Support IBEW 213 @Support_IBEW213
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Category Archives: IBEW 213
IBEW 213 Plea for Public Support
October 23, 2013
This is IBEW 213, Locked Out FortisBC Electric’s story
On June 26 2013, FortisBC (electric) made the decision to Lock-Out 225 of their Employees. The past four months has been painful for our Members, approximately 33% of their annual income is gone, but for them it’s not about the money. It’s about the future, and their families. FortisBC has asked for many concessions and continue to add more during bargaining/mediation, making a resolution difficult. Some concessions will take time away from Members’ families and make child care arrangements virtually impossible. FortisBC won’t allow Employees to add Family Day to their list of Statutory Holidays, yet claim they are a family oriented and community minded Company. When a single father told them he couldn’t work the shift change due to child care complications, he was told FortisBC wouldn’t be the place for him. He had to find employment elsewhere. They also want employees to subsidize the corporation by traveling in their own vehicle, on their own time to remote report points.
During the Lock-Out Fortis Employees have experienced unimaginable devastation. Some of them have lost immediate family members. While they grieve the loss of their family member, they stress about their fiances. FortisBC won’t allow the Members to take their Holiday Pay, this would help alleivate some of the extra costs of the Funerals. These are just some of the silent burdens locked out employees are facing.
While our Members silently suffer, Managers often shout various messages at them – like, “you’re all replaceable!” Most employers struggle to attract skilled labour.
The Members Locked Out in the Kootenay’s don’t think about themselves and their own situation, they’ve turned their attention to the community. With winter and storm season fast approaching they worry about the power outages and how people will keep warm and safe. They’re volunteering their time to chop, load, and pile firewood. Local communities are suffering from sub-standard electrical service and significant economic struggles as employees do not have the spending power to continue to support businesses in their communities.
This is FortisBC’s Story:
Last year the company’s gross revenues were $293 million, with net earnings (profit) of $49 million.
FortisBC CEO has seen his pay increase 154% since 2006, to $1.36 million last year. BC Hydro CEO earns $500,000, almost three times less than FortisBC’s CEO. So, why would FortisBC CEO Lock Out his Employees? They claim it’s due to safety issues, but we know that’s not true – safety is paramount to IBEW 213.
FortisBC is applying to raise its rates by an additional 3.3% even though they are already nearly 20% above BCHydro rates.
In a recent report to the BC Utilities Commission FortisBC included an industry survey the utility itself conducted and found FortisBC workers are paid less than average, in some cases, far less than average.
A large portion of the FortisBC work force, Power Line Technicians make 10.4% less than the industry average; Crew Leaders 6.9% less, CP&C Technicians 3.2%, and Electricians 2.9% less.
Please help end this lockout by sending a complaint to the CEO John Walker about FortisBC’s treatment of its workers, its never-ending rate increases, and its’ extremely overpaid management. Please email: John.Walker@fortisbc.com – subject line “FortisBC Lock-out of IBEW 213” Or you can cut and paste the below message to send. These Members desperately need your support.
Dear John Walker,
CEO FortisBC
I am shocked and appalled by your treatment of Fortis employees. While you make millions and the company earns exorbitant profits, you leave your members out in the cold to suffer emotionally and financially. The Employees want the opportunity to be an active member of their family and community, but the concessions you demand won’t allow that.
Please go back to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair deal for all involved. This will allow your customers the service and support they deserve and pay for. Your dedicated employees deserve better.
Sincerely,
USW 480, Other Kootenay Unions Rally In Support of Locked Out FortisBC Workers On September 25, 2013—Video
Published on Sep 26, 2013 All Access 9346 visits Trail BC to join a USW 480 protest in support of locked out IBEW workers. Several hundred IBEW employees have been locked out by Fortis for several months.
Rally Today at FortisBC Office in Trail For Locked Out IBEW Workers at 4:30 pm
By Andrew Chernoff, West Kootenay Labour Council
Locked out IBEW Local 213 members at Fortis site in Warfield,supported by CUPE Local 2087-Trail Civic Sub-Local VP Joe Matteucci, and Andrew Chernoff, WKLC Executive member on July 27, 2013.
With contract negotiations at a stand still, a rally has been planned today at the FortisBC office in Trail at 4:30 pm in support of the Brothers and Sisters of IBEW Local 213 in an effort to get public support and get contract negotiations back on track.
Pam St. Thomas, West Kootenay Labour Council Member-At-Large for Nelson, and BCGEU 1209 Chair, is encouraging everyone to come out to the rally and support the locked out employees of FortisBC.
“Bodies and voices are necessary to show FortisBC that their members are not standing alone – they have support and that both sides need to return to the table.”
“If you are able to, please attend the rally and if you can’t attend the rally please stop by a FortisBC line in your area to drop off some water/coffee and speak with the members about what they are facing with their employer.”, St. Thomas added.
It’s week nine of the lockout , and over a week since mediated talks with Vince Ready broke down on August 21, and both sides are no nearer to establishing further contract talks.
