Possible strike vote looms as National Grid, union continue contract talks

National Grid headquarters at 175 E. Old Country Rd., Hicksville, on June 18, 2021. Credit: /Howard Simmons
Twelve hundred unionized workers for National Grid on Long Island could vote as soon as Wednesday night on authorizing a strike against the British-based gas company as union leaders near deadlines in negotiations over a new multi-year contract.
In a message to members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1049 last week, union leaders said a strike authorization vote would have to take place before the workers’ contract expires at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 13.
In an interview Tuesday, Pat Guidice, business manager for the local, said, “We’re making progress, but not progress where I need to make it." He declined to provide specifics.
The parties began preliminary bargaining for a new contract in December, and the talks began in earnest in January. In addition to field and office workers for the natural gas operations, which serve some 600,000 customers, National Grid employs several hundred unionized workers who operate and maintain power plants under contract to the Long Island Power Authority in Northport, Island Park and Port Jefferson, plus smaller plants across the Island.
Union members have been called to a meeting on Wednesday, after which a strike authorization vote could be required “if we cannot successfully arrive at an agreement," the message to workers said.
Guidice stressed that talks "haven’t broken down. We’re meeting regularly, including this morning. Our discussions have been ongoing and continuing, but there’s a thought the company is not going to be able to meet our requests on certain parts of the contract.”
In an emailed statement, National Grid spokeswoman Wendy Frigeria said the company was “engaged in good-faith negotiations” with the union.
“We recognize the significant contributions of our employees in helping to deliver natural gas and power generation safely and reliably and meeting our commitment to our customers,” she said, adding the company’s aim is to reach an agreement that’s “fair and equitable to all parties and meets the needs of our employees and customers alike.”
Guidice said unionized workers need to be able to stay ahead of inflation while keeping medical and retirement benefits competitive. He pointed to strong profits reported by the parent company in November, bolstered by an average $33-a-month rate increase for New York customers approved by the state Public Service Commission last year, as signs of the company's financial health.
“Our workers have worked diligently and faithfully for those record profits,” including through the COVID-19 pandemic, Guidice said. “We’re not looking to profit off anything. We’re just need to be able to maintain our standard of living here on Long Island.”
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