Eighteen months after voting to join IBEW Local 1245, the call center representatives at Energy Choice California (ECC) in Santa Rosa have ratified their very first collective bargaining agreement. The three-year agreement (last, best and final offer) was unanimously approved by the new members, and went into effect on February 17, 2020.
Wages were among the members’ top priority in bargaining. As part of the agreement, Tier 2 customer service representatives (95% of the represented members) received an increase in their hourly rate from $16 per hour to $20 per hour, and shift leaders went from $16.50 to $20.75. Additionally, we secured 2% wage increases in each subsequent year of the agreement (2021 and 2022). Representatives who provide bilingual services will receive an additional premium of $0.25/hour.
The ECC call center reps also expressed a strong desire for a better scheduling system, as well as a formal process to adjudicate labor-management disputes. The union bargaining team secured a commitment from the employer to give employees a 14-day notice when a schedule change is needed, as well as a sorely-needed grievance process. The agreement also includes expedited reimbursement for the employee parking garage fees.
The negotiating committee changed over the course of the bargaining process, but in the end, the team was comprised of members Charlsie Hoaglin and Cameron Escobar-Shells, along with Senior Assistant Business Manager Bryan Carroll and myself.
-Gracie Clark, IBEW 1245 Business Rep