The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 125 and PacifiCorp, which operates Pacific Power, have now been negotiating for nearly a year on a new contract.

Employees are crying foul over the company’s attempt to increase medical cost sharing. They picketed outside Pacific Power’s Portland headquarters Wednesday and in front of the company’s Warrenton offices in early June.

Local 125 represents 330 employees at Pacific Power, a subsidiary of PacifiCorp providing power in Oregon, Washington state and California.

Marcia Grail, an assistant business manager with Local 125, said Pacific Power wants employees to pay 25 percent of their medical cost share, without offsetting the amount via wages, retirement contributions or other means. Grail said the current medical cost share is 22 percent, which the union proposes to continue. She added the average cost share in Local 125’s area is 10 to 15 percent.

Pacific Power sent a statement Tuesday from spokesman Ry Schwark that referenced a long history of successful bargaining. “Pacific Power and the IBEW have a long relationship going back many years, and have a long history of successful bargaining and working together to serve our customers,” he said.

But Grail said since Berkshire Hathaway, an investment firm led by Warren Buffett, bought PacifiCorp in 2005, there has been a steady negative trend of takeaways in contract negotiations.

Grail said there is a high demand for journeymen. Over the last three years, she said, 60 union members have resigned from Pacific Power to accept work elsewhere, and numerous exempt employees such as engineers have also left.

“Safety and reliability are our concern,” Grail said. “Without a total compensation package that is reflective of regional industry standards, it is impossible to attract and retain skilled workers.”

Grail said Local 125 is waiting for dates from Pacific Power to resume negotiations.