CROWN POINT — Lake County’s council took the Steelworkers’ side on NIPSCO staffing Tuesday morning.
The Post-Tribune reported that the council voted 6-0 for a resolution supporting United Steelworkers Local 12775, District 7’s petition to strengthen NIPSCO staffing, reliability and storm response after the Aug. 11 derecho. Councilman Charlie Brown, D-3rd, was absent.
The measure was on the Oct. 13 regular agenda under County Council resolutions, sponsored by Councilwoman Christine Cid. The meeting was in the Commissioners Court Room/Council Chambers, third floor of Building A at the Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main St.
Key facts
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vote | 6-0 approval; Brown (D-3rd) absent | Post-Tribune (Wilkins, Oct. 13) |
| Measure | Resolution supporting USW Local 12775, District 7 NIPSCO staffing petition (Cid) | Council agenda, item 18.A.3 |
| Meeting | Tue., Oct. 13, 10 a.m. CT, Government Center Building A | County agenda (PDF) |
| Union speakers | President Ryan Baker; Vice President Pierce Kelly | Post-Tribune |
| NIPSCO comment | No statement by Tuesday afternoon deadline | Post-Tribune |
What the union asked
Baker and Kelly presented the petition at the meeting. Baker said low staffing hurts emergency response, storm restoration and everyday service.
The Post-Tribune reported Baker’s claim that the local once had about 230 linemen in the service territory and now has about 180 — a gap he framed as hundreds of crew hours a day during a storm. He said the union wants transparency and a serious look at whether staffing protects the public, not a fixed headcount order.
Councilman Randy Niemeyer, R-7th, told Baker the derecho showed system weaknesses and that relying more on out-of-state contractors while cutting skilled local trades looks like the wrong tradeoff. Councilman Pete Lindemulder, R-4th, asked how attrition is tracked; Baker said the union sees no clear system and fewer line schools than in past years.
Gary Councilman Darren Washington, D-at large — also a county council candidate — thanked members in public comment and tied the staffing fight to high bills and storm-cost recovery.
Region pattern
Lake County is the latest local government to back the petition. Porter County commissioners, Portage City Council and Chesterton Town Council have already shown support, the Post-Tribune reported. Michigan City adopted a support resolution Oct. 6. Valparaiso City Council passed Resolution No. 10 on Monday night, The Times reported Tuesday.
Each local resolution is a statement of support. None of them sets rates or binds the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
What’s next
A NIPSCO spokesperson had not commented on the Lake County vote by the Post-Tribune’s Tuesday afternoon deadline.
Porter County’s Oct. 27 reading of its support resolution remains the next scheduled county-level step in Porter. Region N3 has not yet confirmed open-source results from Lake County’s separate 11:30 a.m. 2027 budget second reading and will not claim a budget outcome without a posted record.
Photo credit
¹ Crown Point from the air (lead photo) — photo by Ken Lund, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
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² Entrance to the Old Lake County Courthouse, Crown Point — photo by Repete, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
³ NIPSCO Michigan City generating station — photo by Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
