Mid America in the Northwest..

[Im2cocky]

Hello
Any other information about Mid America group. They are buying up the Northwest fasst. What will companies bought out by Buffett expect? Anyone from Local 57 in Utah have anything to say?

I'm in 354 SLC, just a lowly wireman, My dad is a meter engineer with PacCorp, he was worried when Buffett bought and sold all company stock, turned out to be a mistake.
Actually not sure what this post is about, just saw someone from my neighborhood and wanted to give my 2 cents.

Hello, 499 and local 109 just bought out our proposals on our contract talks. It is terrible. You better be prepared

Well here it is my brothers and sisters of the IBEW

We just had our meeting on Wednesday night and the contract proposals were bought to the body. This contract took a total of 5 months of our local negotiations.

After having a meeting the company Mid American Energy sent out the tentative agreement in the U.S. Mail, supposedly printed on May 11th, 2006 after the Wednesday meeting. They are very fast, sent to over 1500 members. It is amazing how fast they got it out to the body.

1. IBEW local 499 and local 109 Negotiating Commitee and Union Leaders Recommend a yes vote on this package. It is on page One in Bold Black Letters, was told Wednesday night, by Union leadership not to vote yes on this contract was very bad. But company sends out letter in mail stating to vote yes on Contract per Union leaders, Something smells like you know what.

2. Contract will cover 3 year period with a 3% wage increase for each year of the contract. Falling farther and farther behind. According to some websites Mid American Energy company had profits over 515 million dollars in year 2005.

3. Their will be a increase in shift premiums

4. If b4 this contract you worked by yourself and had to go help another worker out, you would get your regular pay, but this contract states that if you have to work with another individual on a 2 man job, the senior man will receive crew leader pay for 8 hrs, since they were bunched up on a 2 man job, that will increase the person's wage over 2 dollars a hr more or more, depending on wage classification.

5.Job Security: None really!!!!

6. Safety, Nothing really to say here, company wanted to take control

7. Will still have contractors on the property,

8. Apprenticeships, if person bids into apprenticeship, he will be at 90% of journeyman's scale, if person was a forman making more then he will be at 90% until journeyman scale is reached, whichever is lesser.

9. Fatigue pay Pretty much stayed the same, a little different language

10. Sick leave You can use 5 days sick leave to care for family member.

11. Meals will stay at $51.25 to work through your dinner or if you choose to eat on time and half meal allowance will only be $22.00 an hour, for only an hour to eat, in which you will receive 1.5x hours to eat your food.

12. Medical will stay at 90/10 ratio as of contract signing,

13. If you retire you can opt to have pension paid out in lump sum with government taxing alot of it, if you choose this route.

Here is the real meat of the contract here my fellow union brothers and sisters, this is where the rubber is going to meet the road. This is where our union leadership did us in. This is really really bad, This section is going to cover Medical Benefits and Retirement.

Here it is I will captilize this since it is so horrendous!!!!! Thanks local 499 and 109

THE STRONGEST LANGUAGE IN THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE IS THIS, IF YOU ARE 50 YEARS OF AGE, AT THE DATE OF RATIFICATION, WHENEVER THAT IS JULY 1ST IS TARGET DATE, THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO STAY ON THE EXISTING RETIREE MEDICAL ACCOUNT WHICH IS THIS: YOU WILL PAY A SMALL AMOUNT OF YOUR PENSION TOWARDS YOUR MEDICAL COVERAGE WHICH IS FULL COVERAGE, MAJOR MEDICAL ETC, ALSO YOU WILL BE ABLE TO INSURE YOU SPOUSE AND RECEIVE SURVIORSHIP WHEN YOU DIE SO YOUR SPOUSE CAN STILL RECEIVE YOUR PENSION!!! AND MEDICAL!!!! THAT WILL STAY THE SAME , SO THEY SAY, PROBABLY UNTIL THE NEXT CONTRACT, THE AGE GAP IN THIS COMPANY HAS MORE PEOPLE NEAR 50 THAN LESS THAN 50 SOUNDS LIKE THEIR BUYING VOTES TO ME.

IF ON THE DATE OF SIGNING YOUR ARE UNDER 50 YRS OF AGE, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGABLE FOR THE CADILLAC COVERAGE, BUT YOU WILL BE GIVEN THE ONLY OPTION OF THE FORD PINTO COVERAGE. THIS IS WHAT THE FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS WILL GET WHEN THEY RETIRE.

