The vote to ratify a 4-year contract with Pacific Power divided a union locals membership to the point only a slim majority preferred the terms over a strike, a union manager said.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 125 ratfied the contract Aug. 19 after nine months of negotiations and two votes to reject earlier proposals.

The agreement trims one holiday and reduces family and medical leave, Local 125 Business Manager Travis Eri said Wednesday. He said the contract also will freeze employee pensions and transition the retirement plan to a 401k at the end of the year.

It was a struggle to come to an agreement, said Eri. Its not widely looked at by our members as a great contract.

Eri said 95 percent of the membership voted, with 58 percent in favor and 42 percent against. The vote indicates a deep divide within the membership, he said. 

Some felt workers should have stood up against the cuts, Eri said. But the membership in total chose to ratify the contract versus going on strike.

 Local 125 represents approximately 420 Pacific Power and PacifiCorp employees in Washington, including Walla Walla, and Oregon, including Enterprise and about 20 employees in Pendleton. Its members are line crew employees that maintain and restore customers power, metering employees and those in hydroelectric generation operations and maintenance positions, according to the utility company.

The vote results from negotiations that began November 2010, according to Pacific Power. It states the union membership rejected proposed contracts earlier this month and in May. This contract runs through 2014.

After many rigorous discussions they came to an agreement that was in the best interest of union members, the business and their ability to serve customers, Pacific Power spokeswoman Jan Mitchell said Wednesday.

According to?Eri, Pacific Power is cutting benefits in order to keep costs down and minimize customer rate increases as much as possible as it transitions into the era of renewable energy and expands power generation and transmission infrastructure.

Were happy to have security with the 4-year contract, Eri said. But theres a lot in it thats distasteful.

Pacific Power provides electric service to more than 730,000 customers in Washington, California and Oregon, including northeastern Oregon, according to the company. 

In a company news release, Pacific Power President Pat Reiten said, Discussions were robust, but the final outcome balances our commitment to fairness for our employees and the interests of our customers, in a manner that is sustainable for our business. Reaching this agreement provides much-needed stability for our customers, employees and the communities where our employees both live and work.