Wage increase: 2.75%
Members will vote by mail ballot
IBEW 1245 and PG&E have tentatively agreed to a one-year extension of the current labor agreements. The IBEW 1245 Bargaining Committee’s support of the tentative extension was unanimous. Download the tentative agreement here.
Under the terms of the extension, Physical and Clerical bargaining unit employees would receive a general wage increase of 2.75% effective Jan. 1, 2015. All other terms and conditions of the Physical, Clerical and Benefit agreements would remain in place through 2015.
Members will vote on the tentative agreement by mail ballot. Ballots will be mailed to members on April 18; completed ballots will be counted on May 16 at Weakley Hall in Vacaville.
Members of the Physical bargaining unit will vote on two items: the extension of the Physical Agreement, with the 2.75% wage increase, and the extension of the Benefits Agreement.
Members of the Clerical bargaining unit will also vote on two items: the extension of the Clerical Agreement, with the 2.75% wage increase, and the extension of the Benefits Agreement.
The union and company could also negotiate changes to the Benefit Agreement, but only as needed to comply with the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
The tentative agreement to extend the agreement comes at a time of economic uncertainty for PG&E, which is preparing for a General Rate Case and also facing potential penalties stemming from the 2010 gas explosion in San Bruno. The IBEW 1245 Bargaining Committee believes the contract extension offers members a chance to lock in a reasonable increase in wages for 2015, while postponing other contractual issues until there is more certainty around PG&E’s financial status.
“Members submitted over 150 proposals for general bargaining, which tells us that there are many contractual issues that members want to address,” said Business Manager Tom Dalzell. “Ideally we would be able to tackle those issues in bargaining this year, but we think next year will provide a more favorable bargaining climate than what we’re facing right now.”
Dalzell said that some issues could possibly be dealt with in ad hoc negotiations, noting that any Letter Agreements resulting from ad hoc negotiations must be approved by a vote of members affected by any such Letter Agreement If the agreement contains any contractual concessions.
The tentative agreement to extend the contract and raise wages 2.75% will be discussed in a variety of forums prior to the mail-ballot ratification vote, including unit meetings, worksite visits by IBEW 1245 organizing stewards, the next issue of the Utility Reporter, worksite bulletin boards, mailings to members, and the IBEW 1245 website. The tentative agreement will also be discussed at the shop steward meetings that were already scheduled for Stockton (March 25), San Luis Obispo (April 4), Sacramento (April 16), Concord (April 23), and Bakersfield (May 2).
The IBEW 1245 website will also feature a Question-and-Answer section where members can submit questions that will be answered online by members of the IBEW 1245 Bargaining Committee.