YOU WILL BE ON A RMA ACCOUNT ie. RETIREE MEDICAL ACCOUNT: THE CONTRACT AS IT IS WRITTEN IS IF YOU ARE UNDER 50 YEARS OF AGE COME JULY 1ST 2006 OR DATE OF SIGNING YOU WILL RECEIVE A MEDICAL BANK ACCOUNT OF $37,000 FOR YOUR FIRST 10 YEARS OF SERVICE, ANY YEARS OF SERVICE AFTER THAT WILL BE LOST UP UNTIL SIGNING OF THE CONTRACT IN WHICH YOU WILL THE START ACCUMALATING MORE MONEY TO YOUR RETIREE MEDICAL ACCOUNT. SO FOR INSTANCE IF YOU HIRED ON AT 18 AND HAD 28 YEARS OF SERVICE IN WITH THE COMPANY, YOU WILL RECEIVE $37,000 FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS OF ACTIVE DUTY AND WILL GET NOTHING IN RETURN FOR THE OTHER 18 YEARS YOU WERE THEIR. THAT IS WHAT A UNION LEADERSHIP BOUGHT OUT TO US. YOU LOSE 18 YEARS. AFTER RATIFICATION YOU WOULD THEN START GROWING MORE MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT. IT WILL GROW AT ANNUAL RATE OF 3% PER YEAR. COST OF MEDICALIZATION IS INCREASING 9 TO 15 % PER YEAR.

ONCE YOU RETIRE AND THE MONEY IS SPENT ON INSURING YOURSELF YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE INSURANCE FOR YOU OR SPOUSE, UNLESS YOU GO TO FULL RETIREMENT AGE AND GET ON MEDICARE OR MEDICAD, OR SPOUSES POLICY.

IT WAS NEVER COVERED HOW MUCH THIS POLICY WILL COST SOMEONE IF THEY HAVE 25 YEARS LEFT TO GO BEFORE RETIREMENT. SCARY THOUGHT.

I THINK EVERYONE LESS THAN 50 YEARS OF SHOULD WITHOLD THEIR UNION DUES TO FUND THEIR OWN MEDICAL ACCOUNT.

[Patriot]

Mid American just gave us (UWUA 127) a two year extension, 3% per year. They offered 4% to journeyman and 2% to the rest. But the union president, who is a power plant equipment operator, vetoed that and would only accept 3% so he wouldn't get shorted on the raise. So we have two years to see what falls.

Since they bought us out, they could have just nulified the contract and started over.

[Im2cocky]

Hey Weevy
What the hell is your Union Leadership doing to you? There are allot of young people in their 40's with 20 years left who will have 37,000 in a bank. One hospital stay can use that up. If you pass that your people are not union supporters but cut throat lookin out for themselves. I suppose if you bitch they will just have you put in with Hoffa..

Since they bought us out, they could have just nulified the contract and started over.[/quote]




No, they can't just cancel your contract, its just that, a contract.
On another note, that auto workers union you have to be a part of is known for selling out it's members. Trust me, I know.

[Patriot]

Originally Posted by 659Lineman

Since they bought us out, they could have just nulified the contract and started over.

No, they can't just cancel your contract, its just that, a contract.
On another note, that auto workers union you have to be a part of is known for selling out it's members. Trust me, I know.[/quote]


You got the auto workers union right! And most of the hands are ex IBEW or are both. It befuddles the sheet out of me why they stay in., We tried to get out, had 80 of 120 power supply people sign a petition to get out and the union ignored it. Even if we could have just had our own local with in 127 UWUA, we could have been in charge of our own destiny. But if all these guys want to be dictated by coal hunkies let them!

I feel for you guy's. We are watching everything that happens to you, cause it will work West to us sooner than later. Good luck.

[graybeard]

Well here it is 73% pass on contract. I thought the bad things in the contract was enough to vote no and it was a good time to make a stand but 73% pass is way more than just the over 50 guys. All I can say is we better start working with the pacifcor guys because the next one would'nt be any better if you didn't like this one because I'm sure the company is thinking now that they offered us too much. As union members we need to become more active and work on those who aren't and try to get them involved.
GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY