Vermont IBEW: Proposed Rules Jeopardize Telecom Workers
February 9, 2011
Montpelier, Vt., Local 2326 is raising objections to Gov. Peter Shumlin’s plan to relax pole attachment regulations, a move that the union says will pose a safety risk to line workers and the public.
Shumlin recommended loosening attachment regulations as part of his $13 million plan to improve cell phone service and bring broadband to every part of the state. Shumlin says that slashing the rules will help local telecoms – which have already received more than $200 million in stimulus funds to ensure statewide broadband coverage – save money.
Says Local 2326 Business Manager Michael Spillane:
It is a safety threat to any line worker. There are more than enough hazards out there without the government creating more on-the-job dangers.
Shumlin’s proposal would relax existing regulations requiring live cables to be a certain height off the ground, which can vary based on location.
Spillane says:
It’s a big risk to take just to squeeze out a few extra cents,” “Lowering the lines increases the chances of workers coming into contact with high-voltage power and for trucks to get tangled in the wires.
Spillane also says that improperly placed lines could threaten the structural integrity of the poles, leading to collapse.
Shumlin told the legislature that he will submit the new regulation easements shortly. A similar piece of legislation was defeated in Maine last year, thanks in part to the efforts of mobilized IBEW members, says Augusta Local 2327 Business Manager Peter McLaughlin.
The Maine Fiber Co. – a small nonunion telecom which had received a $26 million grant to install fiber-optic cables – had requested that the state legislature relax pole attachment regulations, posing a direct threat to workers’ safety, McLaughlin says.
Spillane says Local 2326 – which represents telecommunication workers throughout Vermont – is gearing up to lobby elected officials on the importance of upholding existing safety rules.
He says:
We have a group of linemen ready to visit members of the appropriate committees to make it clear how important safety is to them and their families.
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