STAFF REPORTS
June 2025
June was a month stacked with negotiations for me, sometimes four (4) out of five (5) days a week. We made a lot of progress on three (3) of them.
City of Ashland Electric ratified their contract unanimously. Year one (1) wages will be increased four percent (4%) for everyone and an additional four percent (4%) for Journeyman Line Installers at $63.69 starting July 1, 2025; year two (2) will be three percent (3%) for everyone and an additional one percent (1%) for Journeyman Line Installers at $66.26; year three (3) will be three percent (3%) for all positions with Journeyman Line Installers at $68.24. They also have the potential to get up to five percent (5%) increased for certifications. Moving forward any Line Installers hired will receive credit from when they became a Journeyman Line Installer/Lineman towards their vacation accrual up to ten (10) years max so they have the potential to start with four (4) weeks’ vacation. There was a clothing increase, HRA VEBA increase, deferred comp increase, Christmas Eve added as a paid holiday, three (3) additional personal days paid off, Customer Response Shift time on holiday increased, reimbursement for gym membership, additional certifications available for Ashland Fiber Network at two point five percent (2.5%) per certification, working out of class language, working through lunch language, and then general clean up on language throughout the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). We are close to voting for the City of Ashland Clerical & Technical agreement as well, details will have to wait until next month’s report. We have had multiple sessions and are going to be presenting it to the members.
Douglas Electric Co-op negotiations have been completed and we will be voting June 30, 2025. They will be voting on a four point five (4.5%) increase year one (1) Journeyman Lineman will be at $63.80; year two (2) and three (3) we will negotiate wages only. Also on the list is bereavement leave, which was previously unpaid, working through lunch language updated, meal eligibility guidelines for all hours of the day, ten (10) additional hours of PTO (Paid Time Off), an increase to boot and clothing allowance, an increase for retiree medical subsidy of an additional $200.00 a month, and general language clean up.
We continue to move forward with negotiations with Avangrid on their first CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). This has been very slow and the company seems to fight over every word. The group has remained very involved and helpful with the tasks this presents.
We will be getting ready for negotiations with Surprise Valley Electric Co-op and Coos Curry Electric Co-op in the near future.
On another note, thank you to everyone that attended our LU659 picnic and thank you to all the help to make this year a good one! If you haven’t gone to one, you’re missing out on raffle prizes, good food and drinks, and good people.
Stay safe!
Mike Meek
mikemeek@ibew659.org
458-220-6779
Good afternoon, brothers and sisters,
This month was a whirlwind so let’s get into it.
The surveys came in and we had an amazing turnout; 60.8% of members currently working in our Local submitted a survey. I want to say a big thank you for that. In addition, I ask that you encourage your fellow brothers and sisters to attend the Medford, Klamath Falls, or Roseburg meetings. If anything comes up during negotiations, we can discuss it after the unit meetings. High participation rates do get noticed by the contractors.
The Negotiations Committee will consist of the following members: Alberto Aispuro, Brian Smith, Matt Hein, and Justen Nielsen. Thank you to these brothers for stepping up this year! Our first committee meeting will be held on July 2, 2025 to review the survey results with more meetings to follow.
As for work, things are starting to pick up, five calls were filled this month. PEC hired two (2) Journeymen Wiremen locally and one (1) more in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Infinity picked up a Journeyman Wireman in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and Welburn also hired a Foreman. We’re also seeing progress on the Water Operations Center so I expect a few calls to come in next month for that project with Reese.
I attended Brother Kief Noble’s funeral, and it was beautiful. I saw many brothers there in support of a great man. He will be dearly missed.
I’ve been working closely with Matt Holte down at the Training Center as some of the pre-apprenticeship programs wrap up. We also held another round of Apprentice interviews this month, which is a good sign given the amount of upcoming work.
Lastly, thank you to all the members who helped out at the picnic this month. Setup and takedown were quick thanks to your efforts, and despite the rain, the turnout was still great!
Thank you all,
Johnny Walker
johnny@ibew659.org
541-601-0843
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
This month has been a bit different, as I recently underwent reconstructive foot surgery and have not had the ability to travel or conduct site visits. I sincerely appreciate your continued patience and support as I focus on healing and recovery.
Central Lincoln Updates: Central Lincoln brought forward some proposed language related to bidding and applying for jobs when not on the JQC list. However, the current language has potential loopholes and could be open to misinterpretation. We are working to clarify this and ensure fair and transparent processes moving forward.
It was also brought to my attention that Spanish-speaking members are using their personal phones to provide translation assistance and that there is a belief that bilingual workers should receive additional compensation for these services. I have raised this issue with management and we are working to include this topic in upcoming Labor Management Committee (LMC) discussions.
