An Update on Our Ongoing Prefabrication Grievances

There is new information on our on-going pre-fabrication grievances. NECA filed unilaterally to take this issue to CIR again, and this time CIR made a ruling. We have put the decision, which includes an MOU that both parties are instructed to sign, on our website at the link below. The decision is certainly not perfect by any means, but it could have been much worse.

Prefab Decision Documentation

According to the CIR decision, pre-fab work that is performed on a construction site must be done by journeymen and apprentices working under the terms and conditions of the Commercial/Industrial Agreement. For pre-fab work that does not require a license and is performed in a pre-fab shop within Local 48’s jurisdiction, the work can now be done at a ratio of 1 journeyman, 1 apprentice, and 2 material handlers. All pre-fab that would normally require a license must be done by our journeymen and apprentices, even if it is being done in a pre-fab shop. This new ratio can only be used in the pre-shop and never on a construction site.

Although I had hoped to preserve pre-fab work exclusively for journeymen and apprentices to the extent legally allowed, this ratio is far better than what NECA was proposing, and the work is still performed by our members. This decision also says that this now settles all pre-fab grievances to date, and that we have to withdraw or dismiss all legal actions up to this point. Again, this is not exactly what we were hoping for, but at least this work cannot be done by companies/contractors that undercut us financially, which is what the original grievances and our lawsuit were all about. We will have more discussion under my report at the January General Membership meeting.

Garth Bachman
Business Manager
IBEW Local 48