Q. What is the Union's stand on the revised MOU?

A. The MOU may have changed, but my position hasn't. My preference is for NB Power to remain a single New Brunswick owned Crown Corporation, run for the benefit of New Brunswickers.

Saying that, it is my responsibility and my job to make sure that no matter what happens, Local 37 members are protected. It would be irresponsible of me if I ignored the possibility that some portion of NB Power may be sold. If it does happen, I am now confident that the work Local 37 has done will mean that member issues are going to be dealt with appropriately, and that there will be full continuity of the collective agreements as well as the terms and conditions of employment, etc.

Q. If this sale goes through, I've heard rumours that I may lose my retirement allowance. Is that true?

A. There is absolutely no truth to that rumour about retirement allowances disappearing - none whatsoever. It is specified in Article 14.02 of the IBEW Collective Agreements. HQ will be bound by the IBEW Collective Agreement if a sale occurs, and the retirement allowance will continue to apply.

Q. Can you explain what the new MOU means when it says: "At the time of closing, HQ will offer employment to the employees of the NBP facilities purchased, and will respect existing Collective Agreements."

A. It means that employees of PLGS, Millbank and the Hydro System will become employees of HQ on the closing date of a sale - they will carry on in their current roles, in their current locations. It also means the current Collective Agreements for those employees will remain in effect. Members will not have to reapply for their jobs.

Q. What happens when the existing collective agreement expires? Will I be without a contract?

A. If a sale proceeds, the current Collective Agreements will continue to apply and Hydro Quebec will be bound by the existing agreements. Under Article 24 of our IBEW Collective Agreements the Collective Agreement continues to apply (even after its "expiration" date) until a new contract is negotiated. That ensures continuity - a collective agreement does not really "expire" and these provisions ensure the contract remains in force until a new one is negotiated.

Q. The NB Power/ Hydro Quebec agreement states that HQ will take over Point Lepreau on Jan. 1st, 2011, if all goes well. It also states that HQ will honor ALL collective agreements with NB Power unions. The Lepreau contract ends December 31st, 2010, so what contract will be there for HQ to honor?

A. HQ will honor whatever contract that is in place at the time of takeover (once the plant is back online). This will either be the current contract, or one that is negotiated prior to or after its expiry. The bottom line is that at no time will Local 37 members be without the protection of a contract.

Q. Can you explain what the new MOU means when it says: "Employees transferring to HQ will continue to receive pensions provided by NB's Public Sector Pension Plan, and HQ will reimburse NB for the cost of those benefits accrued following the closing."

A. This means that existing employees moving to HQ would remain in their current defined benefit Public Service Superannuation (PSSA) Pension Plan. HQ would be responsible for making the payments to the plan that are currently made by NB Power.

Q. What pension plan will new employees have?

A. We have learned that HQ will establish a new defined benefit plan for future employees. It will be identical to the existing PSSA pension plan.

Q. What about "bumping"? Can someone from a different IBEW bargaining unit within Local 37 take my job?

A. No, because there are no rights to bump into other bargaining units (in the event of a lay-off, members can only "bump" within their own bargaining unit.

Our current collective agreements state that in the event of a sale or downsizing the company and union will meet to discuss ways of minimizing the impact on workers. Saying that, the approach of NB Power has been to utilize early retirements and voluntary separations if there is a need to reduce staff. For example, NB Power has already committed to absorbing any job losses caused by Dalhousie G.S. closure by this method. There will be no lay-offs, and as a result no bumping will occur.

Q. What do the changes to the MOU mean for employees working at Belledune and Coleson Cove if the plants are ever closed?

A. Belledune G.S. and Coleson Cove G.S. remain in NB Power GENCO. NB Power has made it clear that they intend to deal with any future job impacts utilizing the practice we have used to date - early retirements and voluntary separations. We are currently working to get those commitments in writing.

Q: If the sale goes through, will the IBEW still be my union, or will I have to join one of the Quebec Hydro unions?

A: We have met with officials at NB Power, the Government of New Brunswick and Hydro Quebec and if this sale proceeds, IBEW Local 37 will be the union that represents all unionized employees.

Q: If I can't speak French, will it have a negative impact on my job or career?

A: Hydro Quebec has made it very clear to IBEW that they want continuity in the current operation and that they are not going to introduce significant changes in the way NB Power operates. In addition, the MOU says that the NB Official Languages Act will continue to apply. That Act guarantees all New Brunswickers the right to be served in the language of their choice and NB Power is currently staffed in a way that fulfills that obligation.

Please feel free to submit more questions to nbpsale@ibew37.com and we will continue to update this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.