As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on a year that tested our strength, reaffirmed our solidarity, and proved once again what happens when working people lead with purpose.
Across the UWUA, our members delivered wins — at the bargaining table, in the field, and in the communities we serve. We secured strong contracts, organized new units, launched new safety and training initiatives, and deepened our commitment to preparing the next generation of union leadership.
It has been a year of progress, persistence, and preparation — and we’re ending it with our eyes firmly on the future.
A year of strength and solidarity
From coast to coast, UWUA locals achieved major victories in 2025:
- In Massachusetts, Local 369 secured three contracts covering thousands of workers — including meaningful pension upgrades, improved healthcare benefits, and paid parental leave.
- On Long Island, Local 393 ratified an eight-year deal with record wage gains and preserved overtime protections.
- In California, Locals 132, 522, and 483 reached a hard-fought agreement with SoCal Gas that delivers significant wage increases and critical retirement and healthcare protections.
- In the Midwest, Locals 116, 270, 335, 425, the MSUWC and many others reached strong new agreements, boosting wages and protecting benefits.
At the same time, we celebrated new organizing victories in Michigan, New York, Indiana, New Jersey, and Maine. These wins required strategy, solidarity, and leaders willing to stand firm when employers pushed back.
Our committees continued to work to find ways to engage with our members through new initiatives such as the Adopt-a-School program, a joint effort by the Women’s Caucus and Young Workers, aimed at strengthening ties between locals and their communities.
We learned how locals across the country are leading innovative, member-driven training initiatives, such as Local 601’s Slow Speed Driving Course, the California Water Utility Council’s Safety Advocate Program, and Local 1-2’s Art of Safety to build a culture that protects every worker.
And as the natural gas sector comes under increasing scrutiny, we learned about how local leaders are stepping up — engaging in policy discussions, forming alliances, and advocating for workers’ interests to help shape the future rather than simply react to it.
Across the country, our members continued to demonstrate true strength — not just in contract fights, but in their daily commitment to keeping gas, electricity and water flowing safely and reliably for millions of Americans.
Leadership for a new era
This year’s UWUA Leadership Conference marked a turning point for our union. It wasn’t just a gathering — it was a call to action, recognizing that the world of work is changing rapidly, and our union must adapt to meet that challenge.
Our message was clear: leadership is needed now more than ever. We face complex challenges from employers, regulators, special interests and policymakers. Anti-worker rhetoric has grown louder, and corporate attacks on collective bargaining continue to multiply.
But instead of wringing our hands, we are being proactive. We are preparing. We are training. We are investing in our people.
The conference connected new and seasoned leaders, providing tools for effective organizing, grievance handling, and community engagement. The traditional model of union leadership — one built on predictable routines — is no longer enough. Today’s environment demands leaders who think differently, adapt quickly, and organize effectively in a changing landscape.
That’s why our focus in 2026 will build on this foundation. We’ll expand training at regional conferences — and if local leaders can’t come to us, we’ll go to them. Every local that wants to strengthen its leadership capacity will have access to the resources, mentorship, and education necessary to get there.
The power of preparation
The road ahead is uncertain — politically and economically. But that uncertainty doesn’t intimidate us; it motivates us.
Demand for electricity, gas, and clean water continues to grow. Communities are asking for affordability, reliability, and sustainability — and our members are the ones delivering all three. Yet America’s infrastructure continues to fall short. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure rated our nation’s energy infrastructure a D+, wastewater a D+, and drinking water a C-, stark reminders of the considerable investment still needed in the systems that sustain our daily lives.
We know that policy makers alone won’t solve these challenges. It will take the skilled, unionized workforce that builds, maintains, and operates the nation’s essential services.
Programs like the $175 million investment to restart the Palisades nuclear plant are no coincidence — they’re the result of steady, informed, and persistent leadership at local, state, and national levels that delivers results. That same determination will guide our union as we confront the challenges of affordability, energy transition, and workforce renewal in the years ahead.
Organizing for tomorrow
Organizing remains one of our highest priorities — it’s how we grow our strength, expand our influence, and secure a better future for working people everywhere.
This year, we’ve seen new energy and innovation among our organizers as we continue to invest in the future of our movement. We expanded our national organizing team with two full time organizers — both longtime UWUA members who have held leadership roles in their locals and bring decades of experience to their new positions. Their knowledge, passion and commitment strengthen our ability to connect with workers, support locals, and inspire a new generation of activists who are tech-savvy, engaged, and ready to meet workers where they are.
Our organizers are out there — boots on the ground, talking with unrepresented workers, building trust, and showing the difference a union makes. In doing so, they’re helping to write the next chapter of our history.
What once felt distant is now part of everyday conversation in locals across the country.
Strong locals, strong union
Every success we celebrate begins at the local level. Whether it’s city workers in Ohio, call center representatives in New Jersey, or our brothers and sisters maintaining gas, water, and electric facilities across the nation — our locals are the heartbeat of the UWUA.
As we’ve said time and again: we are only as strong as our locals. Every single local plays a vital role in our collective strength.
That commitment to connection is what keeps our union strong. That’s why we’re doubling down on engagement — ensuring local leaders have the training and resources they need and that every member feels connected to our broader mission. The upcoming regional conferences will offer both learning opportunities and chances for members to connect with peers facing similar challenges.
When our members meet, share ideas, and stand together, we strengthen not only our union but also the communities we serve.
A positive vision in uncertain times
As we prepare for 2026, political uncertainty will continue to shape the landscape. Energy prices and infrastructure investment will remain central issues in next year’s midterm elections, just as they were this past November.
But our message is not one of fear — it’s one of hope. The work of this union gives us every reason to be optimistic. Time and again, we’ve shown that leadership, solidarity, and perseverance deliver real progress, even in turbulent times.
Our strength lies not in rhetoric, but in results — the strong contracts we negotiate, the skills we build and hone, and the tangible benefits that improve our members’ and their families’ lives.
As we close out 2025, we want every member to know that your efforts matter. Your leadership matters. And together, we’re not just responding to change — we’re shaping it.
In every fight for fairness, every negotiation for respect, and every training that prepares the next generation, we’re building something enduring — a union that’s ready for the future and confident in its mission.
The challenges ahead are real. But so is our resolve.
We are proud of what we’ve accomplished this year — and we’re ready for what comes next.