Close to 30 percent of AEP’s employees are represented by one of four major labor unions — International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); Utility Workers Union of America; United Steelworkers of America; and United Mine Workers of America. Our partnership with the unions extends into many areas. Union leaders recognized the difficult economic situation facing the company and were proactive in communicating with their members and working with management about the pay freeze for 2009. We collaborate with the unions through ongoing management and safety and health meetings and on community projects, such as Operation Feed in Central Ohio, and routinely invite union employees and local and national labor leaders to stakeholder meetings.

In the first quarter of 2009, a new contract went into effect with the IBEW, which represents the majority of our union employees. This was the culmination of three years of partnering and negotiating at the local and national levels and resulted in a master contract agreement that establishes systemwide terms and conditions for IBEW members. This contract runs through Feb. 16, 2012.

Largely because we do not have policies in place regarding child labor and human rights, AEP consistently ranks low in the area of labor issues in sustainability benchmark surveys by investor analyst groups. Although we operate only within the United States, many of our suppliers do not; we recognize the value of these policies and plan to develop them.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

• www.cewd.org
• www.dol.gov
• www.eei.org
• www.ibew.org
• www.msha.gov
• www.osha.gov
• www.sba.gov