WORK PICTURE
The work picture throughout our jurisdiction remains very strong with no end in sight for both California and Nevada. We are routinely running unfilled calls for linemen, which remains a concern for the future as more and more work is being released. In addition to all the work with plenty of overtime, we are going to have to prepare for another huge initiative that PG&E will be embarking on around 2020 to harden their system for fire. The amount of work on this initiative alone — which is expected to go on for 15 years — has the possibility of doubling our current work load. We need to be planning now for how this work will be manned to achieve what will be asked of our membership in the safest and productive way.
Some of the current projects going on in both California and Nevada, as reported by IBEW reps, include:
California
- PGM and Dacon are working in Bakersfield at the Kern Power Sub. This project should go until 2019. PGM and Dacon are also working in Huron at the Gates Sub. This should go until the end of 2018 or later.
- PAR has projects associated with Kern Power and Gates Subs, installing dead end structures and some conductors. PAR also has some tower raising and re-conductor work between Kern Power and Midway Sub in Buttonwillow. The last we heard, this project should start in October 2018. Par has crews working in Turlock for TID and has the tower painting going on throughout the Bay Area.
- Asplundh is working in Santa Maria and Salinas doing pole replacement and re- conductor work.
- Intren is working in the Bay Area and Fresno area, and is also doing work for SMUD.
- ILB, Basin and Intren have been working off and on in the Fresno area on the high-speed rail project.
- Summit Line is working in Cal Flats on a solar project, as well as performing pole replacement work and CCM tag work in the Auburn area.
- MGE is working in various areas doing overhead and underground work.
- Cupertino is working on the MHP and lightning arrestor project in various areas. Cupertino is also working on distribution projects in the Bay Area.
- Hot Line had a job for MID at Pioneer Sub that should be finishing up soon.
- Henkels McCoy had some distribution pole change-out work in the Auburn area. They also have lots of substation work in various areas.
- Pinnacle Power is working in various areas doing Rule 20s, and fiber work in San Francisco.
Nevada
Local 1245 is seeing some good sized substation and transmission projects, and some good distribution work in Nevada as well.
- PAR has crews working in Reno for NV Energy and in North Lake Tahoe for Liberty Utilities on new business and maintenance work on a T&E basis. The Tahoe work is here and there. PAR has also recently completed a 120 KV project with two miles of UG 120KV cable, and is wrapping up a small reconductor in Coleville for Liberty.
- Wasatch has 14 doc linemen working at various locations for NV Energy. Wasatch also has a doc crew in Yerington working on a T&E basis. The five sub techs were laid off and will most likely return later this year.
- Titan Wyoming is moving along well on its 4/25kv cut over/re-conductor project in Reno. They were also awarded another 4/25kv cutover job off of El Rancho, and a UG replacement job in Elko that will be starting after the sub-structure install is complete.
- Summit Line is moving along well with its five-mile section of 120 KV line at the Reno Tahoe industrial park west of Reno. This project is between Dove Sub and Switch. Summit has started a 120 KV pole replacement job and a small 120 KV UG project in Truckee for a new commercial complex.
Street Light & Traffic Signal Maintenance
The Street Light and Traffic Signal agreement was ratified by the membership in late June 2018. Bear Electrical, Siemens ITS and DC Electric work groups ratified the agreement with 100% yes vote in Northern California.
Highlights of the tentative agreement:
- Five-year term
- 3% wage increase the first three years. Minimum of 2% and maximum 3% wage increase in years four and five.
- Added a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). Employers will contribute $0.50 cents for every hour worked.
- Added two holidays
- Added 24 hours of sick pay. Unused sick pay will be paid out at the end of the year.
GRIEVANCES
With the amount of work Local 1245 has in our jurisdiction, it goes without saying that there will be contractual issues. The OSL reps are handling these issues daily and resolving these disputes at various steps in the grievance process. The vast majority of these grievances deal with pay and paycheck issues that are pretty easy fixes, especially if we get involved early on in the dispute.
