STAFF REPORTS

September 2025

Brothers and Sisters,

            We began the month with our Unit Conference and Shop Steward Training.  It was a productive session and I want to thank all of the Shop Stewards who participated.  Your commitment and engagement make a real difference on the job and at the bargaining table.

Negotiations

• Avangrid First Contract: We met with the company multiple times this month.  Current topics include management rights, subcontracting, training meetings, and work shift schedules.  Progress continues to be slow but we remain focused and persistent in securing fair and balanced contract language.
• Coos Curry Co-op and Surprise Valley Electric Co-op: Preparation is underway for upcoming negotiations.  I have been meeting with members, gathering input, and collecting comparable data to ensure we are well-prepared to represent your interests.

Looking Ahead

            As we move into the next month, negotiations will remain our top priority.  Member involvement is key; the more engaged we are collectively, the stronger we are at the table.

            Thank you all for your continued solidarity and support.

In Solidarity,

Mike Meek

mikemeek@ibew659.org

458-220-6779

SUB- At SUB, we have been meeting to prepare for negotiations.  It seems medical, retirement, and longevity are the major concerns.  We plan on continuing to meet to refine the list.  We are optimistic of getting 100% medical next contract.

Lane- Since the new GM took over, things have been going fantastic.  He and I meet regularly for lunch and they keep the Union in the loop on everything.  They continue to get rid of bad policies and improving the Utility as a whole.  We will be meeting in September to look at the utility’s proposal for converting sick time to PTO.

EWEB- Things at EWEB are still very touchy.  I have been able to set up a regular meeting with HR on Fridays.  It’s good that we are talking but I hope we can get to a place where we can move forward with addressing the concerns.  I have been collecting statements from employees about their experiences.  The things I have heard have painted a far worse picture then I thought we had.

            I do want to make clear, your team has been meeting regularly.  We have a plan that we believe will work but we also have left ourselves the ability to adapt.  We will win this.

Carestream- We have been meeting regularly for negotiations.  We have started into wages.  We asked for a 24.5% increase.  The other side was shocked, but I believe the Union was able to rationalize the ask.  We hope to be receiving a counter soon.

            OSMOSE, Henkels Teledata, NECA Teledata have nothing to report.

Tom Hutton

tom@ibew659.org

541-601-0844

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,

            August has been our busiest month of the year so far, so let’s get into it.

            We’ve had multiple calls come in this month, with quite a few still open as I write this.  PEC (Pacific Electrical Contractors) has calls for the WinCo in Klamath Falls, Oregon, Camp Creek has multiple calls for a 5-10 mill project in White City, and Power City Electric is still looking for people up in Gilchrist.  There’s plenty of work available, so if you know any unorganized Journeymen looking for work, please point them our way.

            We also held our Shop Steward conference this month and I feel it was another great success.  Many new and returning Shop Stewards attended and it was great to see the interaction among Stewards from different groups.  One of my favorite takeaways from this year’s conference was hearing the stories and grievances shared by members from our jurisdiction, which really highlighted the variety of issues we face locally.

            I’ve spent most of this month preparing for negotiations with our committee.  We’ve gathered all the proposals, drafted them, and are ready for our first negotiation session on September 3, 2025.  This is a full opener to our contract so we’ll be addressing both wages and language changes.  If you have questions as we go through this process, please reach out to me or one of your committee members, or better yet, come to the Medford, Klamath Falls, or Roseburg unit meetings and talk to me in person.  We have a lot to tackle this year so it may take some time before we’re ready for a vote.  Please get involved, show up to the unit meetings, and have these conversations with us.

            Lastly, a few of our staff, including myself, attended the Membership Development Conference.  This educational event provided ideas not only on organizing new members but also on strengthening engagement with our current membership.  There were many great ideas shared, and we’ll be exploring several of them to bring to LU659.  The main message remains the same: This is your Union and what you put into it is what you’ll get out of it.  Get involved, share your ideas for improvement, and together we can ensure that LU659 doesn’t just survive but thrives in ways we can only imagine.

