IBEW 29 Members,

I want to apologize to all the members for the confusion the Company caused yesterday afternoon when they decided to send their final offer to all of our members and the media without the Union leadership's knowledge. The Company only met with the Union leadership team to discuss their final offer a few minutes before sending that message. The Company then made it a point to post that final offer and send emails to our members asking if they've received the Company's final offer.

Let me be perfectly clear. This is not a normal tactic or process that employers do. Companies usually do not share a final offer with the employees but rather should negotiate in good faith with the representative of the members (Our Local) and have the Union bring the offer, if reasonable, back to the members for a vote.

Unfortunately, as I stated in my March 23, 2026, letter to the members, the Company planned and has utilized outside legal counsel to act as their lead negotiator for the duration of contract negotiations, which has not been done for many years, if ever. This is the SAME legal counsel that has represented the company at many previous arbitrations, including two of our most recent regarding subcontracting and technology (Drones being utilized by non-bargaining unit employees), both of which the arbitrators ruled in the Union's favor.

What is more concerning is that this same outside legal counsel advertises specializing in "Maintaining union-free status" and "Implementing lawful reductions-in-force". These are actual quotes from their website. What these website quotes state and what tactics were used by the Company yesterday sends a very clear message of not only what the company's lead counsel is doing, but what the company is doing themselves: UNION BUSTING!

The Company is trying to divide this Union. Their hope was to have members ask, "why aren't we accepting this final offer"? Their Union busting tactic totally backfired and had the opposite effect. Our members overwhelmingly said what the hell is this! Many of those members showed up last night to the hotel where we are negotiating to show that this local is UNITED.

The Final Offer shared by the company is a very lengthy document that is confusing and hard to read. At first glance, some things may look good, such as a $3,000 ratification bonus, normal General Wage Increases, Market Adjustments for craft workers, as well as a few others.

What is hard to find and read is that the Company wants to freeze CSR's (8.5 & 9.5) wages and instead offer them a bonus equivalent to the General Wage Increase. Some folks may think that doesn't sound bad, but what they don't realize is their wages will not increase for three years, having an everlasting effect going forward. What else is hard to find is that all 911 calls and trouble calls handled by our CSRs will not be outsourced to a contractor the company has failed to disclose. We do not know if this contractor is union or non-union, local or out of state, or even located in this country. Think about that. If a car wrecks into a utility pole, a customer tries to call for help, and their call gets sent to the Philippines? This is insanity.

What the Company also tries to disguise is the fact that they will have the unilateral right to contract out whatever they want. The Company will also have the right to implement any technology without negotiating to agreement with the Union. Both issues have been arbitrated and won by this Local. The Company is now trying to go back on the agreed upon process of handling disputes (Grievances and Arbitration), and have the unilateral right to do whatever the hell they want. What's even more concerning is the fact that the Company still refuses to address the many safety concerns raised by our membership.

The company does not want a partnership; they want a dictatorship. They want the ability to eliminate jobs through technology (Both Field and Clerical), replacing our full-time positions with contractors, having non-bargaining unit employees perform our work, and finally, refuse to let the non-union employees organize with our local. This is UNION BUSTING 101.

These "Union Busting" tactics will continue as we move forward through this process. I want to forewarn all of you that the Company is probably going to solicit you to cross our picket lines and give you information on how you can continue to work by calling a certain number or by giving you an email address contact to get this information.

This company has pushed us around too long, put our concerns and issues on the backburner while the Company has continued to bring in record profits off the backs of our members. This is not only hurting our members, but also the consumers, which many of our members are. The Company had a Net Income (Money after Operating Revenues, Total Operating Expenses, and Operating Income) of $255,554,570 in calendar year 2025. Let that sink in.

Electric Distribution Companies are supposed to be a service provider of maintaining, constructing, and restoring electric distribution for consumers; not a for-profit business. 44% of the Company is owned by a group located in Singapore, meaning a large portion of the Company's profits are going overseas and out of this country.

Now is the time to send this Company a message. Now is the time to let the Company, the media, and the public know that we are fed up with how this Company has operated, how this Company treats its employees, and how this Company puts profits over safe reliable service to the public. If this Company does not change their ways in their last best and final offer, we will be on Strike at midnight September 30, 2026.

What we need from our ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP is to STAND TOGETHER and STAY UNITED.

In Solidarity,
Josh Ewing
Business Manager
IBEW Local Union 29