CURRENT NEWS
Hurricane Disaster Fund
/Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have wreaked devastation in cities throughout Texas, the Gulf Coast region and the island of Puerto Rico. Many of our brothers and sisters have lost homes and most of their possessions, inflicting major hardships.
IBEW members are encouraged to stand in solidarity and support the Hurricane Disaster Fund. The money collected by the fund will be used to provide urgent relief to those most in need. Make checks payable to the IBEW Unity Fund, indicating "Hurricane Disaster Fund" in the memo portion. Our members may make contributions with a credit card by visiting http://secure.ibew.org/unityfund/
Please give what you can and show what true IBEW solidarity can accomplish. Thank you!
Child Identification Kits
/The IBEW has joined the National Child Identification Program to provide our members with free Child ID kits. We will have the kits at our upcoming annual picnic on September 23 and any leftovers we will bring to various unit meetings.
Ameren Contract Ratified
/Today, the membership of System Council U-05 ratified the Ameren Illinois contracts. Implementation of the new working hours for some employees will be determined at a later date.
Vote "YES" for the Ameren Contract
/PLEASE POST and DISTRIBUTE THIS COMMUNICATION
August 25, 2017
Ameren Cilco, IP and IP-Clerical
Local 51 Members
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
After the membership rejected the July 27th Ameren and IBEW System Council U-05 tentative agreement, the U-05 System Council Business Managers met with Ron Pate and Rita Zindars of Ameren Illinois on August 24th. Ameren refused to change the July 27th tentative agreement.
Ameren said the rejected July 27th tentative agreement is their last, best and final offer. Accordingly, there are no changes to the agreement rejected by the membership during the August meetings.
The rejected tentative agreement that was unanimously recommended for a “yes” vote by the four (4) IBEW Locals will be voted again. If the recommended last, best and final is rejected again, the Company has said they will change the offer. They said if rejected they will implement a lesser offer on September 19th. They did not say how the implemented package will be changed.
We asked the Company to extend all agreements until September 30th. The Company said there was no need to extend the contracts. We pointed out there are possible issues when working without a contract including the loss of the grievance/arbitration procedure. The Company agreed to extend all contracts until midnight on September 8th, 2017.
To ensure the voting is completed by the evening of Thursday September 7th we will be voting in operating centers, at other work sites and at unit meetings scheduled the week of September 4th. Also, from August 28th -September 7th between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm you can vote at the Local 51 Hall.
Per the System Council by-laws, we will count the ballots together and tally the results on September 8th, 2017. Per the by-laws, there will be no absentee ballots. The times and locations of the scheduled voting are listed below. You may vote at any listed location. If due to storms, training, etc., members are away from their reporting center or their regular unit meeting on a scheduled voting day, and if they cannot vote at an alternative voting location, they should contact their Business Representative so attempts can be made to allow them to vote.
This vote is a STRIKE vote. The ballots will have a box to vote “yes” to accept the last, best and final offer and a box to vote “no” to strike, which indicates a member’s willingness to strike. We ask that you take this very serious and do everything possible to ensure you vote.
If the last, best and final offer is rejected, a strike would not begin on September 9th; but the Company stated a lesser package will be implemented on September 19th.
If you have any questions, please contact Bob Wedell, Karlene Knisley, Tony Cook or myself.
In Solidarity,
John H. Johnson
Business Manager/Financial Secretary
IBEW Local 51
Ameren Contract information 8/24/17
/Ameren presented their last, best, final offer to the Local Unions.
Read More2018 Calendar Pics Needed
/Pictures for the Local Union's 2018 calendar are due by October 1, 2017. Pictures may be sent to any Business Staff member or to nancyh@ibew51.org.
Call Gov. Rauner and tell him to DO HIS JOB
/Please visit the Facebook page listed below for information.
https://www.facebook.com/doyourjobinc/?fref=nf
Illinois Working Together
/It's time to get Illinois working together again. Please visit:
Ameren Vote 8-18-17
/Today the System Council U-05 membership votes were counted on the July 27th tentative agreement. The proposed agreement was rejected by a vote of 636 No and 537 Yes.
The System Council is contacting the Company to try to arrange a future meeting date. We will communicate the date of the meeting when it is scheduled.
All contracts remain extended until Midnight on August 31st.