From the trenches
           Reports from your Business Reps

Unit 1 (Electrical Distribution/Transmission/Trouble/Street Lights)—The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Local 18 held their Annual Lineman’s Rodeo at the Truesdale Facility on June 2. Members of the first place overall journeyman team were Troy Couch, Glen Slattery and Ed Slattery.  Members of the second place overall journeyman team were Todd Alden, Scott Barnes and Ron Beech.  Members of the third place overall journeyman team were Bill Helfrich, Jim Schultz, and Terry Silva.  Members of the fourth place overall journeyman team were Richard DeHemmer, Gregory Foerstel, and Dan Weidlund. The first place apprentice team was Earl Hough and Mario Mascolo.  The second place apprentice team was Tom Robideaux and Glenn Harrison.  The third place apprentice team was Frank Lopez and Michael Traweek. The top four journeyman teams along with apprentices Earl Hough, Frank Lopez and Michael Traweek will represent the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Local 18 in September at the International Lineman’s Rodeo in Kansas City.  Congratulations!

Unit 2 (Electric Station Operators)—A new class of trainees has started. Of the 13 who started three weeks ago, only nine are left. Management has indicated that there will be another class hired some time in December. At this rate it will be a long time before some significant help arrives. • This year has been good for switching errors. With operators working long hours (because we are so short handed), everyone should be congratulated on the low number of switching errors. Keep up the good work.

Unit 6 (Warehouse/Stores)—At the Unit dinner meeting it was decided to begin having monthly Unit meetings in August. Hopefully, this will encourage more attendance. Remember, Unit meetings are important, and present an opportunity not only to receive important information, but also to raise issues that others may not have considered. • I have notified management that we would like to form a Joint Labor/Management Committee in order to deal with outstanding issues. More on this after we get a response from the Department.

Unit 8 (Clerical)—Welcome back and congratulations to Business Rep Shawn McCloud, who was off work to have her new baby. A huge “thank you” to Geralyn Washington-Tatum, who was on staff as a Business Representative during Shawn’s absence! Geralyn hit the ground running and did an awesome job. She is now back at DWP as a Customer Service Supervisor. • Joint labor/management committee meetings for Customer Services will resume shortly in CSR Realignment and Revenue Management Alternate Work Schedule review. • The Branch Office Committee meets monthly and notification of upcoming meetings will be sent to each branch office. This will give all branch office personnel the opportunity to send questions to the committee. • Reminder: All computers and software at your work location belong to the Department of Water and Power.  These tools are given to you to complete work related tasks. Keep this in mind when using the Internet, E-mail and lotus notes. Be aware that improper usage could bring forth discipline. • See Units 8 & 18 report for more unit info.

Units 8 and 18 (Clerical/Supervisory & Administrative)—After almost a year in limbo, the Ergonomics Training Program is back on track. The next area designated for training is the Water Services Organization. There will be a walk through to view the clerical offices in July, and training will begin shortly thereafter. • There was a series of safety classes early in June that dealt specifically with employees in an office environment. The last day included mock accidents/injuries and the participants conducted investigations. This is the first time there has been any type of incident investigation training for clerical, and it was very well received. •The Clerical Training Review Committee has been meeting to identify potential training areas. We will be sending out information and a survey shortly to identify the areas we are looking at, and to get your input on whether the areas identified are needed or wanted, and if there are areas that have been overlooked. Please take the time to participate in this very important survey. • Recently, there have been quite a few questions about the Accumulated Overtime Log (AOTL). This is a result of our winning an arbitration last month. The Department is now trying to comply with the MOU provisions which they largely ignored in the past. Hold them accountable for keeping an accurate AOTL posted in your work area and equalizing the offer of overtime.

Unit 9 (Steam Generation)—Is help finally on the way? Management has stated that it is going to fill 95 more IBEW positions this fiscal year. Even if they can get through the City Hall bureaucracy, these people will still have to be trained. • The new training program for the GSA’s is just about complete. The training committee has been working hard along with John La Pinta’s staff to put together a superior program. We are confident that the people coming out of the new program will be the best-trained personnel in the country.

