Energy Resources  Customer Services Mar 17 2026
Ep. 44

Energy Resources Customer Services Mar 17 2026

Episode description

Energy Resources & Customer Services Committee meeting, held March 17, 2026 at 10:07 PM

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Unknown: you

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Unknown: you

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Unknown: you

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Unknown: all right we are returning from our closed session we have no action taken

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SPEAKER_00: during the closed session there's no further business appearing and this

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SPEAKER_00: meeting is adjourned and we'll start the ERCS in a moment

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Unknown: let me know in the switch is ready

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Unknown: thank you good evening and welcome to the energy resources and customer

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SPEAKER_03: services committee and special board meeting of March 17th this meeting is

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SPEAKER_03: being recorded and can be accessed on SPUD's website please remember to unmute

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SPEAKER_03: your microphone when speaking in order that our virtual attendees may hear you

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SPEAKER_03: the microphone will display a green light indicator when the mic is on for

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SPEAKER_03: members of the public attending in person and wish to speak at this meeting

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SPEAKER_03: please fill out a speakers request form located at the table outside of the room

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SPEAKER_03: and hand it to SPUD security members of the public attending this meeting

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SPEAKER_03: virtually that wish to provide verbal comments during the committee may do so

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SPEAKER_03: by using the raise hand feature in zoom at the time the public comment is called

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SPEAKER_03: technical staff will enable your audio when your name is announced during the

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SPEAKER_03: public comment period you may also submit written comments by emailing them

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SPEAKER_03: to public comment at some on org written comments will not be read into the

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SPEAKER_03: record but will be provided to the board electronically and placed into the

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SPEAKER_03: record of the meeting if received within two hours of the meeting chief legal

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SPEAKER_03: officer please conduct the roll call director Samborn here director fishman

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Unknown: sure be we Thompson present achine members are present also present our

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SPEAKER_02: directors rose herber kirth and president tomorrow item number one on

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SPEAKER_03: tonight's agenda is discussed approving the memorandum of understanding our MOU

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SPEAKER_03: between smud and IB w local 1245 for the period of January 1st to December 31st

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SPEAKER_03: 2028 presenter Matthew Powell he's the interim director of people services and

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SPEAKER_03: strategies thank you good evening directors before I begin I'd like to

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SPEAKER_04: thank and acknowledge all this mud employees who participated on both the

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SPEAKER_04: management and IB w side of negotiations for this contract

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SPEAKER_04: specifically I'd like to thank Tiffany Navarette who's the manager of labor and

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SPEAKER_04: employee relations who is unable to be here but also Jen Dibble who is our

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SPEAKER_04: senior labor relations analyst who served as the second chair through

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SPEAKER_04: negotiations on February 20th I'm sorry on February 10th 2026 smud in the

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SPEAKER_04: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers the IB w reached a tentative

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SPEAKER_04: agreement to a successor labor contract the memorandum memorandum of

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SPEAKER_04: understanding or the MOU as a result of the comprehensive negotiation process

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SPEAKER_04: which resulted in a fair and sustainable agreement for our employees and for

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SPEAKER_04: smud tonight I'll be presenting the outcomes and key elements of the

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SPEAKER_04: proposed MOU be between smud and the IB w for our agenda today or tonight I'll

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SPEAKER_04: cover primary outcomes agreed upon in the negotiation I'll highlight the main

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SPEAKER_04: terms of the new MOU and I will formally request board ratification of the

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SPEAKER_04: agreement the proposed agreement meets three important objectives it's

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SPEAKER_04: financially responsible aligning with smud's financial interests it's fair for

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SPEAKER_04: IB w employees providing market competitive compensation and it ensures we

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SPEAKER_04: maintain a strong workforce pipeline supporting smud's long-term success and

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Unknown: allowing smud to continue to attract and retain high caliber talent as I

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SPEAKER_04: mentioned earlier smud IB w reached a tentative agreement on February 10th of

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SPEAKER_04: this year this agreement was ratified by the IB w on March 3rd 2026 out of 488

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SPEAKER_04: votes counted which represents 86% of IB w membership an overwhelming 82% voted

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SPEAKER_04: in favor showing strong support for the contract the proposed MOU is a three-year

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SPEAKER_04: contract effective from January 1st 2026 through December 31st of 2028 the

