Editor’s note: The Local 1245 Bargaining Committee at Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative sent the following letter to members on July 23, along with a copy of management’s “last, best and final” offer. You can go back to the Local 1245 home page for a link to the offer.
July 23, 2009
To all Local 1245 members employed at Plumas Sierra REC:
On July 22, 2009 your Bargaining Committee met with PSREC Management. Your Committee formally notified the Cooperative the Tentative Agreement had been rejected by the membership of Local 1245 and requested to resume bargaining to reach a new agreement.
Cooperative Management informed us they were no longer willing to bargain over issues and offered a Last, Best and Final bargaining proposal. This Last, Best and Final proposal is the same proposal you voted to reject on July 14, 2009. The offering of a Last, Best and Final proposal satisfies the Cooperatives legal obligation to bargain for a new agreement.
We will again offer this package to members of Local 1245 employed at PSREC for ratification. The stakes are now a bit different. A YES vote would accept the proposal and conclude bargaining for a new agreement. A NO vote would be a Strike Sanction Vote. If the package is again rejected by a vote of the membership the Cooperative will have two options.
1. Implement the proposal for 1 year.
2. Continue the current agreement with no changes for 1 year. This would be subject to the “evergreen” language in your current agreement.
21.1 This Agreement as amended shall take effect as of July 1, 2008 and shall continue in full force and effect until the 30th day of June, 2009 and thereafter from year to year unless written notice of change or termination shall be given by either party to the other sixty (60) days prior to the expiration date of any contract year.
Should the Cooperative choose option 1 we will have the ability under the law to take a labor action (strike).
Should the Cooperative choose option 2 we will not have that ability under the law.
Your committee again recommends this package for your approval.
A meeting to discuss these issues and take a ratification vote on the package will be held at the Sierra Valley Grange Hall (Vinton CA) at 6 pm on August 4, 2009.
In Unity,
Your Bargaining Committee
Bruce Smith
Bryan Sherman
Susan Sessions
Randy Osborn
