A vote was recently scheduled concerning a dispute regarding the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s employees and their new labor pact. The board has requested mediation because a new contract has yet to be determined, following nine months of negotiations. The current contract, which was in place for seven years after a two year extension to the initial five year agreement, is set to expire March 31, 2016. The contract is between the Eugene Water & Electric Board and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 659, representing many employees of EWEB.

Twice now the union has rejected tentative agreements, one which was presented in September and the other two months later in November. Since then, two information hearings have been held throughout December. These hearings coincided with EWEB’s request for mediation. Representatives from the union say they want to put the pact up for another vote before a third party becomes part of the process. There is optimism the dispute could be resolved, but nobody is sure exactly how the most recent vote would go. According to one union representative, “No one is throwing the gauntlet down. We’re still discussing the issues.”

Someone from EWEB stated they are asking for a mediator just to move the process forward at a faster pace. The request was not intended to threaten or intimidate, but to organize talks and keep them focused on an end result. According to Oregon law, parties to labor negotiations are able to request mediation after 150 days of bargaining has occurred.