Focus on Safety Training Coast-to-Coast
Led by National Safety Director Scotty MacNeill, the UWUA National Safety Committee has members working in the water, gas, and electric industries from each of the UWUA’s five regions. They are busy coast-to-coast, making sure that UWUA members continue to be the safest, most productive, and highest skilled workers in the world.
Their recent activities include:
MacNeill’s visit to Wyoming to meet with Local 127 President Jim Schmidt, Financial Secretary Chauffe Schirmer, also a National Safety Committee member, local members, and management to discuss safety programs and the Utility Workers Military Assistance Program (UMAP).
And in California, Local 132 President Eric Hofmann, the safety committee and members participated in a Safety Congress with SoCal Gas. The unfortunate death of Local 132 member Wade Kilpatrick added urgency to the day-long event.
UWUA, P4A and American Water focus on safety and training
The UWUA continues to work closely with American Water and the union’s Power for America (P4A) Training Trust to ensure its members are the
safest, best-trained water workers.
Most recently, Local 648 and Pennsylvania American Water (PAAW) held their first Union Management Safety Summit. The summit included a full day of safety exchanges and was an important first step in the PAAW training partnership with the UWUA’s P4A Systems of Safety and Safety Leadership program. The event was kicked off by Jeff McIntyre, PAAW president and UWUA National Vice President John Duffy. P4A Executive Director Jon Harmon and MacNeill followed them with a presentation on the UWUA/P4A Safety Leadership program and the union’s peer-to-peer safety program. A Systems of Safety training session rounded out the program. Local 648 President Ed Kastreva and his leadership team organized and conducted a safety survey which was also reviewed at the safety summit.
Safety leadership training at Local 686
Local 686 President Keith Holmes has put together a local safety committee and tapped MacNeill to put them through the National Safety Leadership program. Congratulations go to the local’s
National Safety Committee member Jesse Gil and his team. Local 686 represents members at Philadelphia Gas Works, the country’s largest municipally owned gas company.