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December 5, 2024

Telecoms union sues PURA over utility pole rulings

PHOTO | HBJ FILE IMAGE A utility crew works on a power line.
By Harriet Jones

The Communication Workers of America Local 1298 has filed suit against Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, claiming the agency is interfering in the union’s collective bargaining agreement with Frontier Communications.

According to the union, recent PURA decisions compel Frontier to use non-union contractors for utility pole repair work.

The suit, filed in Connecticut Superior Court, claims that PURA has issued a series of decisions since 2021 that mandate Connecticut public utilities outsource telecommunications work to contractors, which the union says should be protected by CWA’s collective bargaining agreement.

PURA’s rulings concern the process by which new utility connections may be made via utility poles, called the pole attachment process.

PURA contends the process has been subject to increasing delays that hinder the deployment of telecommunications and broadband infrastructure, reducing competition within the marketplace. 

The union petitioned PURA in April of this year, saying that PURA’s mandate prevents union members from working on damaged utility poles and grants outside contractors the right to do the work.

In October, PURA issued a final decision denying the petition, saying it was not the proper vehicle for challenging an administrative decision. The decision also says there is insufficient evidence to find that the Authority prevented Frontier or CWA from performing their contractual obligations.

“CWA members work day-in and day-out to expand telecommunications access and provide safe infrastructure across Connecticut. PURA’s decisions have violated state law and put the jobs of 1,400 CWA members in jeopardy,” said union president David E. Weidlich, Jr., announcing the lawsuit.

CWA Local 1298 represents about 1,400 Frontier utility workers in Connecticut.
 

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