Home > Our Employees > Working with Our Unions

Working with Our Unions

Photo: Lewis Stewart Approximately 65 percent of PG&E’s employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements with three labor unions: the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245, the Engineers and Scientists of California (ESC) IFPTE Local 20 and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 24/7.

Collaboration between the company and its unions is critical to meeting the challenges facing the business and to achieving PG&E’s vision to be the leading utility. Together, we are working to improve service, embrace new technologies and strengthen PG&E’s culture.

Key Activities and Highlights

Last year, the company reached a major agreement with its unions on health care, providing a new cost structure for active IBEW, ESC and SEIU-represented employees that gives current employees additional medical plan choices and also addresses retiree medical benefits. Importantly, the negotiations involved numerous collaborative educational meetings where the company and its unions learned together about key health care issues from third-party experts.

The company and the SEIU reached a new three-year agreement that was ratified by SEIU-represented employees in 2009. Three current agreements (benefits, IBEW physical and ESC) expire in 2011, while the IBEW clerical agreement expires in 2010.

Both the IBEW and ESC last year provided critical support to help simplify the processes we use to estimate projects and schedule construction and corresponding equipment and materials, and this work will continue in 2010. Additionally, by agreeing to support greater workforce flexibility in several areas, the IBEW is helping us work better, faster and more efficiently.

As we pursue ownership of new renewable generating resources, the company and IBEW are also working together to reach agreements for new employee classifications and working conditions.

Beginning in 2010, the IBEW leadership will be meeting with small groups of employees to review the IBEW's Code of Excellence. The Code encourages employees to seek ways to perform work more efficiently and ensure that the work of IBEW members meets the highest standards. Working together, the company and IBEW will also host sessions with employees on the importance of employee and public safety.