Results are in on the voting on the Final Offer from NSP (dated May 14, 2015). The result is:

"For" the Offer: 25
"Against" the Offer: 617

Percentage in Favour of Offer: 4%
Percentage Against Offer: 96%

Voter Participation: 69.9% of eligible voters participated (total number of people who voted: 642)

Fortis BC locked out its IBEW unionized employees (Local 213) for six months in 2013. This blog article describes the negative effects on bargaining with a provincially regulated, privately-owned utility in a legislative environment that includes essential services legislation. The author is a labour and employment lawyer who represented COPE during the work stoppage (COPE is another union at the utility that was not locked out).

Members of the NSP bargaining unit please be aware that the secure electronic vote on NSP's final offer closes at 9am tomorrow (Tuesday). If you think you should have received a Voter Information pacakage in the mail, or if you have any questions about how to cast your vote or need a copy of the offer summary, please call the Local office. (The NSP Negotiating Team has not recommended this Final Offer, presented on May 14, 2015.)

The Unit 5 specially-called meeting will be held at the Future Inn tonight, May 28, at 7pm. The Future Inn is located at 30 Fairfax Dr, Halifax, just off the 102 at the Bayer's Lake/Lacewood Dr. exit. (NOTE: THE MEETING IS NOT AT THE JK BELL UNION CENTRE.)

Brother Ed Hill has announced that he will retire as International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), effective June 1, 2015. The International Executive Council has appointed Sixth District Vice President Lonnie Stephenson as the next International President.

President Hill was born inPennsylvania, In 1956, he joined IBEW Local 712 in Beaver, Pennsylvania as a wireman, graduating from the apprenticeship program in 1960. In 1964, Hill was elected vice president of the local, eventually becoming president. He was elected the Local's business manager in 1970. While serving as the union's business manager, Brother Hill became active in larger labour movement issues. He was elected treasurer, then vice president and Committee on Political Education (COPE, the union's political action committee) chairman. In 1982, IBEW president Charles Pillard appointed Hill to be an international representative with the national union. In 1992, Hill was appointed Third District Office International Representative. He served in that position until 1994, when he was named Third District Vice President, overseeing union activities in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware. In March 1997, Brother Hill was appointed IBEW International Secretary. In 1998, the IBEW membership, meeting in convention, voted to alter the IBEW constitution and combine the office of secretary with the office of treasurer and at that time, Brother Hill assumed the duties of both offices. In that position he streamlined the union's accounting systems and updated its record-keeping and membership databases. He also oversaw an expansion of the union's training programs, and poured new resources into organizing. As Secretary-Treasurer, Hill also built up the union's political action fund, and began its first grassroots member mobilization efforts. As a trustee, Hill also worked to improve the performance of the union's benefit and pension funds. Brother Hill was appointed IBEW President on January 29, 2001 and easily won reelection to a 5-year term at the International convention.