October 2025

Greetings,

            Fall is upon and cooler weather finally in the forecast.  1884 is going through a ramp up again for work in California.  Calls expected to last into November before it slows again going into winter months.  Set up semi-annual or as needed meetings with Tom Eide to discuss things in LU659 and his help in getting grievances resolved quicker with unrepresented management staff change over.  Received clarification from Tom in these meetings that a lot of the questions being asked about jobs and what is done/changed on jobs so the company can hit budget in expense vs. capitol budgets.  Not charging whole crews to disconnect and reconnects on way to other jobs, working with GF’s to identify jobs that can be billed to capitol vs expense.  My hope in these conversations is to have managers communicate this to crews so it is not perceived as targeting but opportunity to rebill jobs.  Also educating new Service Coordinators on triggers for where to be billed and reminding Estimators and others that if customer requests things outside of standard 8-4:30 hours that it be billed to customer which also moves it from expense to capitol.  My goal with this is to show him with proper communication members/employees can help hit budgets and continue to bring up Lineman spot raise that was promised and not delivered.

Pacific Power Updates

• Grievance regarding use of FireDawg and new company fire personnel staff, had third step meeting with Jeff Anderson, Chris Canty, Tom Eide, and Shana Shepherd. Feels like progress was made and pending their formal response to hopefully close out this grievance as well as two (2) others filed under similar conditions.
• Grievance regarding Fiber work on Poles.Company also attempted to present resolution for work moving forward but failed to address the current problem and past practice. Rejected that and waiting company response for third step meeting.
• Grievance regarding termination due to driving policy and LCA, advances to third step immediately. Held third step meeting and awaiting on company response.
• Grievance regarding District Lineman (DL)and Standby pay/opportunity within own district. Company put Sub-Ops resources on standby but did not afford the same to DL. Provided company information and documentation to our point and awaiting response.
• Discussion not yet at grievance regarding DL being incented or use Standby when covering adjacent district for long periods of time due to vacant positions or people out on disability.
• Company wanting to move to weekly pay in 2026 working on draft MOU (Memo of Understanding) per new contract language but company has now responded and removed language that allowed to revert back. This will go into effect December 26, 2025 payroll for new year.
• Working on FAQ/guidance when employees utilize STD/LTD with contact emails and numbers to aid employees/members in filing.
• Working with member out of Klamath Falls, Oregon to above point where company overpaid STD benefits in order to pay for employee deductions that resulted in steep overpayment and six (6) pay periods to payback $14,000+. Was able to resolve without grievance for payment plan member could afford but filing grievance for historical record to correct problems if they continue in future for others.
• Discussions with company on complaints received from members about disability department not responding timely and delays in claim processing time.
• Site Agent Upgrade Backpay from 2021 to current: recently identified an oversite from 2021 where a 3% spot raise was not applied to this classification from 2021 until identified in early 2025. Was corrected from that point forward but working through the numbers myself and with the company for all identified as using that upgrade that are owed. Company is calculating back wages and benefits owed currently.
• Filed second step for District Lineman working through lunch and receiving documented verbal for not asking permission. Pointed out to company that new language was “should” not “shall” which makes it permissive and goes back to they should ask permission but the only discipline would be not being paid double time since it was not approved.
• Grievance regarding company not convening APM committee for 2024 and 2025 and postponing meeting as they don’t believe they have enough company reps to match Union reps from LU659, LU125 and LU197 (eleven (11) needed I believe).
• Discussion with company regarding utilizing Apprentice Linemen in Groundman/Flagger capacity for after hours call outs and that it should not violate Apprentice ratios if they are not being used in that capacity only for after-hours call outs.
• Discussion with company regarding bargaining unit training positions with draft proposal of duties and availability to still work as Lineman in the field. Early conversations discussing in concept nothing formal moving forward yet.

IBEW LU659 Office/General

• Several of our Admin Assistants have been dealing with their own or family members’ illnesses and we have intermittent times with fewer Admins in the office than normal.
• Working with Pacific Power and our Inside Training Center to see if there will be a path forward to continue our electrical pre-apprenticeship programs.
• Trust and Will benefit is active for all members and retirees to have a Will created at no cost and Trust created for $300.00. This opportunity goes until July of 2026.
• Mental health and suicide awareness has been a rapidly growing and important topic with a single Rep in our office speaking with nine (9) people in eighteen (18) months.
• Emergency Summit with IBEW and NECA regarding Mental Health and Suicide to educate staff on how to handle and providing resources to members.

Nick Carpenter

nick@ibew659.org

541-227-9736