If you are a member from Central Lincoln and have concerns or topics you'd like addressed in the next LMC, please bring them to me directly so I can ensure they’re added to the agenda.
City of Canyonville: There was an OSHA citation issued due to improper mask fitting while using chemicals and a lack of an established policy around it. We are monitoring the situation to ensure corrective actions are taken and that members remain safe.
Leadership Updates: Please join me in welcoming Dayna Capron as the newly appointed Shop Steward for Central Lincoln. Congratulations, Dayna!
Looking Ahead– Contracts: Several contracts are set to open at the end of this year or the beginning of next. It’s never too early to start thinking about proposals and priorities. If you have ideas or suggestions, please share them with me. I’m happy to begin researching comparables to support upcoming negotiations.
Again, thank you to everyone for your patience, support, and grace during my recovery. I remain committed to serving you and advocating for your needs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, or ideas at any time.
In solidarity,
Terra Clevenger
terra@ibew659.org
458-220-6416
Pacific Northwest Linemen Rodeo
- Date is July 26, 2025
- Registration is live
- Contact the Hall or myself for apparel or raffle tickets, sweatshirts are $60.00, raffle tickets are $5.00 each. If you want something particular, please contact me and I can pick it up at my next Rodeo Committee meeting and bring it back to you.
Consumers Power JATC Program
- I asked Labor Relations to extend grievance timelines to wait for the BOLI report regarding their JATC Program. I see a lot of discrepancies in the way they are utilizing their JATC but until the governing body, BOLI, releases their official report, we are in a holding pattern.
Rubber Gloving Incident
- Christenson Electric had a Line Crew Foreman partake in single man rubber gloving cutting in a set of flying bells to deenergize a tap line. He’s been terminated. Currently, the Foreman & the General Foreman have lost their Apprentice training privileges till the cite meeting at the beginning of July. Christenson is cooperating with my requests for weekly crew safety visits and to include me in them for the next sixty (60) days. The company was taken quite off guard by all of this occurring and in my opinion have taken appropriate actions and been good to work with.
Work Picture
- Work is slow, waiting on job bids to be completed by subcontractors under 1884 in southern Oregon and northern California.
Letter of Agreement for URD Dirt Work
- We’ve put significant wage and benefit decreases on some particular work that is being dominated by non- Union contractors in order for us to compete on these specific utility properties: Blachly-Lane, Emerald PUD, Lane Electric, EWEB, Central Lincoln PUD, & Springfield Utility Board. If you turn down these calls, we won’t be putting strikes against you as it’s a significant wage and benefits decrease. This is a trial run to get IBEW contractors and Union members into these utilities doing this work to deliver a better professional product and show we can do it better. Please note that this work is only for non-prevailing wage bids on these specific properties. If you’d like more information about this Letter of Agreement between LU659 and NW NECA, please reach out to me.
Procedures to become a URD Operator or Line Equipment Operator
- These procedures have changed effective July 1, 2025, if you need new copies to move forward with, let myself, the Hall, or a Shop Steward know. We will be keeping these forms with the unit meeting binders for a while as well.
- Reasons for these changes- I’ve had to deal with numerous dig-in incidents since I’ve started in this role, one of the biggest eye openers for me was people didn’t know how close they could dig to paint on the ground. URD Operator classifications are now required to go through an Oregon 811 class. Line Equipment Operators I’ve added a crane cert requirement.My intention for this is to force members to get training on rigging and operating to help make them more qualified and hirable in the trade.
NW Line Apprentice reports will be going fully online beginning in August. We have instructions posted at the Hall and in the unit meeting binders on how to get signed up for this. If you run into issues, please contact NW Line JATC for assistance. This is the last JATC to finally go digital for these reports. There’s been endless issues with crumpled up reports, drink & food stains on them, and the list goes on and on. I don’t want to release any false information but I would imagine if crews continually refuse to do reports for the Apprentices you may end up in situations where you are called in front the JATC committee to explain yourself. I want to make sure everyone still recognizes the partnership between the IBEW, NECA, and NW Line. The apprenticeship committee continually counts on these reports for issues that may arise during some one’s apprenticeship. We can only make decisions based off these reports as a committee.
Thank you for your continued support,
Logan Fry
logan@ibew659.org
458-274-7195
Brothers and Sisters,
June was another good month for the LCTT group! The Executive Board approved a couple of changes to the Journeyman Challenge Test:
- A Spanish version will soon be available for those that speak little to no English.
