Here’s everything to know about the potential Peco worker strike
The company’s unionized linemen, call center workers and other employees are voting on Saturday on whether to authorize a strike.
Peco workers plan to vote Saturday on whether to authorize a strike amid union contract negotiations, which would pave the way for a work stoppage.
The company and the union have been bargaining for months and they have reached some agreements, a Peco spokesperson said Friday. But wages and benefits have become sticking points, the union has said.
Bargaining turned ugly last month, as both sides filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
Contract negotiations between the union and Peco are expected to continue, with the next session planned for June 3, and additional sessions scheduled that month and the following one.
When could Peco workers go on strike?
Passing a strike authorization vote does not guarantee that workers will walk off the job. Unions can pass the vote to gain leverage in negotiations.
But if workers do authorize a strike, their union could call for a work stoppage at any time. The union has not said when that could be.
Have Peco workers gone on strike in the past?
If this group of Peco workers walks off the job, it would be the first work stoppage in the company’s history. Since unionizing, they have never before seen their contract expire without a new one in place.
Peco workers voted to join the union in 2004, and according to union president Larry Anastasi, ratified their first contract in 2007.
How many Peco workers could walk off the job? What do they do? How much do they get paid?
IBEW Local 614 represents roughly 1,500 Peco employees including call center employees, as well as gas and electric field workers who maintain electric and gas infrastructure.
Linemen, who repair and maintain power lines are some of the union’s highest paid workers, and made on average over $243,500 last year in wages, including overtime.
» READ MORE: These Peco employees do dangerous work at all hours. Their union is pushing for a better retirement package.
What does each side want?
Workers are seeking higher wages in a new contract and a uniform retirement plan for all members. Some 600 workers who were hired in recent years don’t have a pension, while others who do have a pension have different terms.
Peco spokesperson Candice Womer said the company “continues to offer competitive wages and benefits that compare favorably with industry peers across the region.”
What does a Peco strike mean for my electricity? What happens if there’s an outage during a strike?
Peco has a contingency plan in place in case workers walk off the job, the company’s chief operating officer, Nicole LeVine, said in late March. LeVine said the plan is confidential and declined to share details, but noted that customers shouldn’t experience any changes in service.
“If there’s severe weather, we’ll be able to restore any service issues,” LeVine said. “The customer should not see any impact to their reliability or service.”
How many customers does Peco service?
In Southeastern Pennsylvania, Peco provides electricity to 1.7 million customers, and natural gas to 553,000.
