The UWUA’s third Power for America Conference was the most successful yet, bringing together more than 450 members, October 18-20 in Las Vegas, NV, for three jam-packed days of education to build union power.
The popularity of the conference is another example of how the UWUA continues to energize its members and their supporters around the theme: Reclaim, Retrain, Repower, and Repair America!
“Let’s take charge of our future by making sure we have the right skills and best tools to move forward as we navigate through the minefields we confront every day,” UWUA President Mike Langford told participants in his opening remarks. “Take the information you learn here back to your locals. P4A trainings can happen anywhere in the country. Talk to your employers about joining our Power for America training programs. Your co-workers will be the best of the best because we are doing the training.”
We’ve got each other’s backs
The conference took place just two short weeks after the Las Vegas mass shooting that left 58 people dead and 546 injured, the nation’s deadliest. Nevada AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Rusty McCallister highlighted the role unionized workers played in responding to the disaster – police dispatchers, first responders, healthcare workers, hotel workers and more – in his welcoming remarks. “Union workers carried our city through that first night, and up until today,” he said. “We showed that, when the chips are down, we’ve all got each other’s backs.”
Though somber, that message set a serious tone for the three-day conference that involved some amazing guest speakers, panels, presentations, and 15 workshops that included industry break-outs, contract negotiations, grievance handling, labor history, political action, and more.
Each of the three national committees – Human Rights, Young Workers, and the Women’s Caucus – played an active role, too.
The success of the P4A conference is proof that the UWUA is committed to providing solutions to the challenges facing the utility industry, and the country, and ensuring its members continue to be the safest, most productive, highest skilled workers in the world.
