Inside IBEW 1837

National Boycott Targets WGME-TV 13 over Unfair Contract Implementation

February 17, 2011 - WGME-TV, Channel 13 in Portland is one of almost five dozen stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting that have been placed on the nationwide AFL-CIO boycott list because of a labor dispute here in Maine. The station unilaterally implemented portions of a contract offer one year ago on February 17, 2010, despite the opposition of the workers and their Union.

Warehouse Workers Ratify First Contract at NHEC

March 25, 2011 - Four Warehouse Workers at the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) ratified their first contract on Friday, March 25. It took almost nine months and 25 negotiating sessions to reach this important milestone.

The term of the contract is through September 2012. IBEW 1837 will be negotiating both the Warehouse Workers’ and the larger NHEC bargaining unit future agreements at the same time.

IBEW 1837 Members Continue to Push Back Against Anti-Union Legislation

April 12, 2011 - Members of IBEW Local 1837 have been playing an active role in worker efforts to push back against union-busting legislation both Maine and New Hampshire. At rallies, vigils, in testimony at public hearings and in meetings with legislative representatives, Brothers and Sisters in our Local have been speaking out against efforts to weaken all unions and to even to strip some public sector workers of their rights to collectively bargain.

Granite Ridge Workers Ratify 2nd Contract

May 11, 2011 - Local 1837 members at the Granite Ridge power plant near Londonderry ratified their second contract agreement on last month, giving them a more than 9 percent wage increase over the life of the three-year deal (3 ½%, 3%, 3%), streamlined grievance and arbitration procedures, an extra paid holiday, and an increase in the call-out premium with less than 24 hours notice.

IBEW Local 1837 Members Elect Officers, Representatives and Convention Delegates

June 17, 2011 - Union officers and representatives including President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Business Manager, Executive Board Representatives for each of the 11 units, and delegates to the IBEW International Convention were elected this month. Ballots were counted this morning at our Manchester, Maine office.

Dick Rogers was elected to his first term as Financial Secretary and Business Manager of the Local.

IBEW Local 1837 Members Ratify CMP Technical Administrative Unit Contract

July 8, 2011 - IBEW Local 1837 members working at Central Maine Power Company in the Technical and Administrative Bargaining Unit have ratified a new contract, their second since joining the union. After six weeks of negotiations, the membership followed the recommendation of their IBEW Negotiating Committee and approved the Company's offer. The final tally of votes was 85% to accept and 15% to reject and authorize a strike.

IBEW 1837 Member Mark Easter Gets Lifesaving Award

September 28, 2011 - In a ceremony attended by many of his co-workers at PSNH as well as company supervisors and officials from IBEW 1837, Mark Easter received the highest award his union offers: The IBEW Lifesaving Award. Brother Easter, an IBEW 1837 member since 1999, is a System Machinist in PSNH’s Generation Division working at the Hooksett Line Area Work Center.

Finally, A New Contract for IBEW 1837 Members at WGME-TV

October 21, 2011 - IBEW 1837 members at WGME-TV, channel 13 in Portland have approved a new, 3-year contract after a long and contentious struggle with parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. of Maryland. That struggle led to a national AFL-CIO boycott and the decision by Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial candidates not to advertise on the station during the 2010 primary campaign.

N.U. Call Center Workers Look to Join IBEW 1837

Customer Service Representatives at the Northeast Utilities Manchester Call Center are making a bid to join IBEW Local 1837, but Company representatives are pulling out the stops to try to thwart the campaign. More than 150 employees at the Center take customer calls for PSNH, Connecticut Light and Power and Western Massachusetts Electric, answering calls about billing and service for the electric utilities owned by N.U.

Bangor Hydro System Operators Organize to Join IBEW 1837

February 17, 2012 - The System Operators at Bangor Hydro Electric Company have unanimously decided that they would like to be represented by IBEW Local 1837 for collective bargaining. These highly-skilled workers are also commonly known as “Dispatchers.”

All of the System Operators at BHE indicated their interest in union representation by signing authorization cards which were subsequently submitted to the National Labor Relations Board. The Union has requested that the Company voluntarily recognize the new bargaining unit and commence negotiations as soon as possible.

PSNH Generation Facilities Threatened by House Bill 1238

March 28, 2012 UPDATE - NH House Bill 1238 has been tabled by a 304-19 vote today by the New Hampshire House of Representatives. IBEW 1837 thanks everyone for their support!

March 26, 2012 - This Wednesday, March 28, the New Hampshire House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill that may be devastating to many members of IBEW 1837 and to the union itself.

So-Called "Right to Work" Bills Tabled in New Hampshire and Maine

April 11, 2012 - The NH Senate voted today to table repeat so-called "Right to Work" legislation, acknowledging the legislation would fail but leaving the door open for anti-worker/anti-union House Speaker William O’Brien.

Following the vote, New Hampshire workers, labor leaders and community allies expressed hope that the Senate would take a similar approach to additional anti-worker bills from the House and move on to more important issues.

New 6-Year Contract for IBEW Members at UES

June 5, 2012 - Members of IBEW Local 1837 have ratified a new contract with Unitil Energy Systems, Inc. (UES) in New Hampshire. The six-year agreement includes a 3% wage increase each year and wage adjustments in the first and second years for the majority of job classifications.

“I appreciate all of the hard work our negotiating team put into preparing for bargaining and seeing the process through to its conclusion,” IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager Tom Ryan said.

IBEW 1837 Member Makes A Run for the Maine House

July 5, 2012 - IBEW Local 1837 member Aaron Gilman has been a mechanic at Maine's Bangor Hydro Electric for the last six years. This November, he hopes to add "State Representative" to his résumé after being recruited to campaign for the Maine House of Representatives.

Maine's 12th House District includes Gilman's hometown of Enfield as well as Edinburg, Howland, Lincoln, Maxfield and Plantation of Seboeis, plus part of the unorganized territory of North Penobscot. He'll be running on the Democratic Party line against the incumbent, Republican Party candidate Jeffery Gifford.

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