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SPEAKER_04: new agreement continues to ensure competitive pay in a robust total package

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SPEAKER_04: for our IB w employees the general wage increase or GWI will be 4% for the first

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SPEAKER_04: year in 26 and 3.85 percent in each subsequent year in 27 and 28 and it

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SPEAKER_04: applies to the entire IB w workforce smud and IB w have also agreed to combine

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SPEAKER_04: for two-tier job classes this means that employees in those jobs currently paid

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SPEAKER_04: at the lower open wage level and new employees who start will get paid at the

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SPEAKER_04: higher closed wage level upon ratification of this contract for

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SPEAKER_04: employees who see a change this represents an increase of 19% for line

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SPEAKER_04: equipment operator assistance 18% for maintenance carpenters 13% for revenue

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SPEAKER_04: protection reps and 12% for the vehicle mechanic series these adjustments will

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SPEAKER_04: be effective from the first pay period of 2026 and the GWI will be applied

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SPEAKER_04: after these percentage increases please note as we go through all terms of this

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SPEAKER_04: contract will be retroactive to January 1st with wages retroactive to the first

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SPEAKER_04: pay period of this payroll year which was December 13th of 2025

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Unknown: smud and IB w also agreed to increase the pay scale for 19 job classes through

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SPEAKER_04: equity adjustments these adjustments will be effective the first pay period

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SPEAKER_04: of 2026 and apply to the incumbent salaries and the overall pay range these

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SPEAKER_04: increases meet market demand and will ensure smud retains the flexibility to

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SPEAKER_04: recruit at all stages of the talent pipeline at the apprentice journey or

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SPEAKER_04: foreman level as business needs identify overall this is a good deal for our

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SPEAKER_04: employees and signals that smud remains the employer of choice in the region I'll

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SPEAKER_04: pause here for a moment just to review these adjustments the new contract also

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SPEAKER_04: provides some changes to IB w benefits while the core medical dental and vision

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SPEAKER_04: cost sharing remain unchanged there are increases to 401k contributions both

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SPEAKER_04: direct and matching smud will match eligible IB w employees 401k

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SPEAKER_04: contributions up to an additional $600 per calendar year through 20 from 26

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SPEAKER_04: through 28 this increase only applies to pepper employees classic CalPERS

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SPEAKER_04: employees will retain the $1,200 matching level additionally direct 401k

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SPEAKER_04: contributions will increase by $50 for each month for pepper as well and these

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SPEAKER_04: are tiered based on love years of service and tenure in their role both

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SPEAKER_04: of these elements will help to attract and retain will attract help attract and

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SPEAKER_04: retain our pepra and less tenured members on the job so in summary the

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SPEAKER_04: successor mo use the outcome of collaborative negotiations that balance

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SPEAKER_04: employee well-being with smud's financial and organizational objectives

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Unknown: contract is a good deal for our employees maintaining competitive

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SPEAKER_04: compensation and preserving organizational knowledge and stability so

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SPEAKER_04: tonight staff are requesting that the board ratify the proposed mo you as

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SPEAKER_04: tenderly agreed by smud and IB w effective January 1st 2026 through

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SPEAKER_04: December 31st 2028 thank you for your time I'm happy to answer any questions

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SPEAKER_04: or provide any further details on any element of the agreement any questions

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Unknown: no great any comments this is gonna go on the consent calendar for Thursday I

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Unknown: think I'd like to have a chance to make a few comments on Thursday but we can

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SPEAKER_01: do it even when it's on consent we generally can make comments yeah if it's

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SPEAKER_02: on consent correct yes you can in the beginning before yeah yes the president

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SPEAKER_03: has to manage that but okay any public comment there's no public comment that's

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SPEAKER_03: shocking after all that so okay well good well I just wanted to thank you and

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SPEAKER_03: your team for a job well done and for your utmost professionalism and in

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SPEAKER_03: keeping both our overall staff population and our ratepayers in mind

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SPEAKER_03: during this negotiation process so thank you thank you for you Thompson okay so

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SPEAKER_03: I have not received any cards no one's come to speak written comments received

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SPEAKER_03: items not engender will be included in the recording if received within two

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SPEAKER_03: hours and do we have any summary I don't believe we do no okay well thank

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SPEAKER_03: you again thank you for all the hard work