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To start with, thank you all for your hard work and patience throughout everything we have all faced these last couple years. It has been a trying time with Covid and not being able to have regular Union meetings. You have all persevered and been a key factor in our ability to get our relationship with the Company back on track. This is instrumental in being able to advocate for you in negotiations and maintaining and striving for a better workplace environment. That was clear when we met with the Company on May 2 and exchanged proposals. They took our proposals away and are meeting in their larger group with the Trustees to discuss some time in May, and we set dates to meet again in the beginning of June. It was very amicable and the feeling we got from that room was a positive one. We have worked hard to have this working relationship, but it wouldn’t be there if they didn’t appreciate the value you all bring to the organization for your work and professionalism. I know there are still outstanding issues that you have brought up, and it shouldn’t warrant Bargaining discussions to fix CBA understandings, but I think that is where they will be sorted as we have everyone in the same room. We met with you and went through all our proposals before we went into Bargaining. Thank you for the added information and insight. We settled with 424 for 1%, 1%, 3% and 2.5% for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. We are looking for equal or better numbers for this Unit but have proposed higher.

We have had some meetings over Zoom and receive emails and calls from some of you regularly. While this is great, we would still like to set up more regular meetings and need to figure out what would be best for everyone. We will all together have to decide what is best, whether we have meetings at your workplace at the end of the day, meetings at the 1007 Hall, or virtually. Once we have settled Bargaining, I think we can sit down as a group and decide what is best for all.

This is just a little info for this Unit but will be adding news of interest once we get the kinks ironed out on this new website. By the time this is up and running you may very well already have more Bargaining updates.

A lot has gone on here in the last year and a half since I took office. We are very successful in what we do. We are very effective in advocating for our Members and we do good work. I am glad that I am here, and you all had faith in me. It is my privilege to work for you through these most difficult times. As always, please call or email with your concerns.

 

Thank you,

Steve Southwood
Business Manager, IBEW 1007

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