Following a procedure outlined in its collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. Wednesday (7/17) turned over to IBEW leadership a list of 208 employees who are without permanent positions in the Allentown-based utility.

The employees were left without permanent positions in the first phase of a placement process that followed the company's announcement late last year that it needed to eliminate about 300 bargaining unit positions.

Some of the individuals on the list may eventually be laid off, said Mike Kroboth, PP&L's general manager-Human Resource & Development. He said the bargaining unit positions were eliminated as part of PP&L's ongoing effort to improve productivity and to focus on activities that improve service to customers.

"We have undertaken an exhaustive effort, one which included contacts with about 400 employees over several months, to ensure that everyone was treated according to the terms and conditions of the labor agreement," said Kroboth.

Under the terms of the contract, union leadership now has 30 days to coordinate the transfer of employees on the list to jobs held by the least senior employees in the bargaining unit which they are qualified to perform.

"Because union leadership has the contractual right to coordinate these transfers, the people whose names are on the list will not necessarily be laid off," said Kroboth. In fact, Kroboth noted that it still is unclear how many people actually will be laid off. Company and union officials still are discussing a number of issues related to the placement process and an arbitrator also is considering a number of issues related to the company's use of contractors while bargaining unit members are facing possible layoffs.

"We anticipate that some jobs currently being done by contractors will be offered to bargaining unit employees," said Kroboth. "Since this issue still is being considered by the arbitrator, it is unclear how many of these positions might ultimately be available to those facing layoffs."