This past week, the New Brunswick government finally put an end to the speculation that had been raging for a week, and announced that they had reached a Memo of Understanding (MOU) with the Province of Quebec. If completed, the deal would see NB Power purchased by Hydro Quebec (HQ) with NB Power subsequently run as a stand-alone subsidiary of Hydro Quebec. Disturbingly, the deal also announces the intention to phase out Dalhousie Generating Station next year when their current fuel supply contract expires, and it also suggests that the other fossil fueled plants -- Coleson Cove and Belledune, may eventually be phased out as well. This news has had a devastating effect on our NB Power Generation members, particularly those working in Dalhousie, a town that has been hit hard by job losses in recent years.
My plan is to remain calm and focused on the job of representing our members and their interests. It's important to keep in mind that this is a MOU only, and the proposed deal may not go through - there are a lot of things that could scuttle it. Having said that, it's important that we are prepared for all possibilities - we need to cover the bases and make sure we are properly prepared no matter what the outcome.
To that end, our initial action of writing immediately to the Premier as soon as we heard rumours has paid off. If a sale does occur, we have already obtained commitments that 1.) protect the pension plan, 2.) offers employment to all current workers with recognition of their service, 3.) binds the new entity to our existing collective agreements and 4.) also maintains the bargaining rights of the IBEW members.
These initial commitments are huge for the union and its members (there are no protections in those areas for us within the Public Service Labour Relations Act) and they allow us to approach this from a level starting point, instead of having to dig ourselves out of a hole. I don’t think we would have had these commitments if we hadn’t taken immediate action as soon as we heard that a deal might be in the works.
In addition to the above, we have also engaged one of the best labour law firms in Atlantic Canada to work on our behalf as discussions on this move forward. In addition, I am also trying to arrange a high level meeting with Hydro Quebec (I have already spoken briefly with their CEO) in order to seek commitments from them in advance of a potential sale and to look at other options for our fossil fueled generating stations. This is just prudent insurance, in case a deal does go through.
I've also had discussions with senior management of NB Power concerning ways to minimize the impact to the workforce if a station closure does occur. They have committed that they will seek to introduce early retirement, voluntary separation and redeployment programs if it does become necessary to reduce staff.
All of the above actions are just some of the initial steps we've taken. We've got a lot of hard work ahead of us and we'll be keeping members up to date as this situation evolves through updates on this website.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dealing with the unknown
Rumours that Hydro Quebec may purchase NB Power are startling words for all New Brunswickers, and especially for the 2200 NB Power employees represented by IBEW Local 37. Even more startling is when the rumours and speculation aren’t confirmed or denied.
I want you to know that as Business Manager, I have made it my mission to find out what’s going on and to keep our members informed with the best available information. Although there isn’t a lot of concrete information out there, there’s no denying that things are getting serious and that we can expect a significant change.
Yet, amidst all of the confusion I can confirm this: IBEW Local 37 is dedicated to ensuring the needs of its members are protected.
We haven’t been sitting idle while everything unfolds. From the moment the rumour mills started buzzing, our office started taking steps to find out as much as we can, as quickly as possible. Every effort is being made to influence decision makers, get answers, speak with the media and determine what the possible effects will be if something does happen. We need to be at the table so that as things move forward, we can have the necessary input on the concerns we have, concerns such as the continued employment of our members, their pensions and benefits, their terms and conditions of employment, and the implications that change will have on this province and its people.
But our focus isn’t stopping at our 2200 members employed at NB Power. This is also about their families and the communities in which they live. I’m also concerned about what the level of service we provide to New Brunswickers will be down the road. Most New Brunswickers can identify with what happened over time when NBTel became Aliant. Yes, we have phone service and support today, but are they at the same levels as they were 15 years ago? The simple fact is that whatever decision is made has to be in the best interest of the province not just two years from now, but also 30 years from now.
Next step - I will be meeting with the Premier this week and you can be guaranteed that the voices of 2200 Local 37 members will be heard. Stay tuned.
