OTEC labor talks set for Aug. 4-6 as strike threat looms
OTEC linemen and other frontline workers have set Aug. 4-6 talks as a strike threat hangs over outage response and wildfire-season reliability.
Representatives for about 40 Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative workers, including linemen who restore power across Union County and beyond, are scheduled to meet with the utility Aug. 4-6 as a strike threat hangs over service in the region. The bargaining unit is represented by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 125, and union members say the group includes roughly 40 employees across OTEC’s service territory.
The dispute has already spilled into public view in Baker City and La Grande. In June, linemen held a show of support outside OTEC headquarters in Baker City, alleging unfair labor practices tied to the termination of Tom Higgins, a 24-year lineman in La Grande, and disciplinary action against Tad McCrae over standby-call expectations and after-hours response rules. On June 22, the union delivered a 30-day strike notice if talks failed. OTEC said the next day it had not received a formal strike notice and said it was bargaining in good faith.
For customers in Union County, the most immediate concern is not the language of the contract but whether the people who answer outage calls, patrol lines after storms and respond during wildfire season stay fully staffed and fully available. Linemen are the front line when a feeder trips, a tree takes down a line or hot weather pushes the system hard, and any extended labor fight can raise questions about response times, crew stability and how quickly repairs get done.
The talks are unfolding as OTEC faces another major change. On Feb. 19, 2026, OTEC and Idaho Power announced an agreement to transfer Idaho Power’s Oregon service area to OTEC in a proposed $154 million deal that would add about 20,000 members if approved. Lea Hoover has said the acquisition would be OTEC’s first major expansion since it was formed in 1988, and the new territory would stretch across Baker, Union, Grant and Harney counties.
OTEC’s 2026 annual meeting is set for Thursday, Aug. 6, at 5 p.m. at OTEC headquarters in Baker City, placing the labor talks right alongside a moment when the cooperative is preparing for possible growth, a larger member base and higher expectations for keeping the lights on.
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