Schoolhouse Electric's Beautiful Products Now Assembled by IBEW 48 Members

Back in 2022 a group of employees began the process of organizing and educating themselves about the process to unionize their workplace. With the help of the IBEW team they engaged in the process and worked over the past year and a half to come to this moment where they now have the protections of a new contract thanks to the power of collective bargaining.

Here is an excerpt from a recent article from NW Labor Press.

A unit of about 50 electrical manufacturing workers at Schoolhouse Electric in Portland started 2024 with their first union contract as members of IBEW Local 48.

The three-year agreement sets starting wages at $20 an hour, up from $18 an hour. Workers with at least nine months experience immediately received a 3% wage increase or 50 cents per hour pay bump, whichever was higher.

The agreement also:

• Guarantees workers get paid time and a half if they work more than eight hours in a day, or on weekends.
• Provides 2% cost of living raises on July 1 of 2024 and 2025, and a 2.5% cost of living raise on July 1, 2026.
• Improves the attendance policy by adding a 15-minute grace period before a worker is considered tardy and increasing how many offenses must occur to trigger discipline.

Workers ratified the contract with 85% approval during a vote Dec. 15, and the contract took effect Jan. 2. It expires March 31, 2027.   

Read the full story and past articles at www.NWLaborPress.org