“It is exciting to see the continued commitment that the UWUA and our fund employers have towards making sure the workers have the skills needed to do the work,” said P4A Executive Director Jon Harmon.
High schools and vocational centers could be next
Over the year, P4A provided much needed job specific skills to 375 UWUA members with American Water, Consumers Energy and Utility Lines. “Our instructors work hard to make sure the next generation of utility workers has the skills necessary to rebuild the needed infrastructure, as well as provide daily service to the communities they live in and serve,” said Harmon. The skills training offered at P4A expanded in 2016 to include a basic welding course for gas workers. Using the new, state of the art Potterville welding lab, P4A offered 500 hours of training to its first class.
The P4A Utility Workers Military Assistance Program (UMAP) continued to expand work across the Great Lakes region, with 114 veterans receiving training and offered employment with either Peoples Gas or Consumers Energy. All five branches of the military were represented in the trainings.
The P4A Utility Workers Military Assistance Program (UMAP) continued to expand work across the Great Lakes region, with 114 veterans receiving training and offered employment with either Peoples Gas or Consumers Energy.
P4A looks to build upon these successes in 2017 and is working with its fund employers to provide more UMAP programs across the country. P4A is also excited about the opportunities to work with high schools and vocational centers as it educates youth about the careers that UWUA members have.
P4A partnered with the Department of Labor’s OSHA training division to provide Susan Harwood safety training for workers and employers. Using a grant that P4A was awarded, the focus of this training was the UWUA-developed Systems of Safety program with an emphasis on Focus 4 hazards of caught-in or -between and struck-by hazards. Throughout 2016, 900 individuals with American Water and Consumers Energy were trained, with 844 trained by a UWUA member.
Using a grant that P4A was awarded, the focus of this training was the UWUA-developed Systems of Safety program with an emphasis on Focus 4 hazards of caught-in or -between and struck-by hazards.
Three Train the Trainer sessions were held in Pittsburgh, PA, St. Louis, MO, and Potterville, MI, and these sessions trained 58 members on how to train their union brothers and sisters. This training helped members to recognize hazards that exist within their work area. It also gave them a chance to work with employer supervisors, directors and vice presidents in identifying hazards and how to create a safer work environment. These peer-led trainings opened a conversation for UWUA members and management.
P4A was excited to welcome Eversource to the fund in 2016 when Local 369 and Eversource reached an agreement to participate in P4A trainings.