Unit 14 (Transportation)—The joint L/M committee was scheduled to meet June 26 to discuss the recent increase in crane accidents. We have been fortunate that no one has been seriously injured. The committee will try to expedite refresher training for equipment operators. • Local 18 and the joint L/M committee are also trying to find a way to address people working out of class, running equipment all day long and sometimes on overtime, instead of having people hired specifically to run their equipment, with appropriate training and qualifications. We have recently raised this issue with the Palms District management in an informal grievance, successfully resolved, which will ensure that equipment is operated by personnel from the appropriate Civil Service class. We want to thank management for their cooperation in resolving this issue.

Unit 19B (Mechanical Shops/Generating Station Crafts/FMBG)—For a Unit that has so many grievances and issues, the turnout at the meetings has been pitiful! Please check your bulletin boards (or http://www.ibewlocal18.com/meetings.html) for the Meeting Schedule, and come to a meeting. We need your input! • On the bright site, the JL/M committees and Worker Safety Groups are going well.

Unit 24 (Water Supply)—The L/M committee is continuing to bring the Bid Plan back into compliance with the Steam Plant and Water Supply MOU. Management has recently put out a Bid Notice for a Water Treatment Operator “B” to fill a vacancy, and is also in the process of preparing another Bid Notice for four Water Treatment Operator “D”s to fill vacancies as per the Bid Plan. • The accident prevention and investigation committee has looked into the chlorine gas incident in the LAAFP Administration Building. A report has been forwarded to upper management, along with several recommendations to keep this from occurring again.

Unit 50 (Burbank)—We are in contract negotiations.  The contract expires June 30.  We still have not come to an agreement at this time, but more meetings are scheduled.  We will call a meeting and pass on the word to all the members of Unit 50 when we have a final proposal.  • After more than a year’s work, the Lineman Joint Apprenticeship Committee has worked out new standards and many other proposals for the Line Apprentice program. Members of the committee are Dale King, Jeff Hancock and Kirk Jensen.  Thanks go out to everyone else who contributed to these proposals, especially Tom Wilke and Gene Stoddard.

Unit 52 (Owens Valley)—The joint L/M committees are going well and making progress. Employees in the L/M Worker Safety Groups are doing an excellent job of implementing the Worker Safety Tour Schedule and reporting the results.

Unit 52A (Mojave)—On May 17, a Unit Dinner Meeting was held. Members and their families attended, as during the Christmas season. Employees were unable to have a Christmas function in December because they were working on “shut-off.” The meeting was very well attended, and a good time was had by all.

Unit 53 (Water Quality and Distribution)—A meeting is being planned to discuss the status of plans to abolish the Water Service Worker series and the 108 (1014 under the new City Charter) transfer process for the employees who wish to use it to move to the Water Utility Worker series. Committee members will be notified of the exact meeting date. • The new Electrical Shock Hazard Policy should be sent out to employees soon. Local 18 would like to remind all equipment operators, especially those operating truck mounted cranes, to make sure they have a designated observer when operating under overhead utility wires. Safety first, always!

Unit 55 (Communications)—The last two bimonthly Unit meetings have been well attended. Unit Chair (and Shop Steward) Carlos Saldana is considering going monthly. • Although the joint L/M committee has only met twice, some “no brainer” issues have been resolved and action is being taken on several other issues. • It’s a pleasure to see Unit 55 becoming an active Unit, further strengthening our Union.

Unit 64 (Azusa)—The Local 18 committee and management have been working jointly to reach agreement on Salary Adjustments for the Customer Service Supervisor and the Water Utility Series, as well as including a new Lead CSR position. Proposals have been made by both Local 18 and management. Stay tuned!

Unit 65 (County Sanitation District)—Local 18 and management met in May for reopeners, as per the MOU, for one non-economic issue and one economic issue. The District is currently involved in a classification study of the Power Plant Operator series. The District agreed to solicit input from Local 18 regarding this study. • The District and Local 18 have amended Appendix A (c) Post Testing. It has been modified so that all Post Accident Testing (PAT) will be conducted in a timely manner, and in the event the employee cannot take an immediate post accident test, he or she will allow testing at management’s discretion within 30 calendar days after the initial incident. Travel time, mileage and the time to get the PAT will only be compensated by the District if the PAT is conducted on the initial incident date.