The Final Stretch of Negotiations

Posted: 
Tuesday, May 29, 2018

I hope you all had an pleasurable holiday weekend, and were able to take at least a moment to remember those fallen service members of our armed forces.  We thank those that have served, both the living and deceased, for protecting the freedoms which we all enjoy-including the right to collectively bargain with our employer to improve our standard of living.

Today the negotiating committee begins what will hopefully be our final stretch of bargaining for the RG&E collective bargaining agreement.  This will likely involve extended hours as we discuss the most significant items in a collective bargaining agreement ranging from the financial perspective, i.e. wages and benefits, to those that affect quality of life, i.e. work schedules, callout response requirements, etc.  Just because the latter cannot be measured in U.S. dollars does not mean that it is of less importance.
               
For now, as it has been, it is business as usual on the jobsite.  We need to continue to do our jobs and service our customers through this whole process.  If it becomes necessary to take different steps in response to these negotiations, I will communicate that to you but for now, keep up the safe and high-quality work you are known for.  Remember that we do not succeed through individual actions taken by individuals. Rather we succeed by the collective actions of individuals and such actions must be concerted and directly sanctioned by me for them to be effective.
 
Remember to wear your buttons and/or tee shirts as able.  I appreciate your patience and support through this process as we seek to bring it to closure.