PEC linemen reject unionization proposal
JOHNSON CITY – A vote to unionize more than 200 Pedernales Electric Cooperative lineman and equipment operators failed Jan. 19 by a vote of 127-78, according to PEC officials.
The balloting to become members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was open to eligible PEC employees in Bertram, Canyon Lake, Cedar Park, Junction, Kyle, Liberty Hill, Marble Falls and Oak Hill.
The election, held Jan. 18 and 19, was conducted by the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of a select group of PEC employees seeking acceptance into the Houston-based chapter of IBEW, officials said. The proposal required 50 plus 1 percent of the vote for approval.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate our linemen’s faith in myself and the board to support them in their employment at PEC,” PEC General Manager R.B. Sloan said in a statement Thursday night. “Skilled linemen and operators are crucial to helping us provide the quality and reliability of service our members have come to expect from us, and we certainly aren’t lacking in talent, ability and professionalism from our employees.”
Attempts to contact the unionization coordinator for the area were unsuccessful.
IBEW has 700,000 members in the United States and Canada, the union says.
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