All members should be familiar with the grievance language in their respective agreements, as there are specific timelines that must be met for the process to be effective. Members working under the OSL agreement and any of the other 30-plus agreements covered under the Construction workgroup should be diligent on the reporting of any dispute, as it requires that the process begins within five days of the violation, or when the member is made aware of the possible dispute. There are instances where members will have logged the disputes in a tablet for weeks, months and even years, and then when they are laid off or leave that employer, they come to the union with the list, expecting the reps to cash in for all the past issues. These will not work due to the timeliness of the dispute, and the delay makes it difficult for us to correct the possible violations. Whenever there is a contractual violation, the sooner we are made aware of the issue, the faster we can resolve the issue.
- Currently, we have one grievance that is in its later stages which involves a wrongful termination. All the facts are still being reviewed.
- Another contractor recently made a donation to the injured workers’ fund as result of using the wrong classification (Fab Tech) to perform work that should have been performed by LEMs and GM.
JATC
In late February, the JATC application process opened up for the first time in over two years. There were a few changes to the criteria to apply, one of which is the requirement to have a CDL at the time the application is submitted. Additionally, applicants now must take an aptitude test, which is done prior to the interview, adding an extra day to the process. During the 10-day open application period, there were close to 800 applications that were returned and advanced on to the interview process. The first round of those interviews took place in June, and the next will be done in August.
The JATC trustees have been looking for property in the north area to build a northern campus, which would provide a facility that can be used all week long and allow us to increase the number of apprentices in the program. Efforts were unsuccessful to obtain a piece of property in Winters, as both sides were too far apart on price. We continue to look, with the biggest obstacle being land that is zoned for what we intend to use it for.
We encourage the contractors in 1245’s jurisdiction to use more apprentices as the indenturing of new apprentices is done by supply and demand. Current JATC numbers are:
- 344 outside line apprentices registered in our JATC program
- 8 traveling apprentices in our jurisdiction
- 114 apprentices are working out of Local 1245
- 204 are working out of 47
- 7 are working out of 396
- 20 are unemployed (but 14 can’t work)
- 7 are unavailable/on a leave
- 32 apprentices have graduated to journeyman lineman.
- We have indentured 27 outside line apprentices, and a new climbing class began on July 16, 2018
EVENTS CALENDAR
- First Aid & CPR is the 2nd Saturday of every month at our Riverside and Sacramento locations.
- Annual Golf Tournament – October 6, 2018 in Vacaville.
- International Lineman’s Rodeo – October 13, 2018 Bonner Springs, KS
ORGANIZING
The following contractors have been organized and signed the CA Outside Line Construction agreement in the second quarter of 2018:
- Primoris Electric
- Power Contracting, LLC
- M&M Electric
INJURED WORKERS FUND
As of June 30, 2018, the balance of the Injured Workers Fund was $1,202,085.35
As the fund balance continues to rise, the trustees are constantly looking at new ways this money can benefit the outside line membership who pay into the fund.
Effective March 1, 2018, the fund started offering parental leave benefits and non-work disability benefits. The details, including the eligibility requirements, were mailed to all active outside members who are working under the CA Outside Line Construction agreement during the last week of December 2017.
If you did not receive a copy or if you have any questions, please contact Liz McInnis at (707) 452-2720 or EJMH@ibew1245.com.
DISPATCH
Please call the hotline after hours for daily counts related to actual numbers on the books.
All 1245 OSL members are encouraged to sign up and register your own personal account through the Local 1245 website. Once registered, you will be able to check your books status, make changes to personal information, pay union dues and even check on available jobs without having to call the dispatch office for this information. This is a very useful tool for our OSL members.
We continue to have standing calls for journeyman linemen, many of which are paying double subsistence. Please call the hotline for details on all available calls!
Dispatch Call Counts
