UWUA News
UWUA Hosts International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Union Electric Power Conference Share
The second international union-wide Conference for the Electric Power Industry was held in Boston on 12-13 July, with 60 delegates from 19 countries attending. The ICEM conference was aptly hosted by the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), which turned out delegates from several electric power branch local unions including officers from Local 223. Read More

UWUA and West Virginia American Water Unfair Campaign Share
American Water, like a petulant child, is punishing people. They've fired their employees, turned their back on people who have been good to them. Read More

UWUA Local 223 Members Participate in 3 Month Diabetes Pilot Program Share
This spring, 20 Local 223 active members, retirees and their spouses participated in the first of its kind onsite Pilot Diabetes Self Management Education Program. Read More

Labor News
Debt Fight Over, Obama Promises Action on Jobs Share
Having ceded considerable ground to Republicans in the debt ceiling fight, President Obama set out to reclaim the initiative on the economy, promising a new effort to spur job creation while seeking to position himself as a proven voice of reason in an era of ideological overreach. Read More

The FAA Shutdown and the New Rules of Washington Share
In the FAA confrontation, Republicans pursued similar brinkmanship — but this time Democrats resisted, let the shutdown happen and, at least in Mica’s view, won the fight. Read More

45K Verizon Workers Strike After Labor Talks Fail Share
Verizon is the nation’s largest wireless carrier, but the contract that expired at midnight Saturday covers workers in the company’s wireline division, which includes local-phone operations, services for businesses and governments and long-haul wholesale traffic. Read More

Reagan vs. Patco: The Strike That Busted Unions Share
Ronald Reagan’s confrontation with the air traffic controllers’ union undermined the bargaining power of American workers. Read More

Congress Has a Shot at Passing Jobs-Creating Bills Share
When Congress gets back to work after Labor Day, it will have the chance to achieve something that has largely eluded it for the entire year, passing legislation that might actually create jobs. Read More

Union Decline Accounts for Much of the Rise in Wage Inequality Share
Union membership in America has declined significantly since the early 1970s, and that plunge explains approximately a fifth of the increase in hourly wage inequality among women and about a third among men, according to a new study in the August issue of the American Sociological Review. Read More

Industry News
Secretary Chu Announces Over $110 Million in SunShot Projects to Advance Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing in the U.S. Share
As part of the SunShot Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the distribution of up to $112.5 million over five years for funding to support the development of advanced solar photovoltaic (PV)-related manufacturing processes throughout the United States. Read More

Power Grid To Struggle With Off Peak Renewable Energy Demand? Share
One major concern for many countries has been how to make their existing power grids ‘smarter’ so that they are more compatible with renewable forms of energy. Read More

Wind Power Gains as Gear Improves Share
Challenges remain, but the technology has come a long way in recent years, and wind farm operators have learned plenty of tricks, too, like the importance of shutting down the machines in high winds and the best places to put them to begin with. Read More

States of Denial
Repeal Michigan Public Act 4 - "Emergency Financial Manager Bill Share
The purpose of the petition is to gather enough valid registered voters’ signatures so the referendum proposal can be voted on at the General Election, November 6, 2012. In other words, allow the people of the State of Michigan to vote on whether or not they wish to grant such authoritative powers to one person or consultant. Read More

Ohio Union Battle Heating Up Share
Stewart Acuff of the Utility Workers Union of America appears on the Fox Business show talking about the ongoing battle taking place in Ohio. Read More

Democrats Can Survive Rebuff From Big Labor Share
The AFL-CIO of New Jersey last Thursday publicly snubbed the "Christiecrats," the derisive moniker used to describe Democrats who voted for Governor Christie’s new law that dramatically hikes the amount public employees contribute toward their health and pension benefits. Read More

Right to Work
Debate 'Right to Work' Share
The issue that drove Democratic House members from the Indiana Statehouse to Urbana, Ill., for a five-week walkout and sparked protests involving hundreds of union workers is back on the table, this time before an interim study committee. Read More

Human Rights
Alcoa Mill Products To Pay More Than $540,000 To Settle Discrimination Case With US Department Of Labor Share
Alcoa Mill Products Inc. will pay $484,656.19 in back wages to 37 Hispanics and African-Americans as well as $35,516.88 to two women who all were rejected for job positions at the company’s plant in Lancaster, Pa. Read More

Veterans Affairs and Information
UWUA Members Join Governor Quinn As He Signs Bill to Boost Small Businesses Owned by Illinois Veterans Share
Under the new law, the state will set an annual goal of 3 percent of every state contract to be set aside for businesses owned by Veterans and service-disabled Veterans. Read More

VA Doctors, Rusty On Treating Women, Gather To Brush Up On Care Of Female Veterans Share
Avoiding topics like gynecology and breast exams is no longer possible because of an influx of thousands of female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan into the VA’s system of hospitals and clinics. Read More

Win Together Or Lose Together Share
Because our country is now finding itself in the worst kind of decline — a slow decline, just slow enough for us to keep deluding ourselves that nothing really fundamental needs to change if our future is to match our past. Read More

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