Nuclear plant workers OK contract

PALO - Operators at the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo have approved a new three-year contract, averting a possible strike.

Matthew Fischer, assistant business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 204 in Cedar Rapids, said the  agreement with Juno, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, the owner of Iowa's only nuclear power plant, was ratified Wednesday.

"They removed the mandatory overtime, which was probably the biggest sticking point that the employees had," Fischer said. "There's a pay increase of 1.25 percent in the first year, 1 percent in the second year and 1 percent in the third year.

"There were no significant changes to the medical plan designs, but we did lock in our percentages."

In a statement issued Thursday, Rich Anderson, NextEra Energy Duane Arnold site vice president, said the company was pleased to reach a new three-year agreement with its employees.

"This contract is both competitive and fair, and was reached through professional, good-faith negotiations by both parties," Anderson said.

Members of IBEW Local 204 had authorized its leadership to call a strike if negotiations failed to resolve the mandatory overtime issue and other provisions sought by NextEra Energy. The company had extended the existing contract until midnight on July 31.

Plant operators voluntarily work overtime to fill staffing gaps and felt they should not be forced to work overtime. The company contended that mandatory overtime language is common in the nuclear power  industry because of the need for a high degree of certainty in the work force.

The average income for a Duane Arnold employee in the bargaining unit is more than $100,000 in a normal year without a maintenance outage, according to NextEra Energy.