Published on: Thursday, October 11, 2012

By Christa Puccio

ROCKVILLE - Pepco came to a tentative agreement with its workers’ labor union on Oct. 7, but the union will not vote on this issue until Oct. 18.

"After extended negotiations over the weekend, Pepco and Local 1900, IBEW, have reached a tentative agreement,” said Myra Oppel, regional director of communications for Pepco.  “The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by the union membership.”

The union representing Pepco workers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1900 (IBEW), rejected Pepco’s “last, best and final” offer contract with a 5-1 vote on Sept. 26.  

IBEW wrote a letter to its members two weeks ago in regards to the union’s concerns with Pepco’s contract proposal.  “From the very first week Pepco made ‘take-away’ proposals,” wrote the IBEW Local 1900 Negotiating Committee in the letter.  “Taking control of our health and welfare plans, requiring our working spouses to take their employers health insurance, eliminating past practice, eliminating seniority for promotions and fundamental changes in meal allowances are but some of these proposals we faced early in negotiations.”

After IBEW rejected the contact, Pepco and IBEW met with a federal mediator and declared a media blackout.

IBEW posted on its website on Oct. 7, “After an all day session today, Sunday October 7th, Local 1900 and Pepco reached a tentative agreement on a four year contract.  Your committee will be working on publishing the details of the offer. Informational meetings will be scheduled with voting to be held on Pepco property.  As further information becomes available it will be posted on this site.”

IBEW also posted on its website that Contract Meetings will be held on Oct. 16 at 6:30PM at Greenbelt American Legion, 6900 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 and at 7:00PM at Baden Volunteer Fire Station, 16608 Brandywine Road, Brandywine, Maryland 20613.