I want you to know that as Business Manager, I have made it my mission to find out what’s going on and to keep our members informed with the best available information. Although there isn’t a lot of concrete information out there, there’s no denying that things are getting serious and that we can expect a significant change.
Yet, amidst all of the confusion I can confirm this: IBEW Local 37 is dedicated to ensuring the needs of its members are protected.
We haven’t been sitting idle while everything unfolds. From the moment the rumour mills started buzzing, our office started taking steps to find out as much as we can, as quickly as possible. Every effort is being made to influence decision makers, get answers, speak with the media and determine what the possible effects will be if something does happen. We need to be at the table so that as things move forward, we can have the necessary input on the concerns we have, concerns such as the continued employment of our members, their pensions and benefits, their terms and conditions of employment, and the implications that change will have on this province and its people.
But our focus isn’t stopping at our 2200 members employed at NB Power. This is also about their families and the communities in which they live. I’m also concerned about what the level of service we provide to New Brunswickers will be down the road. Most New Brunswickers can identify with what happened over time when NBTel became Aliant. Yes, we have phone service and support today, but are they at the same levels as they were 15 years ago? The simple fact is that whatever decision is made has to be in the best interest of the province not just two years from now, but also 30 years from now.
Next step - I will be meeting with the Premier this week and you can be guaranteed that the voices of 2200 Local 37 members will be heard. Stay tuned.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Globe and Mail features an indepth look at pensions this week.
As all of you will know, the recent economic and investment market downturn has lead to a negative impact on pension plan investments as well as personal savings. It raises concerns as to whether or not today’s workers will have sufficient resources for a secure retirement. I think it is important that we all stay informed about this subject, and you may want to check out the Globe and Mail's week-long feature "Retirement Lost" which started on Saturday October 17th. As the series unfolds, it will include many detailed stories and articles about various issues related to pensions and retirement.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Grand Lake Generating Station and its impending closure
Earlier this week, NB Power announced that the Grand lake Generating Station (GLGS) will close in June 2010. GLGS burns locally mined Minto coal produced by NB Coal. NB Coal's only customer is Grand Lake, therefore NB Coal will close in December 2009.
Grand Lake Generating Station has been an outstanding power station with a strong performance record. Unfortunately, the local coal mined in Minto has a very high mercury and sulphur content, and changing environmental emissions limit are playing a strong part in the decision to close the plant. (It is very difficult to "scrub" mercury out of a power plant's emissions.)
Many Local 37 members outside of GLGS have been wondering what will happen to our members at Grand Lake. Although it is too early to tell exactly where individual employees will be going, we will work with NB Power to get the best outcome possible for our members.
We have had discussions with NB Power over this impending closure, and in fact have had many meetings with them over the last several years as it became more and more obvious that the station would eventually be closing. We have participated in several information meetings for employees that NB Power held at GLGS over the last two years and Assistant Business Manager Gary Munn was present and spent a good part of the day at the station when the announcement was made.
As we move towards the final closure date, I want all members to know that we will continue to work closely with NB Power on behalf of our members at Grand Lake.
Grand Lake Generating Station has been an outstanding power station with a strong performance record. Unfortunately, the local coal mined in Minto has a very high mercury and sulphur content, and changing environmental emissions limit are playing a strong part in the decision to close the plant. (It is very difficult to "scrub" mercury out of a power plant's emissions.)
Many Local 37 members outside of GLGS have been wondering what will happen to our members at Grand Lake. Although it is too early to tell exactly where individual employees will be going, we will work with NB Power to get the best outcome possible for our members.
We have had discussions with NB Power over this impending closure, and in fact have had many meetings with them over the last several years as it became more and more obvious that the station would eventually be closing. We have participated in several information meetings for employees that NB Power held at GLGS over the last two years and Assistant Business Manager Gary Munn was present and spent a good part of the day at the station when the announcement was made.
