Business Manager Tony Sapienza
After a brief break for the summer, unit meetings are resuming for the fall months. Members had voted in late spring or early summer to temporarily suspend their meetings during the traditional summer vacation months. While most begin in September, a few will start in October.
There are eleven-unit meetings held each month throughout New Hampshire and Maine for our members to attend.
Matt Beck, an IBEW Local 1837 member who recently retired from his role as a business representative and organizer, was honored with the Lifetime Working Class Hero Award by the Southern Maine Labor Council during the group’s Labor Day Breakfast on Monday, September 4th, 2023. Beck's commitment to labor causes and unwavering support for workers' rights earned him this respected recognition.
IBEW Local 1837 has appointed Kaitlyn Hegarty as its new Business Representative. Hegarty brings extensive experience in the media industry, having been a union member since 2011 when she joined WGME CBS 13 in Portland, Maine and served as a shop steward at the station.
With over a decade of experience in the broadcasting business, Hegarty worked as an award-winning Chief News Producer, contributing to thousands of live newscasts, breaking news events, and investigative stories. Her leadership in the newsroom made her a go-to person for co-workers' concerns.
Following a vote by the members, several unit meetings in IBEW Local 1837 are temporarily suspended for the 2023 summer season. However, please note Units 10 and 11 will continue to hold a combined meeting on the third Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. over Zoom.
To see the Summer 2023 Schedule: click here
The New Hampshire AFL-CIO has announced it will offer the Linda Horan Scholarship Program for the 2023-2024 academic year. This program aims to address the rising costs of higher education while honoring the memory of Sister Linda Horan, a dedicated member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and former Chair of the Scholarship Committee. Sister Linda, who battled cancer and passed away in 2016, had a profound commitment to supporting the next generation and creating opportunities for their educational pursuits.
In accordance with the laws of the United States, the Constitution of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Bylaws of Local 1837, the nomination process has concluded. Since only one member was nominated for each office, there were no contested positions that required a balloted election.
The Union Sportsmen's Alliance, a rapidly growing non-profit conservation organization dedicated to uniting the union community in preserving North America's outdoor heritage, is hosting its inaugural New Hampshire BCTC Conservation Dinner this June. This event provides individuals and organizations with an opportunity to actively protect natural resources, build sustainable environments, and showcase the positive contributions of labor unions.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1837, which represents over 1,600 members throughout Maine and New Hampshire, relocated its New Hampshire office from Dover to Manchester in February 2023. The local will continue to maintain its primary office in Central Maine near Augusta.
IBEW Local 1837's new office in Manchester, NH
2023 is an election year for IBEW Local #1837. This spring and summer we will be electing union officers and representatives including the following: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Business Manager/Financial Secretary, and Executive Board Representatives for each of the eleven units as well as Chair, Vice Chair, and Recording Secretary for each of the eleven units.
Nominations will take place at the April Unit meetings. Check our website calendar at www.ibew1837.org, download a meeting schedule flier, or call the union office at 207-623-1030 for meeting times and locations. Voting will be by mail ballot for all positions except Unit Officers, who are elected at the June unit meetings. Ballots will be mailed to all active members on June 1st.
Derek Willette has agreed to be the Election Judge and anyone with questions may contact him by email at IBEW1837Election@gmail.com or call 207-613-4038. An IBEW Election guide is available for anyone who requests one from either the union office or the Election Judge.
Now is a good time to be sure the union office has your valid mailing address so you receive voting information and ballots. Email the union office at union@ibew1837.org or call 207-623-1030.
February 22, 2023 - IBEW 1837 members at Brookfield have ratified a new 4-year contract agreement with annual pay increases for every member and additional vacation time for most employees. Voting took place on February 1 at multiple locations. The new agreement runs through February 28, 2027.
Members will receive an $8,000 ratification bonus and annual pay increases of 3%, 3.25%, 3.25% and 3.25%. The minimum straight-time call-out was increased to five hours and the contract establishes a two-hour straight-time call-out for solving issues over the phone after hours. Production Clerks and Production Assistants received a wage adjustment and progression pay was increased to $1 every six months, up from 50 cents every six months.
Employees with more than 30 years’ experience make up nearly half of the membership and they will receive an additional week of vacation. Employees will get three weeks of vacation after three years. New employees will no longer be required to wait three months to start accruing vacation or take paid holidays. Sick days are increased from six to eight per year and may be used in 4-hour increments for medical appointments.
“Before negotiations started, we talked to members at each location and the overarching themes were that we had to attract new people, keep the people that we have, and reward those who have been here a long time,” said IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager Renee Gilman. “That’s what we were trying to do, and we think we were able to do that.”
File photo: Chief Steward Ed Goodale on dam in West Buxton in 2013.