After months of ongoing contract negotiations, the union representing over 1,200 National Grid employees working on natural gas and power plants reached its second tentative agreement in as many months early Saturday morning, averting a potential strike set to start that day.
The employees, who are unionized under the International Electrical Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1049, voted down the first tentative agreement reached on Feb. 15 between their union and National Grid by 617-252 on March 6.
In contrast to that first tentative agreement, this one has been endorsed by the union’s business manager, Pat Guidice.
“The members rejected the first tentative agreement that came through because it didn’t meet their expectations for wages and the cost of medical care was too high,” said Guidice, who called the new tentative agreement an improvement. “Now, this is a good agreement. It doesn’t give us everything we want, but the employer didn’t get everything they wanted, either.”
“National Grid and IBEW 1049 on Long Island signed a new tentative collective bargaining agreement that provides job security, fair wage increases, and equitable retirement and medical benefits for our workers,” Wendy Frigeria, a spokesperson for National Grid said in a statement around 5 a.m. Saturday morning, the day a strike was set to start, had a tentative agreement not been reached. “This is a fair contract that respects our dedicated workforce of IBEW 1049.”
Guidice said the tentative agreement included wage increases that keep pace with inflation, reduce the cost of healthcare for members and improvements to a 401k, life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment plans. However, he said he was disappointed the agreement did not include the pension improvements or medical plan he had been hoping it would.
Now, the tentative agreement will be put before members for a vote, which is scheduled to take place between April 8 and April 18. It requires a majority vote to be ratified.
Guidice said he will hold an April 8 membership meeting to speak with the union employees about the contract so they are informed before casting their ballot.
“I believe this contract will pass because the members are economically savvy enough to recognize improvements,” Guidice added. “Every contract is incremental. The contract has no concessions and nothing but improvements.”
