Scott Pedigo
Harrison Power Plant President, Local 304

The security of having a union contract that defines and guarantees in writing our wages, benefits and working conditions was an overwhelming factor in our decision to have union representation. The union gives us a voice and a legal avenue to achieve security for our families’ future. The financial condition of our parent company and the impending merger with another electric utility were also major factors in our decision. Wages, benefits and working conditions can negatively change with the stroke of a pen, at moment’s notice, without union representation. The UWUA never gave up on us and they will be there for you when you need them, too.

Scot Durocher
Meter Repairman II Organizing Committee Lakeland Water

There were a lot of changes fixing to take place at Lakeland, changes in our retirement pension, the continuous rising cost of health insurance. Before joining UWUA, if there was a grievance, city employees had to go through civil services, who claim to be for the employees, but people have found that they’re not there for them. Whether it was about treatment by a supervisor, hours’ pay, discipline, people had no say, regardless of whether the city was right or wrong, there was never any recourse to make things right. Now that Lakeland is unionized, the morale of employees is somewhat turning around. What it boils down to is people wanting a voice. Now they have hope, a voice, and feel they have a say in what goes on as we prepare to negotiate our first contract.

For those city employees who are not yet in a union, I’d ask, “How do you feel the city is treating you? Do you feel you are being treated fairly?” If you have the backing of a union, you won’t be alone. You’ll have a binding contract and equal and fair treatment during a grievance, with a third party, who will resolve the situation.

Joe Pellegrin
Harrison Power Plant Recording Secretary, Local 304

Our company is going through a merger and we felt the UWUA could help us bring all the West Virginia power stations together into one powerful voice. We felt there was a need to protect our jobs and benefits. The more of us in UWUA, the more powerful our voice will be.

Don Ganoe
Harrison Power Plant Secretary-Treasurer, Local 304

I chose to join UWUA for job and benefit protection. With our company merging, who knows what would happen. UWUA really cares about the working man. With companies downsizing and cutting back, every worker needs protection to make sure working conditions are safe. Seniority doesn’t mean a thing to nonunion companies. They continue to take larger pieces of the pie from employees and with a union in place, that will not happen. Unions are needed to get America back on track. I highly recommend UWUA.

Rusty Randolph
Harrison Power Plant Vice President, Local 304

We joined UWUA to have a voice and stability in the workplace. We joined to have the help we need to try to correct the wrongs that happen on occasion. The UWUA representatives have gone out of their way to help us out with our union drives and to answer our questions, and for the first time in the history of our plant, working men and women now have the support of a union. We are glad to have the UWUA to help be a voice and an encouragement in these troubling times.

Jeff A. Gregory
Project Program Analyst San Onofre Nuclear Station, Local 246

Originally being in a non-represented, white collar group, we saw how things were different, particularly in treatment of personnel. We would bring up issues to management and just wouldn’t get the response, our words weren’t taken as seriously. Now with representation, people jump right on it. Also, we were tired of not being compensated for what we’re worth. Our supervisor wanted to split a $1.50 raise between six people. Now, we have the same benefits, but a whole lot cheaper. My costs went down dramatically. I was paying $300+ per month, it went down to $32 a month. That’s a pay raise in itself.

There’s a negative connotation about what a union can and can’t do. I was one of those individuals that felt that way before. If I hadn’t taken the opportunity to talk to the stewards, the business manager, Dan Dominguez, I don’t know what I’d do. We are inspired by them, they motivate us, they take initiative to get things done.

Ken Pontious
Pump Station Operator I Lakeland Water

One of the main reasons we decided to join with UWUA was because before, our benefits were being changed constantly, or being taken away. We also want to protect our pension, keep our defined benefits. It made sense for us to join with Local 604 Lakeland Electric. UWUA has done a good job for them, we want the same thing over here. The benefits of joining a union is that the more of us there are, the stronger we are, the stronger our voice during negotiations.