As we move towards the final closure date, I want all members to know that we will continue to work closely with NB Power on behalf of our members at Grand Lake.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Building a culture of wellness and active living
Most readers know that I’ve been a big champion of the key IBEW value of safety in the workplace. We’ve made tremendous strides in safety and now I think we must start to focus the same kind of energy and attention on wellness and healthy living. Although the damage of an unhealthy lifestyle isn’t as immediately obvious as the aftermath of a workplace accident, the truth is that far too many of our members end up suffering from poor health and a reduced quality of life.
The mission of Local 37 is “to work as a team to improve the lives of our members and their families”, and I believe that encouraging a growing focus on wellness and a healthy, active lifestyle is clearly within that mandate, in a number of ways.
The immediate benefit is direct improvement in health for our members. Study after study shows that an active, healthy, lifestyle boosts resistance to disease, lowers stress and improves or prevents many serious health problems (heart and stroke problems, diabetes, etc.). We want members to have a good quality of life, not only while working but also in retirement and one of the best ways to do that is encourage a culture of health, wellness and active living.
A secondary benefit relates to the savings we will see in the cost of our benefit programs. The prices we pay for our benefits are directly linked to the costs we incur as a group. The costs of drug coverage and health benefits are rising every year, and many of those cost drivers are related to preventable illnesses and risky health conditions that would benefit from an increased focus on an active healthy lifestyle. For example, every year we collectively pay hundreds of thousands in benefits premiums for cholesterol lowering medication like Lipitor. Obviously, there are some people who need this medication, but in a lot of cases, high cholesterol can be successfully treated through proper diet and exercise.
To support the above outcomes, Local 37 has already done a number of things to encourage our members to lead healthier, active lifestyles. As talked about in the last blog entry, we introduced a program to encourage member participation in community fundraising events that support healthcare and involve physical activity. We also have a program that can provide modest grants to groups of employees for workplace wellness activities. Earlier this year we also partnered with NB Power to encourage participation in the provincial walking challenge, and early reports are that it definitely has had a positive impact on the number of people participating in this summer long event.
I know it’s important to lead by example, and if I’m going to “talk the talk” on wellness and active lifestyles, I’d better “walk the walk”. My life is pretty busy and in the past that’s been my excuse for not finding time to be more active. But I’ve decided there will be no more excuses, I’m going to get moving, so I’ve recently started a running program. I’m taking it slow, as I build my fitness, but I’ve got a goal of running in a 5K event next year. That will be the topic of another blog entry though!
The mission of Local 37 is “to work as a team to improve the lives of our members and their families”, and I believe that encouraging a growing focus on wellness and a healthy, active lifestyle is clearly within that mandate, in a number of ways.
The immediate benefit is direct improvement in health for our members. Study after study shows that an active, healthy, lifestyle boosts resistance to disease, lowers stress and improves or prevents many serious health problems (heart and stroke problems, diabetes, etc.). We want members to have a good quality of life, not only while working but also in retirement and one of the best ways to do that is encourage a culture of health, wellness and active living.
A secondary benefit relates to the savings we will see in the cost of our benefit programs. The prices we pay for our benefits are directly linked to the costs we incur as a group. The costs of drug coverage and health benefits are rising every year, and many of those cost drivers are related to preventable illnesses and risky health conditions that would benefit from an increased focus on an active healthy lifestyle. For example, every year we collectively pay hundreds of thousands in benefits premiums for cholesterol lowering medication like Lipitor. Obviously, there are some people who need this medication, but in a lot of cases, high cholesterol can be successfully treated through proper diet and exercise.
To support the above outcomes, Local 37 has already done a number of things to encourage our members to lead healthier, active lifestyles. As talked about in the last blog entry, we introduced a program to encourage member participation in community fundraising events that support healthcare and involve physical activity. We also have a program that can provide modest grants to groups of employees for workplace wellness activities. Earlier this year we also partnered with NB Power to encourage participation in the provincial walking challenge, and early reports are that it definitely has had a positive impact on the number of people participating in this summer long event.
