Oglesby (Illinois) City Employees Choose IBEW Local 51 for Quality Representation

Oglesby employees unionize
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
By Matt Baker
223-3206 ext. 133

Oglesby city workers have gone union, joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 51.
All city workers with the exception of the police, who already have their own union, are now IBEW members, according to Oglesby Mayor Tony Torres.
The unionizing plan began roughly in April, according to IBEW representative Tom Peterson, and passed through the state board of elections without protest from the city.
“I don’t have any problems with it,” Torres said.
Many of the city workers, including the city clerk’s assistant, are not necessarily electrical workers but, Peterson said, it is not uncommon for non-electrical workers to be entered into the union.
“We’re a representative bargaining unit,” Peterson said.
Peterson currently is preparing to begin negotiations with the city.