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In their collective bargaining agreement with Cowlitz Public Utilities District, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 77 negotiated wage increases for all 101 of their member employees.
At the same time, the Cowlitz PUD Board of Commissioners approved a wage increase for 78 nonunion represented employees.
Marisa Heard, manager of employee services at Cowlitz PUD, told the board the wage increases for nonunion employees reflect the need for the utility to accommodate a shifting labor market amid rising inflation.
The wage adjustment for nonunion employees went into effect April 20, requiring the utility to budget $1.5 million more for employee wage increases.
Nearly half of union employees earned a 12.75% wage increase, instead of the base 6.5%. Positions to receive higher pay include linemen, heavy equipment operator leads, apprentices, relays, meterers, fleet workers, dispatchers and substation workers.
Cowlitz PUD staff recommended 3% wage increases for all nonunion represented employees. Five nonunion superintendents received a 10% wage increase, as those positions manage and occasionally perform work done by the group receiving the 12.75% raise.
The raises come on the heels of historic labor strikes across the country, from the headline-drawing United Auto Workers strikes in Michigan to the record-breaking 75,000 health care workers at Kaiser Permanente in October. In Washington, electricians with IBEW 46 have led strikes for better pay, paid holidays and increased safety measures, for the past six weeks.
Caleb Barber is a news reporter for The Daily News covering housing and business.