I know it’s important to lead by example, and if I’m going to “talk the talk” on wellness and active lifestyles, I’d better “walk the walk”. My life is pretty busy and in the past that’s been my excuse for not finding time to be more active. But I’ve decided there will be no more excuses, I’m going to get moving, so I’ve recently started a running program. I’m taking it slow, as I build my fitness, but I’ve got a goal of running in a 5K event next year. That will be the topic of another blog entry though!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Involvement in great causes - Local 37 members who care about their communities
Local 37 members have a growing history of getting involved with community events, often in 
partnership with some of our employer friends. Yesterday was a great example of this, when Local 37 sponsored teams from Point Lepreau ("Positive Energy") and Coleson Cove ("The Generate-oars") competed in the 5th annual Saint John Dragon Boat Festival. Although the final amounts are yet to come in, it looks like the combined total raised for the St. Joseph's Hospital foundation by these teams was over $30,000!
The very first Point Lepreau Dragon Boat entry occurred three years ago, when I received a call from Keith Miller, who is a
Manager at Point Lepreau. He had recently returned to work after an illness in which he had been treated at St. Joseph's hospital, and he wanted to give something back to the hospital that had treated him so well. He explained to me that he had registered a team and paid the $1000 registration fee, but the boat had to be named after a sponsoring organisation, and he wanted to know if it would be okay to call it an IBEW team, since most of the rowers would be IBEW members. I was honoured that he wanted to do this, and agreed immediately. To make a long story short, through Keith's generosity and the hard work of a team of volunteer employees, the first year's team was a great success. 
partnership with some of our employer friends. Yesterday was a great example of this, when Local 37 sponsored teams from Point Lepreau ("Positive Energy") and Coleson Cove ("The Generate-oars") competed in the 5th annual Saint John Dragon Boat Festival. Although the final amounts are yet to come in, it looks like the combined total raised for the St. Joseph's Hospital foundation by these teams was over $30,000!This was the first year that Coleson Cove employees entered a team, and the third year that Point Lepreau employees had a team, which this year included a number of employees from AECL who are working on the refurbishment project.
The very first Point Lepreau Dragon Boat entry occurred three years ago, when I received a call from Keith Miller, who is a
Manager at Point Lepreau. He had recently returned to work after an illness in which he had been treated at St. Joseph's hospital, and he wanted to give something back to the hospital that had treated him so well. He explained to me that he had registered a team and paid the $1000 registration fee, but the boat had to be named after a sponsoring organisation, and he wanted to know if it would be okay to call it an IBEW team, since most of the rowers would be IBEW members. I was honoured that he wanted to do this, and agreed immediately. To make a long story short, through Keith's generosity and the hard work of a team of volunteer employees, the first year's team was a great success.In fact, it was such a great success, I wanted to find a way to encourage Local 37 members to get involved in 
similar activities in following years. As a result, I worked with the Local 37 Health, Wellness and Benefits Committee to develop a pilot project that provides financial support to teams of IBEW members wishing to participate in community, charitable fundraising activities related to health and wellness. The type of charitable events supported had to include physical activity by the participants (running, walking, paddling, etc.).
similar activities in following years. As a result, I worked with the Local 37 Health, Wellness and Benefits Committee to develop a pilot project that provides financial support to teams of IBEW members wishing to participate in community, charitable fundraising activities related to health and wellness. The type of charitable events supported had to include physical activity by the participants (running, walking, paddling, etc.). This program has been very successful, and to date we have sponsored "Run for the Cure" and "Relay for Life" teams in addition to the Dragon Boat teams. There is an application process, if you are interested in learning more about this program, the application form and more information can be found here.
Photos: (Top to Bottom): The IBEW Coleson Cove Generate-oars winning their second race, Keith Miller and IBEW Positive Energy Team Captain Steve Brown, the Positive Energy Team site, Positive Energy paddling out to the start line for their second race, and some members of the Generate-oars on stand-by for their next race.
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