Eversource Natural Gas Employees Ratify Four-year Contract

REDDING, CT – Eversource has announced that its Connecticut natural gas employees in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 420 and 457, have ratified a new four-year contract. Working collaboratively at the bargaining table, the energy company and union leaders reached the agreement which includes a comprehensive wage and benefits package for employees and underscores Eversource’s impeccable culture of safety.

“We recognize our employees’ dedication and skill in providing safe and reliable gas service to our customers everyday − no matter what the emergency is or what the conditions are,” said Eversouce Vice President of Employee & Labor Relations Chris Hall. “This contract agreement is a win-win for our employees and our customers. It provides stability for these employees and their families, while customers continue benefitting from this top-tier team of natural gas technicians working to ensure they have safe and reliable gas service every day.”

“We were pleased to have the women and men on the committees working hard together with Eversource to achieve this fair agreement,” said Joseph Malcarne, business manager of IBEW Local 420. “This new contract shows these hard-working sisters and brothers that they are valued and needed. The contract allows, at a minimum, twenty new safe, good paying jobs for the people in Connecticut, in the next two years. Customers can feel confident in the gas system they rely on thanks in part to our committed members who will continue working on it every day.”

Key provisions of the new agreement include:

• Increasing employee safety-related training allowances
• Enhancing Call Before You Dig response to improve public safety
• Annual wage increases of 3.25 percent for the first year and 3.00 percent per year for the remaining three years of the four-year contract
• Establishing afternoon and evening shifts to support twenty-four hour coverage in the Meter Services Department
• Creation of twenty additional union positions during the term of the agreement
• Adjusting overtime premium enhancements to improve employee productivity

IBEW Locals 420 and 457 represent more than 1,500 employees in a variety of positions, including gas technicians, electric line workers, technicians and mechanics, working throughout the company’s Connecticut service area.