- And it will no longer be just a paper test. There will also be a skills-based assessment at NW Line JATC where the applicant will be tested on their ability to setup and fly the bucket, their climbing skills, and other competencies that align with those of NW Line JATC.
I feel that this skills-based assessment will help us ensure that applicants can actually perform their job duties safely and are up to our standards when they transfer over from other Locals. It will help us build a better Journeyman LCTT and also show some where they could use improvement.
I attended my quarterly LCTT Apprenticeship Committee meeting this month and would like to mention a few things:
- Apprentices- Your monthly progress reports (MPR’s) are important and must be submitted on time! Late or missing MPR’s will get you cited and that is the last place that I want to see any of you!
- There were four (4) Apprentices dropped at this meeting. Two for drivers license related issues and two (2) for performance related issues. So, keep this in mind, and strive to be the best that you can be at your job and in life so I don’t see you at the next meeting!
- I also want to talk about the importance of peer-to-peer safety. There was a recent incident where a 2nd step Apprentice fell forty (40) feet out of a tree and suffered a broken pelvis, multiple fractured vertebrae, and received lacerations on his leg, lip, and chin.A simple peer check is a great way to potentially prevent accidents/incidents. A lot of the things that we do in the trades are repetitive so it is easy to sometimes get complacent. It never hurts to have another crew member look at your gear, double check a knot, re-discuss the plan, etc. It is just a good habit to get into to help ensure that everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.
I haven’t gotten an official response in writing from the Labor Relations team at Asplundh yet regarding the February storm pay grievance. However, I did speak with them and they hinted around that it would be paid. I was told that they are calculating what the affected employees are owed and hope to be finished with that soon. That, to me, sounds like they are finally going to pay you guys the money that you are owed.
I would like to thank everyone that showed up to the IBEW Picnic! The weather wasn’t the greatest but it was a good day with a fairly decent turnout. I am looking forward to the Shop Steward Training in August and getting to see some of you there.
That is all that I have for now. As always, if you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out to me or any of the Stewards in your area.
Just a reminder, with the warmer weather upon us, make sure you wear appropriate clothing for the weather and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
In Solidarity,
Cody Stafford
cody@ibew659.org
458-274-7218
LU659 Brothers and Sisters,
Below are some highlights for June:
- IBEW LU659 Organizing Blitz is quickly approaching.Please come help us make this successful during the evenings 4:30-8pm of July 8-9, 2025 at Crater Lake Electrical JATC 4864 Airway Dr Central Point, OR 97502.
- Supervisor Test Prep- Class is coming up soon.We only have three (3) spots available for the class July 14-26, 2025. Follow our link at ibew659.org and click on Enroll Today to fill out the online for or go to
https://oregonelectrictestprep.com/product/local-659-electric-test-prep/. Find the special note for IBEW LU659 members discount code then drop off your $200.00 refundable deposit after course completion to LU659 office to secure your spot.
- $200.00 Contractor Coupon- Reminder, the Contractor Coupon is in full swing.It’s on our website and funded by partnering IBEW LU659 and NECA (Oregon Pacific Cascade Chapter) LMCC funds.We can offer this for a LIMITED-TIME while funds last.We are offering: $200.00 IN FREE ELECTRICAL WORK on our website to the first fifty (50) people that take advantage of this offer just by filling out the form on our website and following the instructions. We hope that this test run will show success in the program and we can continue to fund this and grow the relationships with our contractors and the public.
- LU1547 Blitz- Participated in the LU1547 Blitz, home of our very own 9th District IVP Dave Reeves. We knocked on 485 doors over three (3) evenings giving them the opportunity to fill those much-needed open calls.
- LU76 Blitz- More information on number of doors hit etc. at time of report, once event takes place.
- Northwest Organizers Meeting- More information to follow once event happens.
- IBEW LU659 Picnic- Was a success thanks to all the members that showed up on a rainy Euguene, Oregon day.
- The ARC (Apprentice Reimbursement Challenge) incentive is still available for the Inside Wireman, Powerline Clearance Tree Trimming, and Outside Line apprenticeship groups. So far, we have a small portion of people signed up for this so the likelihood of receiving this is high. This program offers an opportunity for tuition reimbursement in 2025. If you're interested in participating or signing up, please submit the form via email or reach out for more details.
- RENEW Committee- The RENEW Committee is actively seeking new participants. To encourage broader involvement, Zoom links will be sent out before each meeting via the text thread. If you would like to be added to the RENEW Committee’s text group, please contact me by email or phone.
In solidarity,
Ryan Smith
Membership Development Representative
ryan@ibew659.org
541-326-9185