Thanks,

Johnny Walker

johnny@ibew659.org

541-601-0843

This month has been full, and I want to share some of the key highlights of the work we’ve been doing together:

• Dispatch Coverage– I stepped in to help cover dispatch to make sure our operations stayed on track.  It was a busy stretch but it showed how we can come together to keep things moving.
• Avista Partnership– I worked directly with Avista on an issue where a job was on the line.  Through communication and persistence, we were able to make sure that job was saved; a win for our members and a reminder of why this work matters.
• Central Lincoln LMC Training– I attended Labor Management Committee training with Central Lincoln.  It was a valuable experience focused on building stronger relationships, improving communication, and creating solutions that serve both our members and the work we do.

Closing Thoughts:

            Each of these pieces, whether it’s filling in where needed, protecting jobs, or building skills through training reflects what we stand for.  I am deeply honored to serve our members and I take pride in knowing the work we do together makes a real difference.

Terra Clevenger

terra@ibew659.org

458-220-6416

Consumers Power

• I continue to meet with Consumers Power regarding the Apprenticeship. More news to come shortly. After looking at all the qualifications for the two (2) Apprentices, they meet our qualifications from previous employers to take the Journeyman Lineman test and are scheduled for October. Looking at the issue as a whole, speaking with the members of Consumers Power, the intention for this was to bring non-Union Linemen into their workforce with a method to “vet” them before giving them an IBEW ticket. It had its flaws and we are working through the issues together and figuring out ways to move forward.

Work is picking up

• , Wilson, Cache Valley, Riveline, Diversified, and VPI have all sent prejobs to me for Northern California and Cave Junction, Oregon area.  We are expecting more and more calls for Linemen, Operators, and Groundmen in the next week or two.  There have been some material delays for some contractors but they are working through that and will hopefully be started soon.
• The referral system’s intent is to keep a fair and unbiased order for people on the “Out of Work Books” and is also a contractual obligation to the IBEW/ NECA partnership. This ensures every member has an equal opportunity for work based on their position on the books. Certifications are meant to serve purposes for the work to be done on the job. Unless a contractor can prove to the Hall certain certifications are required by the customer via documentation most of these job requests will be considered invalid. If you would like more information on this topic please reach out to the Hall and get my cell phone number.

Procedures to become a Line Equipment Operator or URD Operator

• We have updated our policies for LU659 members to become Line Equipment Operators or URD Operators, please reach out to the Hall or the Rep for the new forms.

Apprenticeship

Reminder that NW Line is going fully electronic for reporting as of August 2025.  I encourage you all to give back to the Apprenticeship and continue to fill out reports to the best you can.  Please reach out to NW Line to update your personal email.  Also note that contractors will be able to see these reports moving forward so filling them out professionally is going to be important.

Pacific Northwest Lineman Rodeo

The rodeo in July was a huge success.  We don’t have an exact number on how much was raised yet, although the committee chair feels that in the next few years we’re going to successfully donate a $100,000.00 to the burn center.

Logan Fry

logan@ibew659.org

458-274-7195

Brothers and Sisters,

            August was another good month in certain aspects, and not so good in others.  We had a great turnout for the annual Shop Steward training.  It was great to see all the current and potential Stewards.  Emails will soon be sent for Steward appointments, and upon approval I will contact those that they apply to.

Storm pay grievance update:

Asplundh management reached out to me and let me know they will be paying the employees for this.  Originally everyone was supposed to have it in the middle of the month.  After receiving calls from members stating they hadn’t received it yet, I reached out to management to find out what the issue was.  I was told that they ran into some accounting issues in the payroll department that they were trying to get figured out.  Management apologized and said they really want to get this paid because it has been way too long.  I am coordinating with them to set up a meeting sometime next week so we can discuss what is going on and hopefully figure out a solution.  Trees LLC has a list of employees that were affected and informed me they are working on figuring out what everyone is owed.

