IBEW To
FirstEnergy: Can You Hear Us Now?
January 24, 2005
 Ground
zero for the Jersey Central Power and Light strike moved to the
Midwest recently as 30 IBEW members took the fight to FirstEnergys
doorstep, its Akron, Ohio headquarters.
Five New Jersey locals representing approximately 1,350 workers
have been on strike against FirstEnergys New Jersey subsidiary
since December 8. In early January, a group of Ohio and Pennsylvania
IBEW members employed by FirstEnergy targeted the companys Fairlawn
service building and its downtown headquarters, distributing leaflets
in support of striking IBEW members. The demonstration was also
to support IBEW members in Toledo, Ohio, and Shippingport, Pennsylvania,
who have been unable to reach contract agreements with FirstEnergy.
 "There
was no doubt that the company knew we were there," said Greg
Wolf, UCC-2 chairman. The coordinating council is comprised of
12 IBEW local unions and System Council U-3 and represents more
than 4,000 IBEW members in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey who
are FirstEnergy employees. A series of other protests are being
planned, Wolf said.
FirstEnergy, created by a series of mergers in the post-utility
deregulation consolidation of the 1990s, has been hostile to unions
since its inception. In New Jersey, the core issues are the cost
of employee health care, including coverage for retirees, overtime
work and the number of employees available in emergencies.
Union members point out that it is unreasonable to expect workers
to be available for response 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
And the companys attempt to force retirees to pay a marked increase
in health care premiums is unfair, considering the company has
had a net profit increase from $276 million in January 2004, to
$676 million at the end of last September.
Intermittent negotiations have been unsuccessful, despite the
presence of a federal mediator.
A Web site covering the negotiations with JCP&L can be visited
at www.ibew1298.org.
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