It was announced Friday, September 19, 2014, that Oncor Electric Delivery is now on the auction block. Let the bidding war begin! Sources reported the auction for Oncor would not begin until the first of the year however, the powers that be probably thought about getting a tentative deal in place before the Texas Legislators convene in January 2015.
Sources have reported NextEra and the Hunt group are still interested in the acquisition of Oncor. The deal to take over Oncor would ultimately require the approval of the Texas Public Utility Commission. Brothers and sisters please continue to pray that a reputable company buys Oncor Electric Delivery so that we will have people in place that believe their employees are their greatest asset and treat them accordingly.
Since the last Craftsman article, Oncor terminated the crew in Jacksonville, Texas, that had an accident. Everyone on the crew was terminated except for the crew member at home recovering from his injuries. Also, the Troubleman at the West DOC that was on crisis suspension was terminated. The Union has filed grievances and will be arbitrating these cases to try and win the jobs back for these brothers.
Never go into an investigative meeting with the company without union representation. If Oncor cannot fire an employee for job performance, they ask questions until they trip you up then fire you for not being truthful.
If the following interview sounds familiar, you probably work at Oncor.
Company: Good afternoon, employee this is a formal investigation. You must be forthcoming and tell the truth. You cannot discuss this investigation with anyone. Do you understand? Employee: Yes. Company: Did you attend the tailboard conference at the job on Main Street? Employee: I think so. Company: Did you sign the tailboard sheet? Employee: I don’t remember that was a month ago. Company: This is important; don’t you remember signing the tailboard sheet? Employee: No, I do not remember signing the tailboard sheet. Company: Is this your signature? Employee: Yes. Company: We knew it, you have not been truthful with us we are placing you on crisis suspension. Call your Supervisor every morning to get an update. We will call you in a month or two months to let you know what we decide.
Unfortunately, this is similar to what employees at Oncor are subjected to. The sale of Oncor
cannot happen soon enough. There has been another employee recently placed on crisis
suspension in the Killeen area. Shame on you Bob Shappard for allowing this company to treat employees the way they are being treated.
Our brothers and sisters at Fox 4 KDFW-TV are continuing contract negotiations. The parties have reached a tentative agreement on the contractual changes. We have not come to an agreement on the wage increase the company has proposed. Again, this is a tentative agreement and will remain so, until the Union Committee decides we have the best offer available from the company to take to the membership for a vote. The Union Negotiating Committee will propose dates in October to negotiate wages with the Company.
The following is a schedule for our upcoming Unit Meetings in October. I look forward to seeing everyone that can attend a meeting.
October 7 – Tuesday – Waco - Hampton Inn North – 5 pm
October 8 – Wednesday – Salado – Holiday Inn Express – 5 pm
October 9 – Thursday – Jacksonville – Best Western – 5 pm
October 14 – Tuesday – Brownwood – Holiday Inn Express – 5 pm
October 15 – Wednesday – Snyder - Holiday Inn Express – 5 pm
October 16 – Thursday – Odessa - Elegante Hotel – 5 pm
October 21 – Tuesday – Wichita Falls - Holiday Inn At The Falls – 5 pm
October 22 – Wednesday – Bonham - VFW Hall – 5 pm
October 23 – Thursday – Lewisville - Select Inn – 5 pm
October 28 – Tuesday - Dallas – 1408 N Washington – 5 pm
October 30 – Thursday - Fort Worth – Holiday Inn Express – 5 pm
Until next time, may God bless you, your family, our local union, and the future owners of Oncor.