National Labor Relations Board
Fort Worth, TX
2012 – 2013 – 2015-02-27
… the Judge found that ONCOR Electric (the Respondent) unlawfully discharged employee Bobby Reed for engaging in protected concerted activity and/or union activity, when he testified in a hearing before a State Senate Committee concerning smart meters.
p22 – Based on the testimony of the General Counsel’s witnesses, the Judge correctly concluded smart meters have affected bargaining unit employees’ working conditions, both directly and indirectly, from job loss to customer interaction to safety concerns. . Even Respondent’s supervisors Anderson and Efflandt confirmed “an increase in the number of burned up meter bases as the smart meters were deployed.”
p23 – “The Judge also found substantial record evidence to support Reed’s testimony, such as troubleshooters’ more frequent reports of burned up meter bases and that fires did, on at least some occasions,
result from the meter bases burning up and consequently burning up the meters.”
Summary
Union members were very concerned about the hazards encountered when installing Smart Meters manufactured by Landis+Gyr and Itron and testified to this in a Congressional hearing.
There is testimony that says ITRON Openway meters, the same model used by Fortis BC and BC Hydro have overheated, burned and melted. CentrePoint Energy’s linemen reported palettes of burned ITRON meters in their workshops, and the utility denied the problem was happening. Electrical experts identified problems causing the fires,. one of which is that the blades of the smart meters are thinner than those of the analogs, for which the meter base was designed. This gap leads to arcing and fires. The utility denied the fires were caused by smart meters and customers were told the problem was with their bases, left to face the costs of repairs. This is exactly like what is happening in BC. Read the report, especially pages 7-10.
Yes smart meters are causing fires all over the wold ,they need to be recalled before more people and properties are harmed or killed
Utilities are compelled to clam-up when challenged to make a change or take action on ANYTHING that management was sold on. Yes smart meters have problems. Recall of course! Buying other utilities out of country, going private from public owned and ultimately filing bankruptcy are problems too! Lie and fly. Deny Deny. Probably a Code of Conduct violation there boys. Firing people like MISTER Reed for truth somehow squares this internal frustration I suppose. Only GOD knows.