Click Here to Help Organize Your Workplace and Join the IBEW News: NTIA Announces Broadband BEAD Funding for Each State The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has recently announced the amount of broadband funding each state will receive under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.  A total of 42.45 billion dollars has been allocated for broadband buildout under the BEAD program.  This broadband expansion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for organizing in the Telecommunications branch of the IBEW.  See below for the amount your state will receive: Alabama $1,401,221,901.77 Alaska $1,017,139,672.42 Arizona $993,112,231.37 Arkansas $1,024,303,993.86 California $1,864,136,508.93 Colorado $826,522,650.41 Connecticut $144,180,792.71 Delaware $107,748,384.66 District of Columbia $100,694,786.93 Florida $1,169,947,392.70 Georgia $1,307,214,371.30 Hawaii $149,484,493.57 Idaho $583,256,249.88 Illinois $1,040,420,751.50 Indiana $868,109,929.79 Iowa $415,331,313.00 Kansas $451,725,998.15 Kentucky $1,086,172,536.86 Louisiana $1,355,554,552.94 Maine $271,977,723.07 Maryland $267,738,400.71 Massachusetts $147,422,464.39 Michigan $1,559,362,479.29 Minnesota $651,839,368.20 Mississippi $1,203,561,563.05 Missouri $1,736,302,708.39 Montana $628,973,798.59 Nebraska $405,281,070.41 Nevada $416,666,229.74 New Hampshire $196,560,278.97 New Jersey $263,689,548.65 New Mexico $675,372,311.86 New York $664,618,251.49 North Carolina $1,532,999,481.15 North Dakota $130,162,815.12 Ohio $793,688,107.63 Oklahoma $797,435,691.25 Oregon $688,914,932.17 Pennsylvania $1,161,778,272.41 Rhode Island $108,718,820.75 South Carolina $551,535,983.05 South Dakota $207,227,523.92 Tennessee $813,319,680.22 Texas $3,312,616,455.45 Utah $317,399,741.54 Vermont $228,913,019.08 Virginia $1,481,489,572.87 Washington $1,227,742,066.30 West Virginia $1,210,800,969.85 Wisconsin $1,055,823,573.71 Wyoming $347,877,921.27 Important Dates: 2023 Fall Council Meetings, October 16th through October 18th, in St. Petersburg, Florida. 2024 BMT, April 22nd through April 26th, in Cleveland, Ohio. Click to read more Telecommunications News...

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Telecommunications

Director: Robert J. Prunn

202 728-6160

Telecommunications@ibew.org

About The Telecommunications Department:

Since its invention in the 1870’s, the telephone has become essential to our everyday life. Over the last 150 years, technology has revolutionized how we communicate with the rest of the world. Beginning in 1897 with the first local union of telephone operators, the IBEW has always been committed to servicing and advancing the telecommunications industry.

IBEW members are involved in all aspects of the field from telephone, to cable and satellite television, to wireless systems. Employees erect telephones lines, run lines into buildings, lay cables, install, maintain, and repair equipment, and service the community. As new means of communications are developed, they will continue to grow with the industry.

Through negotiated collective bargaining agreements with communications companies across the United States and Canada, the IBEW Telecommunications Department ensures that the rights of its 50,000 members are protected and that their interests are represented.It also helps strengthen local unions through training, research, and organizing.

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NLRB/FCC Updates

NLRB Rules Employer Must Supply Subcontractor Agreements to the Union

The NLRB has issued an award in the DirectSat v. IBEW 21 case ruling in the Union’s favor.  The award requires DirectSat to supply the Union will a “full, unredacted” copy of its contract with DirecTV (referred to as a “Home Service Provider” agreement).  The Board said that because DirectSat made a proposal which referenced this Home Service Provider agreement, the Union was clearly entitled to it.

NLRB Overturns Union Organizing Win for Minor Voting Delay

In the attached unpublished NLRB ruling (Bronx Lobster v. Machinists), the Board overturned the majority vote of employees of Bronx Lobster who voted 14 to 12 to unionize.  The rationale for setting aside the vote was that there was a 7 minute delay in opening the polls.  There were 4 employees in the unit who didn’t vote.  The Board ruled that even though there was absolutely no evidence that the delay caused any of these 4 not to vote, it still had the “potential” to “disenfranchise” these 4 employees.  The Board used this to justify ruling against the union since had those 4 employees voted against the union, the employer would have prevailed.  Interestingly, the Board Agent running the election was the one who caused the 7 minute delay. 

NLRB Rules Union Does Have a Right to “Overscale” Wage Contracts

The Denver Musicians’ Association has a contract with the Colorado Symphony that allows individual musicians to negotiate a wage rate above the rates in the CBA.  After an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate a higher wage with the employer, one of the musicians filed a complaint with the Union because she believed the employer’s offer was unfair and was less than wages being paid to other male musicians.  The Union requested a copy of all “overscale” contracts from the employer.  The employer refused on the basis that the Union waived its right to information because it agreed to allow individual employees to negotiate their own wages.  The Board ruled that a waiver of any bargaining rights by the Union (which includes the right to information) must be “clear and unmistakable” and cannot be inferred because the Union waived its right to bargain “overscale” wages.