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BARGAINING UPDATE

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN IBEW LOCAL 2304 AND MG&E

June 12, 2006

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

The Union and the Company entered into contract negotiations with WERC mediator, Bill Houlihan.  The parties met across the table to discuss the key and outstanding issues.  Separately, the Union and the Company then met with the mediator to develop comprehensive “packages”.  The Union received, via the mediator, a package from MGE which we responded to and the Company, late in the afternoon, responded back.  The mediator shuffled back and forth between the rooms looking for points of agreement.  While the parties appeared to address many of the outstanding issues, the most contentious issues remain: wages and pension.  Since there is no overall agreement many issues that are either in or out of these packages at this time are not finalized – they are part of an effort to put an agreement together which the membership would be willing to ratify (at least that’s the effort on the Union ’s part). 

The parties will meet again next Monday and we have Tuesday scheduled if that becomes necessary.  The current Labor Agreement was extended until midnight Tuesday, June 20, 2006. 

The Employer remains committed to a defined contribution plan in the form of a 401(k) plan for new hires to which the Employer contributes 6% of payroll.  By comparison outside line construction workers receive 25% contributions and line clearance tree trimmers receive 12.5% to their pension funds – they each also receive an additional 3% contribution to the IBEW International’s pension plan.   Defined Benefit pension plans like ours are under attack across the country and MGE has decided to jump on the corporate and anti-worker politician’s bandwagon.   It will take all of us, united, to protect our collective future.  We will know more next Monday about what kind of company MGE intends to be – one committed to a future, stable labor force or a revolving-door abandonment of our community. 

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Last modified: December 17, 2008