Pepco Workers OK New 4-Year Deal

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)IBEW 1900 membership overwhelmingly ratified a new 4-year deal with Pepco last Thursday. In addition to a 10.1% wage increase over the life of the contract, “Our health and welfare plans are protected along with our pension and 401(k) plans (and) increases in our out-of-pocket medical costs were limited,” reports Local 1900 president Jim Griffin, noting that “Some categories will not increase at all.” Griffin said that the membership’s 5-1 rejection of Pepco's offer in September “was the difference in reaching an agreement. It took us five months to get to a ‘Last, Best and Final’ but less than a week to get an agreement. Pepco listened to the membership.” Griffin also credited a “top-notch” negotiating committee with “over 200 years of Pepco experience among the 7-member committee. They sacrificed a lot for the nearly 6-month ordeal reaching an agreement with Pepco. I really appreciate their knowledge, experience and hard work.”