Brooke Lauber, Treasurer and Chief Steward, Local 129
“The biggest thing is that we are all united, we’re brothers and sisters that have the same struggles and the same triumphs. What we might struggle with at my local, another local might have a solution that we can take back and put into place with our local.
I’m more educated now. I learned different processes for grievance handling, how we can be more involved with our community, doing what we can to make sure we are visible and show people what the Utility Workers Union is all about.”
Tyrone Williams, Steward, Trustee, Local 601
“The P4A Conference opened my eyes to a lot of things. I saw real camaraderie. I learned that we have to stick together. If you have a problem, instead of complaining, talk to your union representative. We have your back. We are trying to keep bodies on the job at a fair and reasonable rate of pay to make a decent living, to have good benefits. We all need to stick together so we won’t have our jobs outsourced or taken over by technology.”
Chad Smith, President, Local 127
“I learned how to engage people better, to get my members more involved, and help them be able to engage others. We are going to be more prepared as we deal with the issues. If rumors surface at work, we will be able to dispel those really fast. People are going to want to be a part of what we are trying to accomplish.”
Frank Hawk,Vice President, Local 262
“The knowledge I gained at the P4A Conference is going to help dramatically as we begin negotiations for one of our contracts. One of the things I learned at the conference is that we still hold a lot of power and we do not need to shy away from that. That knowledge is going to be truly helpful in making the lives of my brothers and sisters back home better. One workshop showed us how to shift the power in our favor by recognizing little things that happen across the bargaining table that, now that I know how to take advantage of them, will have a huge impact in the end.”
Ray Madrid, Delegate, Local 283
“P4A gave me an understanding of the struggles the UWUA has had from the past to the present day and how we stand as one union to make a safe and pleasurable workplace for today and going into the future.”
Chauffe Schirmer, Financial Secretary-Treasurer, Local 127
“When we have issues or concerns at my local, I will be able to tap into the connections I made with other locals, officers, and leaders in our industries. I also learned about the next phase of technology that will keep our generation plants and transmission lines on the cutting edge, enabling us to stay relevant well into the future, beyond what we may currently think our careers could be.”
Nick Hedge, Shop Steward, Local 609
“One thing I am going to take out of this is a lot of good connections and resources. You can build the strength of your local by reaching out to the community. The relationships you build with individuals, other utility locals, and other unions help increase our power. Getting involved in local politics can also build the power of your local.”