Outside Line Agreement Ratified

The IBEW 1245/47 Outside Line agreement has been ratified by the members, with 86% voting YES, 13.75% voting NO and .25% contested/voided ballots.

A total of 7,700 ballots were mailed out to Local 1245 and Local 47 outside line members, and 1,699, or 22%, of those ballots were returned. The final vote tally was 1,460 Yes votes (86%) and 233 No votes (13.75%) with 5 contested ballots (either no marks or double marked) and one voided ballot.

The Agreement includes notable increases to wages and total compensation for the Journeyman classifications (intended to bring parity for Journeyman classifications across the state), with a total compensation package of 25.87% over five years, an average of 5.17% a year.  All other classifications receive a total compensation package of 16.76% over the term of this agreement, with an average annual wage increase of 3.35% a year.

This Agreement represents the largest total package increase to this agreement ever bargained, and is the largest compensation package for construction agreements in the country.

Any classification that is paid at the same wage rate as a Journeyman Lineman or above will receive the following:

• June 1, 2022: Wages: 7.00%; NEAP: $0.35
• June 1, 2023: Wages: 4.50%; NEAP: $0.50; HRA: $0.10
• June 1, 2024: Wages: 4.25%; NEAP: $0.50; HRA: $0.10
• June 1, 2025: Wages: 3.00%; NEAP: $0.50; HRA: $0.10
• June 1, 2026: Wages: 3.00%; NEAP: $0.50; HRA: $0.10

This five-year agreement will bring the Journeyman Lineman rate to $74.43 an hour, NEAP to $14.33, and HRA to $1.40 an hour through the term of this agreement.  Apprentice rates will continue to adjust to the current step percentages of the journeyman lineman.

All other classifications will receive:

• June 1, 2022: Wages: 4.00%; NEAP: $0.35
• June 1, 2023: Wages: 3.50%; HRA:   $0.10
• June 1, 2024: Wages: 3.00%; HRA:  $0.10
• June 1, 2025: Wages: 2.25%; HRA:  $0.10
• June 1, 2026: Wages: 2.00%; HRA:  $0.10

In addition to the wage increases, the agreement also contains the following changes:

• Clean up and clarification language for 3.5 EPR reporting, 4.11 Lineco and HRA, 4.12 NEAP
• Modification to 4.1, adding additional 15-minute break periods at 4-hour increments after the initial 8 hours.
• 4(a) Change the two (2) hour notice to a six (6) hour notice before the scheduled workday.
• Renew several Letters of Understandings (LOU)
• Category 1 Substance Abuse Testing language. Tied to Safety Red Book violations and preventable incidents.
• Modify 6.21 to include the use of Safety Wallet track training from employer to employer
• Modify 3.9 addresses not returning PPE that was issued and ability to recover cost. (FR Clothing not included)
• Extend all the current addendums through the term of the agreement.
• Modify Article VI, Section 6.9(e) as follows: The parties to this Agreement encourage all Employers to employ at least 1 (one) Cal-Nevada JATC Line Apprentice on every crew when practical.

The parties agreed to meet, discuss and address three additional items at a future date — helicopter work and insurance policies with Lineco; a statewide traffic control agreement; and a pilot program for journeyman training.

IBEW 1245 general office staffers, along with two Local 1245 members (Teller Phillip Bump and Michael Raper) and two Local 47 members (Tellers Trevor Roberts and John Buchana) participated in the vote count on May 23 at Weakley Hall in Vacaville.

–Ralph Armstrong, IBEW 1245 Senior Assistant Business Manager