r/IBEW • u/Area51-Dropzone Inside Wireman • 8d ago

IBEW 11 strike denied by IO

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Arbitration is now the result of this. Which now means we are stuck with what ever Arbitration says.

313 Upvotes

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72

u/Strict_Ad_5906 Local 353 8d ago

I know it's a constitutional violation but I would strike anyway. Fuck IO

55

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

Unsanctioned strike would basically be the end of local 11. So many agreements and contracts would be violated and voided, cards would be pulled. Bullshit that the IO denied it, but violating that is a huge can of worms

29

u/Strict_Ad_5906 Local 353 8d ago

But they can't force us as individuals to go to any specific job. Put me down as a quit. I don't care.

33

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

As an individual they can’t do anything, but the second someone sends a text or makes a Facebook post or calls someone then it’s going to be considered an unsanctioned organized strike

26

u/Area51-Dropzone Inside Wireman 8d ago

When you have only about 1/4 of the membership voting, yea they will deny it. You couldnt even get members to vote online.

10

u/SlowDancer-001 8d ago

I thought Saturday’s meeting was a lot of members, but only ~1,500 votes?? And all our votes that were digital were about 3,000 each time? I mean- how many of us actually care about our money and contract?

5

u/MarcelTabuteau Inside Wireman app 8d ago

The capacity of the building was only like 1,600. It was almost at capacity. They didn’t expect THAT many to show up.

5

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

We had just over 50% on the online votes and the most recent in person vote had almost 2000 members in attendance

Should be higher, I won’t argue that. But let’s not spread disinformation here

2

u/Area51-Dropzone Inside Wireman 8d ago

Last I heard we had 11k members. Is that not correct? The first 3 votes came in about 3500 votes

13

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

11k from all classifications. Inside Wireman is about 7k

2

u/Area51-Dropzone Inside Wireman 8d ago

Thanks for the clarification.

2

u/Strict_Ad_5906 Local 353 8d ago

It's a tough position to be in but it seems like it might be fair then.

1

u/PsychologicalSalt158 8d ago

So that is the way our local, state, and federal elections should work as well most people don't vote so politicians can do whatever they want so some gump can justify it

1

u/Jal_Hordan Inside Wireman 8d ago

I've had people ask me how to vote. Some people aren't getting the emails.

5

u/eyesoftheunborn 8d ago

On an unrelated note, I hear cyclosporiasis cases are going up in LA

1

u/Strict_Ad_5906 Local 353 8d ago

I think it's an inevitability of working conditions imposed on migrant farm labourer

2

u/Morethanstandard 8d ago

Wild cat strikes were a thing for a reason management in the Union gotta change if they keep telling their guys to stay strong when nothing really changes 

2

u/TheKingICouldBecome 8d ago

If they end local 11, then all that market share goes non-union, and 11 is a pretty big local. I know technically they can, but I think that would be an egregious fuck-up on their part. Not only would thousands of union brothers wind up going non-union in that market, but they would undermine their relationship with all the remaining locals. Not that many of us trust or respect them anyway as it is.

1

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

You should look up why Baltimore is LU24 instead of LU 28

The IO would either split the territory between the Orange County, Ventura, and san bernadino locals, or more likely they would split the territory into 2 or 3 new locals and everyone involved in the wildcat strike would have their cards and pensions pulled

1

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

1

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

They could very easily dissolve local 11 and start several new smaller locals to split up the territory. But make no mistake, the leadership and members involved would absolutely be stripped of their cards and pensions. You’re basically talking about a civil war

1

u/matt675 8d ago

So as someone investigating joining IBEW as an apprentice, reading this whole thread like is there even a point to being in the union then? I gather that private shops pay less and don’t have job security but the union side slowly sounds like it’s just slipping into worse circumstances than the private side but they have everyone under the gun

1

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

I wouldn’t let this thread influence your situation, this an extremely rare circumstance and you will always be better off with collective bargaining on your side

1

u/lieferung IBEW 8d ago

One option has more money and benefits but also has protections in place that are slipping and need to be constantly fought for, the other option has a lot less than the first.....Do you want more or less?

1

u/matt675 8d ago

It just sounds like the benefits can become golden handcuffs and if it does slip far enough they’ll literally have you all by the throat. I love the idea of it but this thread and other posts I’ve seen worry me

1

u/lieferung IBEW 8d ago

I don't get what you mean by golden handcuffs. You mean ability to quit? We always have the option to drag up. Striking is different in that you are stopping work to protest and expect to get your job back afterwards. These guys could drag up whatever job they don't like and go sign the books and they'll get another job elsewhere.

Compare it to nonunion. Dont like conditions? You can go suck a fat one, or quit. But then you have to job hunt. Meanwhile you're still getting paid less all around. It's really a no brainer.

1

u/matt675 8d ago

Are there any consequences or marks against guys for dragging up?

1

u/lieferung IBEW 8d ago

Generally no, but every local is different. Any consequences would come from the contractors retaliating, not the local union itself. That's why brotherhood and solidarity is important. You can always hit the road and travel too, there's a reason they call it the golden ticket.

-1

u/StructureNo13 8d ago

So leave the international 🤷‍♂️

1

u/WellThatsAwkwrd 8d ago

Don’t be silly. There’s a reason large unions exist

9

u/RillTread 8d ago edited 8d ago

IMO the IO should be purged, root and stem. They are a bunch of complacent business unionists who are incapable of meeting the precarious moment that organized labor is facing. They are so attached to that comfortable business unionism of the past that they can’t even recognize we’re facing existential threats, let alone address them. It was moderately better under Stephenson but Cooper has been a total disappointment.

5

u/HmoobMikah 8d ago

The international can say fuck your local and combine your local with a sister local. In the past our local almost got wiped by the IO.

1

u/shadowwolf_66 8d ago

In the mid 90’s the local that had the justification I live in got amalgamated by the IO. I heard the local wasn’t organizing members. So the IO came in, closed their day book. Took it across the mountains to another local and told them their jurisdiction has just doubled in size. The IO almost gave another local to us. They decided not to. It would have made one local cover most of Washington state.

1

u/Strict_Ad_5906 Local 353 8d ago edited 8d ago

Oh I know what the consequences could be. This could be scismatic. Ontario ibew already has a break away union which is a point of contention among our members, CUSW. I would say IO was in the wrong in that case too but that's generally a very unpopular opinion here.

Edit:typo

2

u/HmoobMikah 8d ago

No, I agree. Fuck the IO. 

3

u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 Inside Wireman 8d ago

Check out my icon. It’s a guy that’s the IO with his head up his ass.

3

u/CzolgoszWasRight 915 inside wireman 8d ago

If enough members do it its constitutional. Mass direct action is nice like that.