IBEW 1245 members employed at Silicon Valley Power voted to approve the City of Santa Clara’s final offer in late May, by a vote of 55%-45%. The agreement includes:
- a ‘stipend’ (lump sum) payment for all Unit 3 IBEW employees of 2.5% in 2014,
- 1.25% paid as soon as ratification occurs and 1.25% paid during the first pay period in July,
- 2% total compensation increase in 2015 with the extra .5% pay in the form of a stipend,
- 1.25% wage increase for those classifications receiving rubber glove premium (along with a change in wage structure for these classifications which further increases the total compensation received),
- four additional holidays for calendar year 2014 and two for 2015,
- positive changes to the in-lieu meals and overtime language, and
- a six month Pilot program for straight nine hour days.
The proposal contained some very good improvements, but there was some confusion on exactly when the wage increases for rubber glove premium pay in the year 2014 should occur and what it should cover. Based on the language of the City’s proposal, the IBEW bargaining committee — Dan Ryker, Dawid Coetzee, Chuck Hayden, Steve Popiel and John Sanders –believed it should have been wages for all hours worked, including overtime hours. Despite initial resistance, the City Council approved the OT as well in early June.
There was also some confusion around the new pilot program, so a subcommittee of the IBEW Bargaining Committee met with the City on June 12 to work through the issues. As a result of that meeting, the ratified agreement will be implemented as the bargaining committee believes it should. The first stipend payments have been made, the pilot schedule is being implemented for all IBEW members, and the back wages for the rubber glove classifications will be paid during the next payroll period.
Once the formal amendments to the MOU are signed, the contract ratification will be complete.