Negotiations Halt Plans For Electric Cooperative Strike

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Negotiations will resume Monday between between management and the union representing workers at the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, delaying for now plans for a strike.

New Hampshire Public Radio reports that union members had planned to strike after voting 79 to 1 to reject the company’s contract offer. But Dick Rogers, business manager for IBEW Local 1837, says the strike plan has been halted because the co-op agreed to continue negotiations on Monday.

One of the main sticking points was the utility’s provision to allow for changing pension and retirement plans for lineworkers without negotiation.

The utility, which has 84,000 customers in 115 communities, has a contingency plan to provide for adequate coverage of power outages and protect public safety in the event of a strike.