Inside and Material Handler Negotiations Update as of 10/15/2026:

Over the last two weeks the bargaining teams have met four times. We were able to tentatively agree to three more items for the Inside contract. We also exchanged official proposals. Local 48 members can view all the related negotiations documents by doing the following:

– Log on to https://48dispatch.com/

– Click on the Documents tab

NECA’s proposal and Local 48’s proposal are still a long way apart, especially for our highest priority items; reverse book layoff, foreman call-by-name language, health insurance premium increases being shared, and mandatory apprentice rotation. We have had good conversations, but at the end of the day it is an exercise in futility. NECA has not agreed to any of our top priorities, even after genuine attempts to modify/clarify our asks. So, on Thursday I asked NECA to give us their last, best, and final offer. 

We have scheduled two more meetings for the very end of October, but at this point I have no confidence at all that we will come to an agreement. We will be going to CIR the third week of November, where we will continue to advocate for a good contract and for Modified CIR. Having Modified CIR will ensure that we cannot be strung along to the very end and then forced to go to CIR unilaterally.

Both parties will have to truly negotiate or face the reality of ending our contract with a 10-day written notice, and a possible work stoppage; whether it is a strike or a lockout. We are prepared to go the distance with this, and we will see it through.

In Solidarity,

Garth Bachman
Business Manager
IBEW Local 48