Work Picture looks great for 2013!

Outside Construction Report

By Ron Cochran

The work picture continues to look very good going into 2013. We organized 28 contractors to master agreements in 2012 and numerous more one-time PLAs:

Accent Companies J&D Excavation
A-Line E.D.S KVA Electric
America Site Builders, LLC M.A. Steiner Construction
American Power Delivery MGE Underground
B& B Construction Services Olsen Excavation and Grading
Bess Testlab, Inc RMS Life Safety
City Light & Power Roadway Engineering
Elecnor Belco Electric Shimmick Construction
Elemental Energy Sierra General Contracting, Inc
Exaro Technologies Corporation Solar Hygienics, LLC
Golden Field Services Subtronic Corp
Greer Trenching Transformers Lifecycle Service
Hampton Tedder Tulsa Inspection Resources
Integrity Data & Fiber Inc Ward Electric Company
J&D Excavation
KVA Electric
M.A. Steiner Construction
MGE Underground
Olsen Excavation and Grading
RMS Life Safety
Roadway Engineering
Shimmick Construction
Sierra General Contracting, Inc
Solar Hygienics, LLC
Subtronic Corp
Transformers Lifecycle Service
Tulsa Inspection Resources
Ward Electric Company

Recent Grievances

We continue to have issues with the smart meter project in Nevada with terminations of our members happening on what seems to be a regular basis. We have 3 new grievances filed in November to go along with the other 6. All are in various stages of the grievance process. What is making these grievances difficult to close is that the contractor is delaying or refusing to process them which is requiring us to take additional steps outside of the CBA to close them out.

We also have one wrongful termination grievance filed with a pole test and treat contractor which is in the second step.

Contracts Ratified

On December 14, 2012 all our current Pole Test and Treat members working for 5 different (Utility Pole Technologies, Inc., Osmose Utilities Service Inc., Davey Tree Surgery Co. Martinez Pole and Tree Maintenance and Siemens/Republic ITS) companies ratified a new agreement. The members voted to accept one master agreement with wage and benefit increases, much like the tree members did a few months ago. The vote was 43-19.

Below are specifics of the new agreement:

1. Term: 5 Years – January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2017
2. Wages: 1st -year 1% increase, all classifications
   2nd year 3% increase, all classifications
   3rd year 4% increase, all classifications
   *4th year — all classifications
   **5th year all classifications*Effective January 1, 2016, the wage rates that were in effect on August 2, 2015 will be increased based upon the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the twelve month period ending June of 2016 for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose local area (Table 4). However, the wage increase to be effective January 1, 2016 shall be no less than one percent (1%), nor more than three percent (3%) of the wage rates that were effective on August 2, 2015.**Effective January 1, 2017, the wage rates that were in effect on July 31, 2016 will be increased based upon the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the twelve month period ending June of 2017 for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose local area (Table 4). However, the wage increase to be effective January 1, 2017 shall be no less than one percent (1%), nor more than three percent (3%) of the wage rates that were effective on January 1, 2016.

   Should the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic discontinue publishing or change the CPI-U index referenced above, the parties shall meet to negotiate a substitute index.

3. 7.1 HEALTH AND WELFARE. The parties’ signatory hereto shall enter into a Health and Welfare Plan for which there is a Trust Agreement, known as the Line Construction Benefit Fund, for the purpose of providing insurance benefits for eligible employees and/or their dependents.The Employer agrees to pay five dollars, ($5.00) per hour for each hour worked by each employee covered by the terms of this Agreement to the Line Constructors Benefit Fund for the purpose of providing insurance benefits for eligible employees and/or their dependents. The Employer agrees to pay up to a maximum of twenty-five cents ($.25) of any increases occurring between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017 with the wage rates set forth herein being reduced for the remainder of the increase.Remittance shall be forwarded to the place designated by the parties hereto on or before the fifteenth (15th) day of each month for each hour worked in weekly payroll periods ending during the preceding month, together with a monthly payroll report on a form to be furnished to the Employer.

   It is understood and intended by the parties to this Agreement that the purpose of this clause is to establish an Employer financed Health and Welfare Trust and that contributions thereto shall not be deemed to be wages to which any employee shall have any right other than the right to have such contributions paid over to the Trust fund in accordance herewith.

   Failure of an individual Employer to make all payments provided for, including liquidated damages for late payments, within the time specified, shall be a breach of this Agreement and will further require action by the Trustees as set forth in the Trust Agreement.

4. One Master Agreement using the terms and conditions in the Utility Pole Technologies agreement. *For Davey Tree Surgery and Martinez Pole and Tree Maintenance existing PTO time will be converted to vacation.

GoodCents Solutions

On December 19, 2012, 10 members working for GoodCents Solutions ratified a new 3-year agreement by a vote of 10-0.

Below are the specifics of the new agreement:

1. Term 3 Years — January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015
2. Wages: 1st year 2.75% increase on 1/1/13, all classifications
   2nd year 2.75% increase on 1/1/14, all classifications
   3rd year 2.75% increase on 1/1/15, all classifications
3. 9.1 Health and Welfare: Company will continue to pay the full premium for the Principal Medical Plan
4. All other terms of the contract will remain the same.

Helicopter Long Lining LOU

The original long lining LOU which set up training requirements and bonus pay of an additional ½ hour of overtime when performing this work expired on June 1, 2012. While the training documents are in place and the standardized training program is being worked on, there was an oversight in carrying the ½ hour bonus pay over the new CBA. On December 17, 2012 a new LOU was signed and put into place to correct that error. Moving forward all Human External Load, long lining work requires the working to be paid that additional ½ hour of overtime.

Training Schedule 2013

OHSA ETD Classes: Members can sign-up in our dispatch office for any up-coming classed offered through the Cal-Nev JATC. Members will be contacted directly by the JATC regarding dates and location of future trainings. Future classes will be held at the Hedge Road facility.

First Aid & CPR is the 2nd Saturday of every month at our Riverside and Sacramento facilities.

Special Events

• First Annual IBEW Hawaii Lineman Rodeo & Expo is scheduled for February 22 & 23, 2013. The Local will be sending four teams; one each from Liberty Energy, PG&E, SMUD and Outside Construction and 6 apprentices.
• Soccer Tournament South — April 13, 2013, Los Banos
• Soccer Tournament North — May 4, 2013, Fairfield
• IBEW Nor-Cal Clay Shoot May 11, 2013 in Dunnigan. Registration can be found on our website.

Dispatch

	December 2012	Year to Date
Lineman	89	1693
Apprentice Lineman	10	281
Equipment Man	14	252
Groundman	46	795
Fabricator Tech	26	270
Cable Splicer	2	50
Total	187	3341

 

Apprentices

We currently have 330 outside line apprentices registered in our JATC program and 10 traveling apprentice working in our jurisdiction.

• 99 apprentices are working out of Local 1245
• 206 are working out of Local 47
• 4 are working out of Local 396
• 31 are off of work (6 are on disability – 9 are on leave of absence)
• 39 apprentices have graduated this year to journeyman lineman.
• 73 apprentices have been indentured apprentices this year.

We have 3 traffic signal maintenance apprentices registered.

 

• 1 is working for Republic Electric in Local 1245’s jurisdiction.
• 2 are working for Republic Electric in Local 47’s jurisdiction.
• 17 traffic signal apprentices have graduated.

Injured Workers Fund

The balance of the fund as of November 30, 2012 was $486,784.31. We did not pay any claims in the months of November or December.

Ron Cochran is Senior Assistant Business Manager, IBEW Local 1245