For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
In recent months, there has been renewed energy for action across the UWUA. In New Jersey, members of UWUA Local 601 demonstrated what it means for labor to play an active role in protecting democratic participation — an essential human right. Earlier this spring, Local 601 answered the call from the New Jersey AFL-CIO to…
UWUA Local 601 members in New Jersey have secured two new collective bargaining agreements — one at the Bordentown Sewerage Authority and another at Veolia Water in Bayonne — delivering meaningful gains while strengthening protections for workers who keep critical water and wastewater systems running. “Whether they’re operating a municipal wastewater facility in Bordentown or…
Randy Azevedo, Local 160-C “I was inspired by seeing so many people from different industries come together with a willingness to help one another. We all face challenges, but seeing that unity motivates me to work even harder to make sure our members know the UWUA has their back. The conference reinforced that we are strongest when…
Something powerful is taking shape across the UWUA. With the Region V conference held in late March in Redondo Beach, California, and the Region II/III conference concluding in Cleveland earlier this month, members returned to their locals with sharper skills, stronger networks, and a renewed sense of what it means to be part of our…
UWUA Local 423 recently ratified two separate collective bargaining agreements covering members working for New Jersey American Water in both its Central and North territories — capping an intense period of negotiations and reinforcing key protections for nearly 300 members across the state. The agreements follow the recent merger of the former Local 391 into Local 423,…
For UWUA organizer Melissa Harter, the labor movement isn’t something she found later in life — it’s something she was born into. Harter is part of a four-generation union tradition, one that stretches across Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It began with her maternal grandfather, Ellis Miller, an ironworker who entered the trade as an apprentice in 1957 and…
Municipal workers in Upper Sandusky, Ohio — located roughly halfway between Toledo and Columbus — recently reached a major milestone, ratifying their first collective bargaining agreement with the city following more than a year of negotiations. The 14-member unit — representing the city’s water, wastewater, street, and sanitation departments — ratified the agreement on March 21. Upper Sandusky City Council formally…
As a union, we talk a lot about growth — but growth doesn’t just happen. It requires capacity. It requires structure. And it requires leadership at every level of our organization. Over the past several years, the UWUA has taken deliberate steps to build that capacity — both by strengthening our internal organizing structure and…
The UWUA’s Brotherhood of Utility Workers (BUW) ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement in April, covering nearly 2,000 National Grid workers across BUW Locals 317, 322, 329, 330, and UWUA Local 369 — including multiple bargaining units within Local 369 — across New England. The agreement delivers strong economic and contractual gains while maintaining a focus on…
There may be no subject more divisive within the membership of the UWUA than politics. Much like the rest of the country, our members hold a wide range of political views, and there is often debate over what role the union should play in the political process. Some members want greater involvement, while others would…