The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1260 said Wednes- day that, after reviewing NextEra Energy Inc.’s revised plan for purchasing Hawaiian Electric Industries, the union is still opposed to the deal.
Local 1260’s business manager and financial secretary, Brian Ahakuelo, said the union opposes the sale because NextEra made no commitments to train Hawaiian Electric Co. union workers for anticipated renewable energy jobs.
“It is not good for local union jobs, for skilled labor in the state of Hawaii,” Ahakuelo said. “There is no contract commitment.”
Ahakuelo said NextEra is saying it is committed to jobs, but “it’s more of just promises that are not really promises. It’s just statements.”
The union said it supports the state’s goal of 100 percent renewable electric power by 2045 and expects that to create many opportunities for union members. The union said it wants NextEra to commit to helping union members make the transition to the new jobs.
NextEra “has also not made any commitments towards training HECO’s current bargaining unit in the anticipated advent of renewable energy jobs, nor have they committed to train or even utilize new bargaining unit members as renewable energy jobs become available.”
As a result, the union said, “Ahakuelo has no choice but to oppose NextEra’s petition to acquire Hawaiian Electric, unless and until, (NextEra) can make a substantive and long-term contractual agreement with Local 1260.”
The union is one of the 28 groups, or interveners, involved in the Public Utilities Commission’s review of the $4.3 billion sale.
The union filed testimony on July 20 that said it could support the sale if NextEra would provide short-term and long-term value to Local 1260 employees.
NextEra submitted a 1,026-page rebuttal to the interveners on Monday, addressing some of their concerns. In the rebuttal, the company repeated that it would keep HECO locally managed and that there would be no involuntary workforce reductions for two years after the sale closes.
NextEra also promised to bring down fixed costs on customer bills while helping Hawaii meet its 100 percent renewable electric power goal. Other commitments from the company include installing smart meters for all customers by 2019 and contributing $2.2 million a year to charities.
