CMP negotiation

[mainline]

Not good. Will post more after wednesday.

[brokenxarm]

Have the phone numbers of your public utility commission on hand. If you go on strike and the public talks to you about the strike complaining about service, have the number ready to give to them. Better yet, have the ext. number and name of one or more of the offical's that you have already talked to. Have it down on paper that you can give to them. Sometimes the public is reluctant to bitch and you have to lead them to the watering hole. Works almost all of the time. We here in 459 really had the public and customers seeing our side which helped out alot. Hit the bastards with everything you have, take pictures of unsafe work practices.....hound the hell out of cmp. Most importantly.......STAY UNITED!! The bastards will cave and fall....just look at first enema. They are really pissed because we wouldn't break.

[loodvig]

Anything new? How you guys making out?

[mainline]

We have a mass meeting the 22nd of Sept. The future direction of our current negotiation will be looked at. So far we have taken a beating. The company has done no good faith bargaining. Our committee has bent and bent, until the proposals from both sides look to be virtually the same, and the company still won't give an inch. Hopefully all Energy East, and Iberdrola U.S. affiliates are looking at this. We cannot lay ball with these people, they will stick the bat up our A$$. I think we need to start a thread on the future of the IBEW. Where is the I.O. we have only seen one Rep. at a demonstration. Thank you Kevin Cash for your show of support and your time. The I.O. has not sent a Rep. to speak to the membership, and let us know their position. I think that the way this ends will largely determine the tack EE takes in future negotiations. This week EE announced that they would be laying off 24 union employees, at CNG, a gas company under our umbrella. They are doings this because Conn. PUC made them take a rate cut as a result of exceeding a 10% profit margin. Their is no reasonable profit margin for these BASTARDS. To any members who read this come to the mass meeting, make your voice heard. We should fight to the finish, no rolling over, no compromise, no vote on the same contract we voted on. Stay united, stay strong. Solidarity.

[climbing high]

Best of luck to you guys Local 459 is fully behind you brothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These company"s are ruthless so stick together and you will win. What a country You pay a lineman in the nfl 6 million a year for 8 months work and we want a good salery and they say f;;k you Stay togher brothers! We are a minority but one tough bunch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless

[electriklady]

Good luck and stand together. We wish you the best in your fight against yet another unethical, arrogant ruthless greed machine.

another 459 member!