House pushes bill to end National Grid gas lockout
The House appears ready to begin ratcheting up the pressure on National Grid to end its lockout of more 1,250 union gas workers, reviving a three-month-old bill that would force the utility to extend health benefits to the locked-out workers and deny the company any rate increases or public money for maintenance until the labor dispute is resolved. The bill, which has languished since it was filed in July by Rep. Jim O’Day, suddenly surfaced in the House yesterday morning and was referred to the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee. Union leaders then met with House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, who told them he hoped to have a hearing by mid-November, which would give gas workers a public forum at the State House to air their grievances with National Grid and the state of contract negotiations. John Buonopane, president of United Steel Workers Local 12012, said he hoped any hearing on the O’Day bill would also focus on the way National Grid has been operating during the lockout. “We’d like to be able to make people aware of what we know,” Buonopane said. The News Service reported earlier this week that the number of gas leaks repaired during the threemonth lockout has fallen 53 percent percent from the same period last year, and union officials are worried that National Grid is unprepared to deal with the heightened danger leaks pose as frost sets in. Energy Committee Chairman Thomas Golden said he has not yet reviewed O’Day’s bill, but confirmed plans made with the speaker’s office to hold a hearing on the bill prior to a separate oversight hearing the committee is planning on the Merrimack Valley gas explosions and pipeline safety. “This should happen beforehand and be two independent hearings and I think it will give us an opportunity to start exploring some of the costs associated with this,” Golden said of the O’Day bill. Golden and Sen. Michael Barrett have stated that the Merrimack Valley oversight hearing would take place after the Nov. 19 deadline for gas service to be restored in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence, and Golden said the committee is eyeing Nov. 26 or Nov. 27 for that hearing.