WASHINGTON -
The head of the union that represents "line mechanics" at Pepco told the D.C. City Council, Friday, that the company's workforce has been slashed over the past 14 years.
Jim Griffin, the president of Local 1900 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), said, in 1993, Pepco had 209 line mechanics, but now there are only 123 line mechanics. This, despite the growth in Pepco's customer base and demands on the system. Griffin blamed the downsized company workforce, in part, for the slow rate of reconnection after the storm of June 29th
Pepco managers conceded their unionized workforce on the street has shrunk, but pointed out that they're hiring more local contract crews than ever.
About 20 anti-Pepco demonstrators assembled, briefly, outside the Wilson Building before telling an oversight roundtable that the electric company (which took days to restore power after the storm of June 29th) must not ask its D.C. customers to pay more. Incencio Quinones, representing a group called Our D.C., told the Council Roundtable, "We demand that Pepco withdraw its $42 million rate hike [request]."
Numerous other witnesses criticized the electric company for slow utility restoration at businesses, residences, and especially at nursing homes.
"Five of our facilities had no power for 40 hours," testified Veronica Damesyn-Sharpe of the D.C. Health Care Assn. "One facility had the power out for 60 hours."
LeRoy Hall, who described himself as a 72-year-resident of the city, told the council members, "I don't want to hear any more excuses. Power lines have to go underground."
On the issue of putting the whole system underground in D.C., Pepco executives said only a third of the city currently has above-ground wiring, and to bury it all would cost billions.
"By year 30, when the program is complete, and all lines are undergrounded," explained David Velazquez, Pepco Vice President for power delivery, "that would cause an increase in the average customer's bill of about $27. per month."
D.C. Councilmembers Yvette Alexander and Jack Evans have introduced separate bills which call for more underground power lines in D.C.
