NYC utility workers could strike amid heat wave if union, Con Ed don’t reach a deal

As New Yorkers swelter through an extended heat wave this week, roughly 8,000 utility workers are poised to go on strike if their union and Con Edison can’t reach a contract deal by midnight on Saturday.

Members of Utility Workers of America Local 1-2 are mostly electrical technicians, engineers, designers and administrative workers whose 4-year contract expires Saturday. Union officials say negotiations are likely to go right up until the deadline but Con Ed is voicing optimism about the outcome.

Still, the union says the energy giant, which serves all of New York City and Westchester County, needs to do better for the workers who keep the lights on.

“They act as if they’re just another publicly traded company, because for more than 120 years they have been rewarding their investors with a steady return,” said union spokesperson John Melia. “In the meantime, the professionals who keep the system running, the members of Local 1-2, are treated as an afterthought.”

Con Edison is an “investor-owned” utility but is still regulated by New York state’s Public Service Commission, which recently approved a significant rate hike for the company. Electric customers saw their bills jump by about 9.1% in 2023 and another 4.2% this year. In 2025 the bills will go up by 3.8%. The average monthly electric bill in New York City is about $190, up from $166 a decade ago, according to the PSC.

“They ain’t hurtin’,” Melia said. “With the forecast for increased heat events, this is a vital time. It’s dire that we get an agreement with them or they will fail in their responsibility to their customers and they’re mandated by the state to deliver.”

The union has a policy of not detailing the specifics of the negotiations but Melia said wages, benefits, safety measures and job security are all part of the talks. The contract is renewed every four years. In 2012, contract negotiations failed and Con Ed “locked out” roughly 8,000 workers. The stalemate lasted for three weeks until then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo brought both parties to the table and hammered out an agreement.

Allan Drury, a spokesperson for Con Edison, said on Saturday that the company was eager to come to a fair arrangement with the union.

“The Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2 and Con Edison continue to engage in meaningful and productive discussions,” he said in a written statement. “We remain optimistic that these conversations will result in an agreement that is fair and equitable for our employees, as well as for our customers.”

At 9 p.m. on Saturday, Melia told Gothamist that negotiations were still ongoing.

“Con Ed is on a collision course right now but we’re still at the table,” Melia said.