IBEW and Entergy conclude agreement covering Mississippii Line workers

Entergy, IBEW agree to contract


Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS - Entergy Corp. reached agreement Tuesday with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents 820 of the utility's employees.

Neither side disclosed details of the contract, which will be in effect until March 24, 2007. IBEW represents Entergy's line workers, call center employees, administrative assistants and technicians.

Entergy said the contract includes pay raises and enhancements to benefits.

The union rejected Entergy management's initial offer last month because it increased the employees' share of health-care costs from 20 percent to 25 percent and amended a job-protection clause the union says it believes could open the door for layoffs.

The clause was added into the contract in 1997, two years after Entergy laid off more than 1,000 employees, cutting the union's membership at the utility by about half.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://www.theadvocate.com