MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – By Thursday night employees of one of the county's largest employers will know if they will be represented by a union.
An estimated 219 workers at Calpine's geothermal plant at The Geysers are eligible to vote in the election, which will decide whether they will join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245.
The election, which began Wednesday, will have three more polling times at two locations on Calpine property on Thursday, according to Mike Farmer, a member of the Calpine Workers Organizing Committee.
Following the close of polling at 8 p.m. Thursday, the ballots will be counted at the Calpine Visitor Center in Middletown, Farmer said.
The union needs 50 percent plus one of the vote to win the secret ballot election.
Farmer, who was a polling observer on Wednesday night, estimated that 70 to 85 percent of the Calpine workers eligible to vote cast ballots on the election’s first day.
“I think a lot of people are anxious to get this over and see where we go from here,” he said.
In support of the effort, the organizing committee launched www.calpineworkerstogether.com.
The union drive has strong opposition from some employees.
Tim Janke, a power plant operator who has worked for Calpine for six years, agrees with Farmer that employees want the matter to be settled, but that’s one of the few opinions they share when it comes to union-related matters.
Janke launched a Web site, www.calpineunionfree.com, last month in an effort to provide the anti-union perspective.
The site has the signatures of 76 anti-union supporters, and highlights concerns about potential financial impacts for the workers.
“The 76 people on that union-free list are taking a lot of risk,” said Janke, adding, “We’re just out there by ourselves.”
Janke, who used to be in a union, says a union adds another layer of bureaucracy, and that fighting unionization is a risk worth taking for those who oppose IBEW coming in.
According to his calculations, Janke said some Calpine employees stand to lose up to $40,000 a year in stocks, yearly bonuses and other incentives if the vote goes in the union's favor. He said anti-union workers just want to keep what they have.
Asked for comment about the election, Norma Dunn, Calpine’s vice president of corporate communications, said Calpine greatly values its employees, and works hard to to maintain good, safe working conditions, competitive compensation and one of the best benefits packages in our industry.
“Calpine also respects our employees’ right to consider unionization as provided under the National Labor Relations Act in a process which assures employees make an informed decision,” Dunn said in a written statement.
Dunn added that Calpine, working directly with its employees, has provided and remains committed to providing industry-leading compensation, benefits, equity, career progression and safety programs.
A divisive process
Farmer, a 27-year Geysers employee – 12 years at Calpine, and 15 years for Pacific Gas and Electric before that – said that the effort to unionize began last summer, with the first general meeting held Sept. 1.
IBEW Local 1245 was the union that represented PG&E employees at The Geysers before Calpine came on the scene, and the union also represents workers at Northern California Power Agency’s operations at The Geyser, Farmer said.
“They’re just a natural fit,” he said. “They know the business. They know the issues.”
There had been a previous attempt to unionize with IBEW Local 1245, both Janke and Farmer said.
Janke said the union backed out; Farmer said employees circulated a petition not to hold an election after a new Calpine chief executive officer took over, with staff deciding to give him a chance.
Farmer said the most recent push to unionize grew out of concerns that the company can do whatever it wants, with no repercussions.
“We have no way of countering anything that they decide they want to do or take away,” he said.
For Farmer, it was a human resources investigation last year – in which he alleges that several people were railroaded – that led him to decide union representation was needed. He said his boss was demoted, another manager was relocated, and some rank and file employees were disciplined based on hearsay.
“It just made me realize how little protections we have without some representation,” he said.
Farmer said there also are inequities in wages and benefits that union representation would help work out. He said the pro-union workers “just want to stop the bleeding at this point.”
He said that three weeks ago the effort to unionize wasn’t looking so good, but since then there has been an increase in support.
“At this point I’m feeling extremely optimistic about it,” he said, adding that he feels the results will be close.
If the campaign has gained momentum, it is likely in part due to IBEW’s ability to gain the ear of Gov. Jerry Brown last month as well as that of former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who met with Calpine workers in Cobb Jan. 12 to urge them to unionize, as Lake County News has reported.
Farmer said he and other Calpine organizing committee members met with the governor for about 20 minutes, discussing with him their concerns that they were not being allowed a free and fair union election.
He said that anti-union consultants were brought in by Calpine in late October and staffers have been required to meet with them for 10 to 20 minutes once a week. Farmer said the consultants have told employees that unions are bad and are “just trying to stir up fear in people.”
Janke said the consultants are experts on unions, and said reports of intimidation are unfounded. The union-free team members “are just defending what we have.”
He and Farmer also have very different perceptions of the impact of the unionization effort on employee morale.
Farmer said there is tension, but it’s not widespread, and overall the moon has been civil. He said a small group is to blame for the tension that does exist.
Janke said the impact has been noticeably negative, with relationships between coworkers strained.
“It’s bad,” he said. “It’s not a good situation.”
He said three of the Calpine power plant workers with whom he works most closely are pro-union, but the divisions aren’t affecting their work.
“We’re professional and we don’t really even talk about it,” he said.
Janke worries that “all the emotions and distractions are going to get worse” if the union gets the votes it needs.
Farmer is hopeful that workers will continue to have positive relationships, however the vote goes.
“No matter how it turns out, we’re hoping that people can still be productive and respectful,” he said.
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