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Mutual Gains is becoming industry standard by Local 18 President Frank Miramontes I had the opportunity this fall to attend two interesting conferences, one in Rosemont, Ill., and the other in San Francisco. Both brought labor and management together to discuss the issues facing the utility industry in the era of deregulation. It was clear at both these conferences that utilities across the country are embracing the Labor/Management process because they need good input from the people in the field doing the work. The heart of the process is Mutual Gains Bargaining, which brings both sides to the table as partners and insures that their decisions will be treated seriously. Local 18 and the DWP have been among the pioneers in this new form of labor-management relations. We can be proud of the strides we have made in working together for the common good. It is heartening to see this new philosophy spreading throughout the industry. The second conference brought together IBEW Locals and management from the western states utilities. It was very clear that the big three power companies of California—PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric have been seriously hurt by deregulation and the present state of chaos among the regulators. The DWP, by contrast, is doing very well. This is in large part due to the input that Business Manager Brian D’Arcy had with the state legislature as it drafted its deregulation proposal. |