CLEARFIELD – Shortly after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Local 459 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which is currently on strike at Penelec, began to gather for a labor rally in support of the workers on the courthouse steps.
Their crowd grew and outlined the corner at Second and East Market Streets. Those who drove by honked in support of the workers’ initiative, as a few held signs that read “We support Local 459.”
Gary Hummel, union steward, said the strike was not about money.
“It is about family. We want to attend church with our families. We want to see our daughter play soccer and our boy play baseball,” he said.
“So, much has been fabricated in the media. It’s not fair. It’s not a money issue but a scheduling issue. They want us available 24/7 and to work as much as possible. But it’s not good enough for them, and it takes us away from our families.”
Charles Fleck, also a union steward, echoed the same thoughts.
“It’s not about us. It’s about time away from our families. We have given up time with them. (And, now) we are going to stand here shoulder-to-shoulder. We will give them 60 percent but not 100 percent of our time,” he said.
Penelec is a division of FirstEnergy Corp. and supplies power to northwest Pennsylvania. The more than 500 workers who are currently on strike are represented by the local 459 of the IBEW.
The workers’ last contract ended May 14 at midnight; their strike went into effect a week later on May 21.
At the rally, Fleck read a press release that was prepared by Don Hoak, business manager for the Local 459 of the IBEW, to offer an update on the status of negotiations and the plans going forward.
“The Union has met with the company over the last several months in hopes of arriving at an equitable contract; however, that has not been possible,” Hoak stated in the press release.
Hoak stated that FirstEnergy Corp. played a significant role in the “Northeast Blackout,” and had major issues at David Bessie Nuclear Generating Plant. He said that the company also posted revenues of $13.627 billion and record profits of over $1.34 billion in 2008. He said that the Chief Executive Officer Tony Alexander was the top compensated Energy CEO in the United States, according to the USA Today.
“We, of course, only represent the employees (who) set the poles, maintain the sub-stations, read the meters and restore the power in all kinds of weather and conditions. The same employees that perform these tasks are working extreme amounts of overtime, in some departments averaging 1,000 hours a year or more and are now being told that there are no financial increases for them unless more of their ‘off-time’ is restricted by 19th century work rules,” Hoak stated in the press release.
“These same members of your community are being disciplined for responding to overtime callouts that the company deems unsatisfactory, in many cases discipline has been administered to individuals who answered 65 percent of callouts in excess of 140 callouts in a calendar year.”
In fact, union steward Vince Coposky said he had once been called out on Christmas. He said that he answered the callout and restored service.
“I have a family but knew the needs of this other family too,” he said.
Penelec implemented its work-continuation plan in response to the strike. FirstEnergy Corp. has utilized nearly 400 non-represented employees with previous line experience and training, stated a press release issued by FirstEnergy Corp.
Hoak, however, indicated that while Pennsylvania ratepayers have been told service will be maintained, Wellsboro residents had experienced a nine-hour outage in its entire community of 6,000. He also noted that residents had a 42-hour outage in the northeast.
“One has to wonder how a company can have 400 employees, mainly from Ohio, available to work in event of a strike. Again, (they’re) paid for by Pennsylvania ratepayers,” he said.
As a result, Hoak said that they along with both affiliated and non-affiliated AFL-CIO Unions have announced a “Two-Cents Program.” He said they have requested that Pennsylvania ratepayers pay their Penelec electric bill with a sticker and two cents attached.
“Tell Penelec to ‘Negotiate a Fair Contract,’” Hoak said.
A solidarity walk around the block followed the rally. Labor rallies were also held in Erie, Johnstown and Bradford.