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IBEW Local 682, Unit 682.1, and Unit 682.2.

* President’s Message 08-26-2009

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

We are a little more than half way through storm season this year. I know that everyone is already weary as we have had some really good storm activity this summer already.

 

I would like to personally thank all of you Brothers and Sisters for excellent performance at work in both service to PEF and unyielding attention to keeping yourselves and each other safe for a sound return home to your families every day.

 

This is the time when you can absolutely not allow yourself to be distracted from your job. We must all remain ever vigilant that our attentions stay focused on any source of potential harm. Over the years I have been fortunate to have made countless Union friends and I could not bear to see any of my friends injured. If you see one of your work partners about to make that flawed move, please speak to them immediately and prevent a possible bad outcome; you may not get a second chance to do that.

 

Our contractual obligations to PEF are held in very high regard but nothing is worth the cost in human life and suffering that go along with failure to prevent catastrophic injuries.

 

I would like to express my appreciation for the seemingly unending well of physical stamina that everyone seems to always be able to draw upon to “get the job done”.

 

There have been a few recent changes in the policies of switching and tagging. We all know that grounding and tagging are sacred amongst professional Journeyman in the electrical industry. No matter what has changed in our Safety Manuals or Switching and Tagging Manuals, remember that the mechanics of Linework, Substation Work, and Generation have not changed. Anything that is not grounded has an absolute potential of causing serious injury or death. If you do not have an authorization, ask yourself what would happen if someone on the other end of your work site were to close a switch. Only an authorization will preclude the closure of a valve or switch as it is the appreciated equivalent of an actual lock on the device. Right now there are some ongoing grievances over Clearance tags.

 

The System Committee has been tirelessly hearing arbitrations this year. We have prevailed on the majority of those issues. Please join me in recognizing the efforts that all of the Men and Women of the IBEW have put into this process and the degree of success which we have thus far enjoyed. I would also like to make mention of our own Brother Ed Mobsby, and recognize his selfless efforts to bring to justice the wrongs that are placed upon our membership.

 

Thank you Brother Ed “Big Ed” Mobsby!

 

All contributions, large and small, are very important to your Local Union of the IBEW. Without the collective efforts of all of the individuals that make up our local we could never be this successful and we would not be as able to support our sister locals that make up the System Council U8.

 

The System Council U8 has really come together well this year and we have enjoyed the fruits of collective effort with them. The next time you see any of the members of our System Committee, please thank them accordingly.

 

If any of you Brothers or Sisters has anything that you would like assistance with, please start at your local level and seek the advice of your yard steward. If he/she can not help to remedy the situation then please call upon me. I will do everything I can to find a solution to the problem.

 

On issues that involve Management; if you feel that your concerns need to be immediately addressed by the next level of Supervision please call on me to intervene. I will find somebody on Management’s side that will at least listen to our immediate concerns and hopefully will attempt to remedy the situation fairly and succinctly.

 

I have already posted one article on interrogations, but I feel that it is an important enough issue to reiterate here again. If you are about to be interrogated for any issue at all that you believe may result in discipline of any sort, then please immediately tell Management that you are invoking your Weingarten Rights and that you will require your personal Union Representative. We pick the representative, not Management. They have in the past actually picked people that were not even card carrying members of the IBEW. Ask yourself the question before an interview, “when is the last time I’ve seen this forum result in an accommodation?”.  If you are not the subject of the inquiry, then the same rules apply if you reasonably believe that another Brother or Sister could suffer consequences of the interview. If you are completely denied your rights to call your Local Union Officer, then comply with the Company’s demand and in no way act with insubordination. Take notes of everything said in the interview by all parties (yes you can ask them to slow down so that you can capture accurate notes). When the proceeding is over notify me and I will go file a Labor Charge with the Federal Labor Relations Board in Tampa if appropriate. Hopefully, this will not need to occur.

 

Finally, if you or anyone else in the Brotherhood has been terminated please make sure that you have filed for Unemployment Compensation and call on me to find you personal representation for the hearing. If you are denied the benefit then you have the right to file an appeal and I strongly recommend that you do that. Businesses like PEF pay an employee tax for everyone that works there that covers the expenses of Unemployment Compensation.

 

Please check the blog occasionally for any quick updates.

 

In solidarity,

 

Scott Demetree

President, IBEW Local Union 682

St. Petersburg, Florida