Local 1245 sent 17 apprentices to the Lineman’s Rodeo in Bonner Springs, Kansas Oct. 13-16. The apprentices attended the Safety Conference and Tool Expo and competed on Oct. 16. (Photos from the rodeo will be posted on this website in the near future.)
We managed to raise $28,000 from various contractors and NV Energy to offset the cost.
This was one effort in building communications between apprentice lineman of different employer apprentice programs to promote safety, unionism and internal organizing. The local also sent two journeyman teams that helped the apprentices.
Former Business Manager Jack McNally and other staff members volunteered to travel with the apprentices as judges required by the Rodeo. Jack and the other staff members spent one-on-one time with the apprentices, mentoring and sharing lessons learned.
It was a very positive experience and the apprentices learned a lot and had fun doing it. See photos and story on Pages 11-14.
Negotiations
We started GoodCents negotiations Oct. 29. They suck so far but we are still talking.
The members voted to extend the Pole Test and Treat Agreements for the following contractors: Martinez Utility Pole, Davey Pole, Osmose, Republic ITS and Utility Pole Technologies. The agreement is for two years at 2% a year, plus the first year of the Lineco insurance increase was picked up by the contractors; the second year by members. However, we do not expect an increase in the second year. This was a coordinated effort to get all the pole test employers on board in one effort.
The San Francisco trolley agreement was re-negotiated for three years, with 0% in the first year and 1% in the second year and 3% in the third year, while maintaining all health and welfare benefits and increasing the pension (NEAP/401k) $2.00 per hour over the life of the contract.
Injured Workers Fund
The beginning balance as of Sept. 1 was $166,463.93 the fund paid out $1500 in disability payments. We ended September with a balance of $168,511.90.
The fund paid out a disability benefit to one member with a shoulder injury in the month of September.
Traffic Signal Apprentice Interviews
On Oct. 5-6 we conducted 70 interviews for the traffic signal apprenticeship program in Riverside, Ca. at the California-Nevada JATC.
Grievances
With the increase in OSL construction work comes the increase in disputes. We have been working to resolve all of these disputes; with the vast majority being pay issues. We have been successful in all except one wrongful termination claim that we withdrew upon the completion of the investigatory process.
OSHA 10 Class
An OSHA 10 class was held in Vacaville by the OSL California Nevada JATC on Saturday, Oct. 9. There were 17 attendees, although we had 25 members registered and confirmed. In order to continue to provide these classes it is important that you attend if you register and confirm. There was a waiting list of five additional members who could have used one of those spots.
Construction Issues
Issues with NV Energy not allowing two severed ex-NV Energy employees to work on dock crews for Par appear to be resolved. NV Energy will allow these workers to work through Par.
Crane Certification
There were questions pertaining to what crane certifications will be allowed in California for dispatching purposes. There were members coming in and signing the books that had the CIC certification as opposed to the NCCCO certifications we are more familiar with. The CIC and NCCCO are both approved since they are approved through the NCAA, which is one of two accrediting agencies for crane certification and training, ANSI being the other. That issue has been resolved and both of these certifications can be used for dispatching purposes.
Fabricator Tech
The Fabricator Tech classification which is the new classification agreed upon has had several people wanting to sign it. However, all applications to sign require a work history and/or letters of recommendation from past employers stating you have performed the work required and are proficient in it. All recommendations are followed up on and anyone granted a Fab Tech classification is done under a one-year probationary period which will require re-evaluation if an individual is terminated for cause based on work performance issues.
Wellington/Rubber Glove
OSHA standards require that rubber gloves be changed out every six months. They have to be retested at least every 12 months. The OSL Safety Red Book requires gloves to change out every 90 days and a shelf life of six months. There are two problems here that we needed to get resolved.
The first is the 90-day requirement versus the state requirement of six months. This is not an issue especially for the journeyman working under the OSL agreement because it is required to follow the Red Safety Book in the agreement.
The second problem, which should be resolved soon, is tracking the issue date. In order to follow the timelines that are required, the issue date needs to be tracked. For the journeyman a pair of gloves can be issued within six months of the test date, but that issue date needs to be identified. They then need to be changed out after 90 days. If we can track both the test dates and issue dates this would solve the confusion in the field.
Organizing
Manual Bros., Inc. signed to perform civil work. They currently have the civil work for a 40-acre solar project in Avenal, Ca.
We are in talks with EC Smith, Inc., Penhall Company, Electrical Reliability Services, Lucchetti Grading and Christenson Electric Inc.
Apprentice Report
We currently have 230 Outside Line apprentices registered in our JATC program. 51 apprentices are working out of Local 1245; 170 are working out of Local 47 ; none are working out of Local 396; nine are off of work two are on leave of absence, two are on disability).
We have graduated 54 apprentices this year to journeyman lineman. We have indentured 52 Outside Line apprentices this year.
Our next orientation/climbing class will began Oct. 25, with 20 individuals invited to the class.
Work Outlook
We just closed the September working fee deposit, which was the highest in history. We estimate we exceed hours worked from August 2009 by 38% and in September 2009 by 84%. This is a direct result of the negotiated PLA that the Business Manager, Tom Dalzell secured for our membership.
Solar: We have 250 megawatts of solar field work under a PLA with PG&E. The first 50 megawatts will start in February 2011 in the Fresno area. There are restrictions from the California PUC and from PG&E on this work requiring a percentage of local hires; we expect to place 300 members in February on the first project. We are planning a job fair in mid-January. We estimate there will be 900 workers at the peak of this project at three different sites around April. This is excellent work for our groundman classifications.
SWIP: This project is still on track and is planned to kick off in the first quarter of 2011.
Dispatch: We continue to have open calls especially on the Wilson project that is being performed under the special agreement. This has to do with the fact that work has been robust and no one wants to take one of these jobs when there have been plenty of opportunities to work on projects without the special agreement.
Members who do not possess CDL licenses are also having some difficulty getting work since the majority of the calls have had that requirement attached.
Book Status
Lineman 1: 14
Lineman 2: 22
Lineman 3: 1
Lineman 4: 96
Equipment Man 1: 9
Equipment Man 2: 6
Equipment Man 3: 6
Cable Splicer 1: 3
Cable Splicer 2: 4
Cable Splicer 3: 2
Groundman 1: 10
Groundman 2: 5
Groundman 3: 122
Groundman 4: 154
We have referred year to date the following:
Journeyman Lineman: 735
Apprentice Lineman: 101
Line Equipment Man: 107
Groundman: 258
Fabricator Tech: 70
Cable Splicer: 16
Ralph Armstrong, Liz McInnis and Ron Cochran