Four New Members Elected to NHEC Board of Directors

by NHEC | Jun 20, 2018 | Uncategorized

Four new members have joined the NHEC Board of Directors after being elected by NHEC members to three-year terms.  Thank you to all members who cast ballots!

Brenda Boisvert of Campton, a petition candidate and former NHEC employee, has a background in human resources and benefits.

Jeffrey Morrill of Thornton has held a variety of general management and board roles, including serving as President of two organizations and Chief Marketing Officer of an electric vehicle company.

Daniel Senie of Charlestown has a background in engineering large scale systems in the world of computer networking, applications design and security.

Edward French of Raymond has a professional background that includes 27 years in the financial services industry and almost 10 years in higher education, currently serving as a Dean at Franklin Pierce University.

2018 NHEC Board of Directors Election

Total valid ballots cast: 6,639

*Elected to three-year term

EV Cruise Night Is June 5 at Route 104 Diner!

by NHEC | May 31, 2018 | Uncategorized

Looking for a sweet ride that’s good for the environment and your wallet? Drive Electric with NHEC!

Join us for our 1^st EV Cruise Night – June 5^th from 3-7pm at the Rt. 104 Diner in New Hampton.

Come test drive the latest Electric Vehicle (EV) models! This is a great opportunity to explore which one fits your needs and budget. We’ll also have EV charging vendors on site and information about NHEC’s low off-peak charging rates.

Already have an EV?  Bring it along and show it off! Entry is free and the first 25 members who RSVP to bring an EV for display will receive a $25 Common Man gift card!

Please RSVP by June 4^th to: Alicia Melanson at melansona@nhec.com

NHEC Annual Meeting Is June 19

by NHEC | May 24, 2018 | Uncategorized

PLYMOUTH, NH – The New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) 79^th Annual Meeting of Members will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at Merrill Place Conference Center on the campus of Plymouth State University in Plymouth. For the first time, members can watch the meeting live online.

Registration for members attending the meeting in-person will begin at 9 a.m. For those attending online, the live stream will begin approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Instructions for joining the live stream were included in the Board of Directors election mailing, which was sent to all members earlier in May. Members will also be receiving an email invitation, or they can call NHEC Member Solutions at 1-800-698-2007 or email solutions@nhec.com for details on joining the live stream.

Members who plan to attend in person are asked to RSVP by calling Member Solutions at 1-800-698-2007, or emailing solutions@nhec.com.

2018 Pole Testing Starts This Summer

by NHEC | May 22, 2018 | Uncategorized

NHEC will once again be testing poles throughout the summer and fall of 2018.

Utility poles require regular inspections to evaluate the quality of the timber and level of wood decay present to help determine the integrity and stability of the pole and whether it should be replaced.

Alamon Contract Services will be performing visual and resistograph testing of over 10,000 poles throughout the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) service area.

The resistograph is a specialized drill that tests the pole below the soil level where most of the defects or damages occur to determine the level of pole integrity.

All Alamon vehicles will be identified as a contractor working for NHEC, and all Alamon Contract Services employees will have personal identification with them.

NHEC Board Approves Contract; Union Employees to Return to Work

by NHEC | May 21, 2018 | Uncategorized

PLYMOUTH, NH – Union employees of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) will return to work on Tuesday, May 22 following a unanimous vote today by the NHEC Board of Directors to approve a new three-and-a-half-year employment contract.

Eighty-three union employees, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local #1837, have been on strike since May 7, 2018. Company and union representatives reached a tentative agreement last week on 401k and pension benefits for union employees, removing the primary obstacle to a contract agreement. The company had offered union employees the same benefits package as non-union employees, but its proposal retained the right to make changes to the benefits plan if it became necessary to make the same changes to benefits for non-union employees. The union objected to the company’s proposal, claiming it would not bargain away its right to negotiate future changes in benefits.

On May 16, with the help of a federal mediator, the two sides reached a tentative agreement that does not include the language that the union had objected to and provides for modest increases in pay, 401K and pension benefits. The union employees, which include all NHEC lineworkers, ratified the agreement last week. All union employees are expected to be back on the job on the morning of May 22.

NHEC is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving 84,000 homes and businesses in 115 New Hampshire communities.

Tentative Agreement Reached to End NHEC Union Strike

by NHEC | May 17, 2018 | Uncategorized

PLYMOUTH, NH – Negotiating teams from New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #1837 have reached a tentative agreement on the terms of a new three-and-a-half-year contract that would bring 83 striking NHEC union employees back to work.

The agreement still needs to be ratified by the union employees and approved by the NHEC Board of Directors, which is expected to occur early next week.

The union employees, including all NHEC lineworkers, went on strike on May 7, 2018 after more than 20 negotiating sessions failed to produce a successor agreement to a five-and-a-half-year contract that expired on April 30, 2018. In its contract proposal, the company offered union employees the same 401k and pension benefits as non-union employees, but its proposal retained the right to make changes to the benefits plan if it became necessary to make the same changes to benefits for non-union employees. The union objected to the company’s proposal, claiming it would not bargain away its right to negotiate future changes in benefits.

On May 16, with the help of a federal mediator, the two sides reached an agreement that does not include the language that the union had objected to and provides for modest increases in pay, 401K and pension benefits.

“Our union employees are skilled, dedicated professionals who serve our members well,” said NHEC President/CEO Steve Camerino. “We’re hopeful that they will be back on the job soon.”

Until the contract is ratified by the union and approved by the NHEC Board, contract line crews will continue to restore power outages and protect public safety.

NHEC is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving 84,000 homes and businesses in 115 New Hampshire communities.