            As some of you may already know, there were some layoffs at the end of the month with Wright Tree in Crescent City, California, Roseburg, Oregon and the Albany, Oregon area.  There were roughly thirty (30) employees that were affected by the layoff.  Hopefully we can get these guys on the books and get them back to work soon.  There may also be options at LU125 or LU77 until things pick back up here.  If you guys have any questions reach out to me and I may be able to provide contact information.

            As always, I hope you guys stay safe and I encourage you to reach out to me with any issues or concerns you may have!

In Solidarity,

Cody Stafford

cody@ibew659.org

458-274-7218

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters,

            I’m here to give you an overview of our organizing work for 2024; what we accomplished, what we learned, and what still lies ahead.

            Organizing is the lifeblood of any strong Union.  It’s how we protect our trade, strengthen our agreements, and expand opportunities for working people across our jurisdiction.  This year brought its share of economic and political challenges but it has also been a year of real progress, growth, and momentum; momentum we’ll carry forward into the future.

            We started strong with a three (3) day partnering program with Richard Barnes, made possible through NLMCC grant funding I was able to secure.  This program set the tone for the year bringing the Inside contractors and labor together, strengthening relationships, and making sure we’re all pulling in the same direction.

            Thanks to the support of our Executive Board, we launched two (2) new programs; our Small Contractor Development Program and our Job Targeting Program, both designed to grow market share and put more of our members to work.  We hope this will show our members this need for a market recovery tool to gain back the parts of the market we have lost over the years.  We also completed COMET Train-the-Trainer ensuring we can keep bringing this critical organizing education back home to our members.  Allowing Johnny, Logan, and myself the knowledge needed to educate Apprentices with multiple Code of Excellence and COMET trainings to reinforce the standards and values that set us apart.

            Our monthly Blitzes with Northwest Organizers were a big success.  Together, we knocked on over 3,000 doors and over 400 of those were Member to Future Members in our own jurisdiction.  That’s a lot of conversations, a lot of relationship-building, and a lot of momentum toward stronger organizing.  I strongly encourage all brothers and sisters to join us on any of these events.

            We also further expanded the ARC (Apprentice Reimbursement Challenge) to now include not just the Inside electrical but Powerline Clearance Tree Trimming and Outside Line Apprentices.  This helped us see more members getting involved in organizing and outreach.

            After more than a year of planning and relationship building, we were able to partner with other IBEW Locals and SMART (Sheet metal workers Union) to secure grant funding for school districts and get PLA (Project Labor Agreement) language written into six (6) school projects in our jurisdiction.  That’s going to mean good, Union jobs for our members for years to come.

            Across the 9th District, we’ve seen steady growth even with slowdowns.  We’re now at over 820,000 members, moving closer to the International Office’s goal of 1 million strong.  Locally, we’ve run five (5) NLRB elections and signed over ten (10) contractors between the Inside and Outside Construction this year and made significant gains with the help of everyone in this room.

            And I’m proud to say that at the 2024 International Membership Development Conference, our work was recognized; we received the Organizing Impact Award.  That’s not just my award or the organizing team’s award, that’s a recognition of what all of us, together, have built.

            Looking ahead, we know there’s more to do but if this past year is any indication, we’re moving in the right direction.  Every door we knock, every conversation we have, and every campaign we win makes us stronger.  It’s about momentum, not magic.  And I believe the momentum will continue building here in LU659.  With your help, your voice, and your action we’ll continue to raise the standard, grow the Union, and bring more workers into the IBEW LU659 family.

            Thank you for the work you do and thank you for helping to build the future of this Union one (1) jobsite, one (1)contractor, one(1) worker at a time keeps the organizing storm brewing.

Ryan Smith

Membership Development Coordinator

ryan@ibew659.org

541-326-9185