“The locked out members of the IBEW need to know that they have the support of the house of labour and their fellow brothers and sisters in the union movement, as well as the support of the community in their struggle for a fair, transparent, good faith collective bargaining process”, Andrew Chernoff, WKLC Member-At-Large for Trail said.
According to the Nelson Daily last week, Joyce Wagenaar, Director of Communications at FortisBC said, “It became clear that there wasn’t a lot to work with if the union was willing to negotiate or explore solutions,”.
Rod Russell, IBEW Local 213 business manager, told the Nelson Daily, that he blamed the company for walking away, saying, “(FortisBC) keeps saying they want to bargain, but they don’t want to bargain,”.
“It makes no sense. I don’t think a mediator could make senses of it. The parties are so close and Fortis just tried to drive a ridiculous wedge . . ..” Russell added.
A new issue in negotiations last Wednesday, according to the Nelson Daily, was radius language, which Russell told the Nelson Daily, “We will never agree to radius language . . . we will never agree to two-tier deals”.
Russell was upset that FortisBC would bring something new into the negotiations that was not there prior to the mediation, telling the Nelson Daily, “…it’s bargaining in bad faith to try to throw this stuff on the table. Fortis had put a proposal for job description on the table but we have never seen this stuff from them during negotiations.”
With silence from both parties on future talks, and a future date in front of the Labour Relations Boards in September, dealing with issues of managers contravening the essential services order, it could be some time before another attempt at negotiations.
The 240 union members of IBEW Local 213 locked out on June 26 by FortisBC, will continue to walk the picket lines, without any sign of end to the lockout.
The lockout affects employees on the electrical side of the company working in generation, transmission, and distribution operations.
The two sides were bargaining since January when the existing collective agreement expired January 31.
During bargaining, FortisBC went directly to the employees with an offer that was rejected by 88 percent of the union membership.
The union offer calls for a three percent per year wage increase for three years, retroactive, a Family Day for employees and a leave provision with benefits for people who accept union positions.
The last labour dispute between employees and Fortis was in 2001 and lasted for four months.
Black and Farrell Visit COPE Members on IBEW Picket Lines
From: http://www.cope378.ca
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
When the driver of large semi truck blew his horn and waved in support as he rumbled by the picket line, COPE 378 and IBEW 213 members waved back and put their fists in the air before turning back to their visitors, President David Black and Vice President Gwenne Farrell.
“The support from the community has been really good,” said a young male IBEW member, with a hint of a sunburn from the bright sky showing on his cheekbones. “First off, it’s a lockout, they know we want to go back to work. Put that with Fortis’ recent [electricity] rate increase, they’re all pretty onside.”
FortisBC, the primary electric utility in the Kootenays and parts of B.C.’s interior, locked out approximately 200 workers of Local 213 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in June following the overwhelming rejection of the company’s final offer. IBEW 213 members said FortisBC’s efforts to control job descriptions have the potential to substantially de-skill their workforce, one of the major reasons they so decisively voted the offer down. The other issue is wages, but the company and the union were only one per cent per year apart. Instead of negotiating further, FortisBC locked the workers out.
The lockout affects 28 of COPE 378’s FortisBC members (COPE 378 also represents over 500 members at Fortis Energy, the gas arm of the utility, and around 300 members at the Fortis Customer Care Centre; none of those members are affected at this time). Those 28 members are respecting the IBEW picket line and refusing to cross. They are eager to get back to work–but only if there’s a deal.
“Of course we have to stand with them,” said an older male COPE member at one of the first stops made by Black and Farrell. “It’s the right thing to do and we also know our bargaining is coming up next. If Fortis gets away with treating Local 213 like this they’re coming after us next.”
Black and Farrell spent a day and a half criss crossing the FortisBC service area to meet and speak with members. They visited Castlegar and South Slocan, Creston and Warfield on Monday (but just missed the Warfield picket shift), then Oliver, Penticton and Kelowna on Tuesday. At each place they heard similar comments–strong support for the IBEW members, a desire to get back to work and concerns about their own bargaining coming up in February of 2014.
“These are good jobs here, in our communities,” said a female COPE 378 member in Oliver, when talking about the impact of the lockout. “Some of our coworkers are single parents or just single. There’s not always secondary income to rely on.” Picket pay is enough to cover basics but the locked out workers aren’t able to contribute to their local economies in the same way as before the dispute.
There is hope a resolution is around the corner. IBEW 213 is heading into mediation with the company this Thursday, which could lead to an end of the eight week long lockout. Meanwhile, COPE 378 members and leadership hope the lockout won’t prove to be a dry run for their own negotiations. But if it is difficult to reach a collective agreement COPE members know they will have the support of their union brothers and sisters from the IBEW.
Before Black and Farrell left the Kelowna Fortis picket line an IBEW member approached them. “I want you to know they’ve been great,” he said, gesturing to the COPE picketers. “These folks have been out here with us every day. I can’t tell you what that means.”
Andrew Phillip Chernoff 