Technicians strike at power company

The union has been without a contract since April 2004.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Technicians with the largest city-owned electric power system in Ohio went on strike Thursday, more than two years after their old contract expired in a dispute largely over how big of a raise the workers should get.
The city planned to maintain electric service with supervisors.
Cleveland Public Power, with about 400,000 customers, is a not-for-profit organization and the 35th largest municipal-owned power plant in the nation.
The walkout began at 7 a.m. as picket lines went up at six locations across Cleveland, including the utility's downtown headquarters and outside city hall. At the headquarters, 14 people picketed quietly, split between two separate entrances.
Unanimous vote
A vote to strike, taken Wednesday, was unanimous, said John Egan, business manager for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 39.
Egan said the union has been without a contract since April 1, 2004, and it gave a 10-day strike notice May 15. The union represents about 180 workers -- 155 linemen, 20 who handle traffic lights and five responsible for telecommunications.
City council rejected a fact-finder's report in April that suggested a 4 percent pay increase retroactive to April 2004, a second 4 percent increase as of April 2005 and a 3 percent increase as of April 2006. The city's offer was a 3 percent pay increase this year.
Mayor Frank Jackson opposed the fact-finder's recommendation because it would break a historic pattern of giving municipal unions the same raise, said his spokesman, Michael House. The city, which laid off hundreds of police and firefighters two years ago, gave no pay raises in 2004 and 2005 and 3 percent for this year, House said.
Refuses binding arbitration
Egan said the union proposed entering into binding arbitration earlier this week, but the city refused.
The typical hourly pay rate is $28 for linemen.
Egan said because the utility generates revenue from electric rates, the union believes the pay raises sought are reasonable.
Federal mediator Jack Buettner, who organized talks Monday and Tuesday, said no new negotiating sessions have been scheduled.
Utility spokeswoman Shelley M. Shockley said supervisors familiar with the jobs will handle the work and respond to trouble calls and outages.
"If a big storm were to come through, that would be a different situation. There is a contingency we are working on," she said, but declined to reveal details.
Public Utilities Director Julius Ciaccia said Wednesday that in an emergency the city would consider getting a court order to force the workers back to their jobs.