Local 1245 retirees turned out with picket signs in hand for the PG&E annual shareholders meeting on May 13 in San Ramon. Retirees have been hard hit by rising health care costs. Since the year 2000 they have shouldered the full burden of all increases in premium costs. Talks between the union and PG&E are… [Read More]
Archives for May 2009
Negotiations Continue, New Meeting Set For May 28
Negotiators for Local 1245 and Pacific Gas & Electric met on May 22 at Weakley Hall in Vacaville to continue negotiations on retirement benefits. Discussions continued on a number of key issues and the parties agreed to meet again on Thursday, May 28. Additional communications are expected at the end of next week.
CITY OF SANTA CLARA AGREEMENT RATIFIED
Local 1245 members at the City of Santa Clara ratified a new four-year agreement by a nearly two-thirds margin in a mail ballot counted on May 15. The agreement provides wage increases of 5% in years one and two, and 4.5% increases in total compensation in years three and four. The term is December 2008… [Read More]
City of Santa Clara Agreement Ratified
Local 1245 members at the City of Santa Clara ratified a new four-year agreement by a nearly two-thirds margin in a mail ballot counted on May 15. The agreement provides wage increases of 5% in years one and two, and 4.5% increases in total compensation in years three and four. The term is December 2008… [Read More]
Outside Construction Report
The NECA contract negotiations went to impasse in April. There was an interim meeting scheduled on April 28. We made a lot of progress at this meeting and in the last hour talks failed. Contractually we are required to take our issues to the Council of Industry Relations (CIR) in Washington DC. That meeting was held on May… [Read More]
LOCAL 1245 HIRES FRED ROSS JR.
Fred Ross Jr. has been hired by IBEW Local 1245 to assist with organizing. Ross, who came on staff April 30, is a veteran of numerous campaigns for worker rights. He served a six-year stint with Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers in the 1970s. In the 1980s Ross helped establish Neighbor to Neighbor as a… [Read More]
STAY HEALTHY WITH UNION PLUS BENEFITS
Health care costs–doctor visits, prescriptions and hospitalization–continue to spiral out of control. In fact, every 30 seconds someone in the U.S. files for bankruptcy following a serious health problem. Union Plus has created various programs aimed at helping to keep union members healthy–physically and financially. § Take advantage of a free prescription discount card that helps you save… [Read More]
PG&E Benefits Bargaining Could Be Nearing Conclusion
Bargaining over retirement benefits at Pacific Gas & Electric continued last week in an effort to try to reach a tentative agreement sometime in the next week to 10 days. The union submitted a further-refined proposal on May 14, following up on a union proposal submitted on May 5. The union is now waiting for… [Read More]
PG&E Final
PG&E-Final-5-7-09
SANDOVAL SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST: THE WINNING ESSAY
Editor’s note: Jonathan Rouse II will receive this year’s Al Sandoval Memorial Scholarship based on his winning essay, reproduced below. Rouse is the son of Local 1245 member Jonathan Rouse Sr., who is a Fitter at Truckee Meadows Water Authority. Rouse attends Robert McQueen High School in Reno and plans to attend Brigham Young University…. [Read More]