A major point of contention, according to the Company and the union, is GMP's proposal to create a second shift for line workers that would significantly speed up response to trouble calls after 3:30 p.m. Under the current union contract, all line crews stop work at 3:30 p.m. each day, and have to be called back if customers lose power. "This often creates an unnecessary delay in getting people back on line," Schnure said.

Schnure said GMP is prepared to continue negotiations "at any time the federal mediator calls us back to the table."

No further talks are scheduled.

According to Green Mountain Power Corporation the problems with the union contract taks started when the company proposed modest changes in its union contract that would result in faster customer service response to "trouble calls" that occur in the late afternoon and early evening hours.

In return for the new work rules, the Company proposed to its unionized employees a three-year contract that includes wage increases, expanded vacation time and a change in the Company's retirement system that would lower the age for full retirement from 60 to 59.

The new work rules, proposed by the Company, would give GMP the ability to offer its line crews a voluntary four-day/10 hour-per-day work week, which would allow the employee three days off per week. GMP is also proposing a new work rule that would give it the right to establish two "night trouble crews." These new crews would allow GMP to move towards guaranteed delivery of service and to respond to customer "trouble calls" without calling in off-duty crews for problems that occur after 3 p.m. during any work day.

As anyone working 10 or 12 hours know, the extra 2 or 4 hours gets old when you have to do it everyday. Also Employers tend to offer nice incentives to get the employee working the long hours and odd hours. IBM once offered generous weekend, 12-hour, and night differentials. And then IBM tacked one differential on another, which I had never heard of. So a person who worked at night got
(base-pay) +
(base-pay)(overtime) +
(base-pay)(overtime)(12-hour-differential) +
(base-pay)(overtime)(12-hour-differential)(night-differential).

So, even non-overtime was pretty close to 40% extra for working a 12-hour night shift. Then you when you at 50% to that.... And for over-time, IBM also paid mileage (or fare to get to and from work) and meals. When IBM had to drop their P.C. price from $3500 for just the computer box and a keyboard to under $1000 for everything included, something had to give. Guess what? Now IBM offers about 10% less for both differentials. And they no longer offer the stacking of differentials.

Now that the night shift premium is only seen as a little more than 10% of the 12-hour employee's paycheck, night shift is no longer as attractive. Also, the 12 hours are no longer as attractive to anyone at IBM. About the only thing that really makes it palatable is the extra day off you have to do what you want. Because after working the long week (or weekend) you'll want to sleep half of the first day off.