This week, PG&E made a new proposal to Local 1245 for Electric Department service crews. Service crews for electric and emergency response crews for gas are two issues that the company wants addressed in these negotiations. It has been our position that these issues should be addressed in ad hoc negotiations, not general negotiations, and by making these proposals the company has agreed to try to resolve them in ad hoc negotiations.
The new Company proposal was the result of discussions between the Company and Union based on objections to LA 15-30 that had been voiced by linemen in meetings with the union. Every concern voiced by the linemen was raised with the company.
The two letter agreements will be submitted to the affected employees for ratification in early February, with votes counted in late February.
If both agreements pass, we will proceed with ratification of limited-scope general negotiations, and continue with ad hoc negotiations in all departments. That limited-scope agreement will include a four-year term and the same 13% general wage increase proposed last summer (retroactive to January 1, 2016) as well as changes in short-term disability, paid family leave, and long-term disability.
If one or both of the letter agreements are voted down, we will go into full-scale general negotiations. Our negotiating committee is meeting in the first week of February to finalize what our proposal will be in the event that we go into full-scale general negotiations.
Additional information on the service crew and emergency response crew agreements will be posted on the website and sent to affected members in the very near future.
By proceeding this way, we are preserving the possibility of resolving single-department issues in ad hoc negotiations rather than general negotiations. Local 1245 continues to believe strongly that the best solutions are found in ad hoc negotiations that involve only the affected employees.