Newfoundland Power employees have voted against ratifying the latest contract offer put in front of them.

That’s according to Don Murphy, business manager at IBEW local 1620.

He says yesterday the clerical bargaining unit ratified their offer, but the craft bargaining unit rejected theirs. That unit, according to Murphy, encompasses many of the employees that work in the field such as power line technicians, electricians, power system operators, and support persons.

He says the hang up is mostly around wages and pensions.

Murphy says they will continue working with Newfoundland Power for now and hopefully get back to the table.

Whether or not a strike vote happens, he says, depends on the status of an application before the PUB to determine who would be deemed an essential worker during a strike.

He says that process is ongoing and once it is completed, then they can take a strike vote if necessary.

In the past, Murphy explains that the PUB application process can take upwards of 10 months, and in the interim deals have been reached.