VALPARAISO, Ind. — The union that represents 1,300 NIPSCO workers picked up two more local allies Tuesday.
Porter County commissioners voted unanimously to read a resolution supporting United Steelworkers Local 12775 at their next meeting, the Post-Tribune reported. Later Tuesday, the Portage City Council adopted its own resolution asking that the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission's review of the Aug. 11 derecho include staffing levels.
Michigan City's council passed a similar resolution the same day, Region N3 reported Thursday.
Key facts
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Porter County | Unanimous vote to read a support resolution at next meeting | Post-Tribune |
| Next commissioners meeting | Oct. 27 | Porter County agenda |
| Portage | Resolution adopted; Councilwoman Penny Ambler abstained | Post-Tribune |
| Union | Steelworkers Local 12775, 1,300 NIPSCO workers | Post-Tribune |
| Storm | Aug. 11 derecho cut power to 387,100 NIPSCO customers | Post-Tribune |
The union's case
Local 12775 President Ryan Baker told commissioners that NIPSCO has cut staffing by 20%, according to the Post-Tribune.
"The storm did not create the problem. It exposed it," Baker said.
Vice President Pierce Kelly said NIPSCO had 230 linemen six years ago and about 180 now. He said gas servicemen are down to 143 from the 180 the company budgeted a few years ago.
"I can tell you, in my opinion, it delayed restoration for the hundreds of gas leaks, let alone the electric side," Kelly said.
In Portage, union representative Shawn Lindsey said the Gary line department had roughly 30 linemen in the early 2000s and about nine or 10 today. That department serves Portage, Gary, Merrillville, Hobart, Lake Station and New Chicago, he said.
"We are not asking you to determine, before the evidence is reviewed, that staffing caused the prolonged outages," Lindsey told the council. He asked members to support an independent look at whether NIPSCO had enough qualified staff to prepare for and recover from a major storm.
"If staffing played no role, NIPSCO's records should establish that. If staffing did play a role, Portage residents deserve to know," he said.
Mayor Austin Bonta said, "I definitely support this myself."
NIPSCO's response
A NIPSCO spokesperson has called the storm "an unprecedented weather event" that "caused extraordinary damage," the Post-Tribune reported. More than 4,000 employees, contractors, mutual-aid crews and emergency responders worked to restore power, the company said.
"We're actively reviewing our response to identify actions that can strengthen our preparedness going forward and are engaging a third-party firm to evaluate our response," the statement said.
A swipe at the Statehouse
Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, backed the union but questioned lawmakers now calling for an investigation.
"I find the irony of these committees and some of the people that are running these committees, and I should point out it's an election year this year as well. They're all asking for this investigation now," Biggs said, according to the Post-Tribune. "Why does it take a catastrophe or an election to get everybody's attention?"
Commission Vice President Barb Regnitz, R-Center, pointed to NIPSCO's nearly 22% rate increase. "We don't feel they have been a good partner to us as county commissioners either," she said.
Photo credit
¹ Hero: Porter County Courthouse, north facade, by Chris Light, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. This copy is shared under the same license.
² Central Avenue, Portage: Dennisyerger84, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
³ Michigan City Generating Station: Chris Light, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
