In November, IBEW 1245 members at the Northern California Power Agency ratified a three-year agreement with the Agency, which was subsequently adopted by the NCPA Commission.
The agreement, which runs from Dec. 23, 2018 through Dec. 18, 2021, includes 2.7% general wage increases, along with 2.5% labor market adjustments, in each year of the agreement for all classifications. A new Level 6 Instrument Control/Elec Tech class will be created/added to existing broadbanded classifications, where applicable. Shift premium for shift operators will be converted from a flat dollar amount to a percent of base wages, where applicable, and the same goes for relief operators. The union also negotiated improved safety footwear and safety eyewear language.
Our Local 1245 negotiating committee bargained extensively and professionally with the Agency on a variety of Local 1245 member and Agency proposals over various sessions at the IBEW 1245 hall in Vacaville and at NCPA headquarters in Roseville. One particularly important item the Agency wanted to address during these negotiations was their proposal to create a third tier for retiree medical benefits in order to continue their efforts of controlling unfunded liabilities. The Local 1245 committee’s goal in this endeavor was to protect the vested post-retirement medical benefit rights of current and future retirees currently under the two existing tiers while ensuring a viable and worthy third tier based on a flat minimum contribution for new hires moving forward, which it did.
The Local 1245 negotiating committee consisted of Charles Beck and Jerry Pangle from the geothermal facilities in Middletown, along with Mark Dempsey and Dylan Turner from the combustion turbine facilities in Lodi. Special thanks also go out to geothermal members Shawn Beverlin, Tom O’Brien and Nish McDowell, who provided oversight of the ballot counting and recording process.
–JV Macor, IBEW 1245 Business Rep