for more than 13 years.

Herling sent the following message to CMP employees:

May 2, 2020, WEST GARDINER, ME – In the early morning of Wednesday, April 29, 2020, Jacqueline “Jackie” Marie Rogers lost a bravely fought battle with ovarian cancer. She spent her final weeks at home surrounded by loved ones, who, together, formed her care team. By her side, as he’d been since they were teens, was her high school sweetheart and devoted husband of nearly 40 years, Kenneth “Dick” Rogers, Jr.

May 29, 2020 - IBEW Local 1837 and Granite Shore Power have reached tentative agreement on a whole new contract. The Union and the Company have agreed to an extension of the previous agreement through June 1, 2020, in order to allow union members to conduct a ratification vote on the new contract.

IBEW Local 1837 represents a total of 80 members at Schiller, Newington and Merrimack Generating Stations in New Hampshire. These fossil fuel power stations were acquired by Granite Shore Power from Eversource NH as part of the legislatively-mandated divestiture agreement.

July 14, 2020 - The long-term and likely permanent closure of Schiller Station in Portsmouth last month not only marked the end of 70 years generating electricity for the Granite State, but it was the end of the bargaining unit that played a pivotal role in the history of IBEW Local #1837.         

UPDATE: Unit 5, Keene and Unit 2, Manchester have been postponed due to a large number of union members working out of state doing restoration work. Unit 5, Keene will be held on August 24 and Unit 2,  Manchester Area meeting will be held on August 18. Unit 6, Portland, Unit 7, Lewiston and Unit 9, Waterville have been cancelled. Nominations still can be made by email, U.S. mail, or at any other Unit Meeting.

September 21, 2020 - IBEW 1837 members at Granite Ridge have approved a 3-year contract extension with raises in each year and without any concessions.

Members voted on Friday, September 18th to approve the contract extension offer. That offer was the result of several phone conversations between IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager Tony Sapienza and Calpine North Central Regional Operations Vice President Chris Jones. Mr. Jones  insisted this was the Company’s best offer at this time.

October 1, 2020 - After a career that started as a Summer Helper at Central Maine Power in 1979 and ended with a 9-year stint as Business Manager and Financial Secretary for IBEW 1837, Dick Rogers has retired. IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager Tony Sapienza will assume the Local Union’s top job.

“We work for the members,” Rogers said.  “I always kept that in my mind. A number of people don’t realize the time that goes into doing this job, the time and the commitment. It is a 24/7 job because we have shift workers. I tried to return all calls and be a straight shooter.”

October 6, 2020 - The Eversource NH contract has been ratified by a razor thin majority of Union members at the Company. It is the policy of IBEW Local 1837 to not release the ballot totals but turnout was strong among union members at New Hampshire's largest electric utility.