New Unitil Workers Win 8 percent Raises in Contract Extension

Unitil natural gas workers, members of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local B341, voted 27 to 3 to ratify a one-year extension of their contract with some significant wage increases. Recently, Unitil purchased Maine Natural Gas from Central Maine Power’s parent company Avangrid. In July, Local B341 organized eight new members who worked for Maine Natural Gas at its Augusta and Brunswick locations, bringing the total membership in the union to 50.

According to Local B341 Secretary Bill Perreault, the company offered the union a half percent wage increase if they extended the contract a year. That was a non-starter with the union, but after bargaining, the two sides agreed to an 8 percent raise for the eight new members from Maine Natural Gas in order to bring them closer to the wages the rest of the Unitil workers in Local B341 earn. The deal also provides a 4.5 percent raise for existing Unitil workers. 

"It doesn't bring the new members to the same level as us because their job descriptions are a little different than ours, but it brings them close. Then in 2027, we'll negotiate a new contract to put them on the exact wage scale as we are," said Perreault. "They'll get all the same benefits, but the company wanted a year to integrate the two companies and figure out everybody's skills and job descriptions."

Unitil serves customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, from Kittery to Lewiston. In addition to serving residential homes it also supplies natural gas to large industrial facilities like Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Poland Springs.