For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
When members of UWUA Local 600’s women’s caucus chose ReSet Ministries Women’s Sober House in Newport, Kentucky, as their first philanthropic project, they never imagined their example would inspire so many others to join their efforts. Members’ initial volunteer outreach in October 2021 soon led to a $500 donation from the Local 600 general board.…
On October 24, as five twisters touched down throughout the Midwest one took aim at Fredericktown, in southeast Missouri. In a matter of seconds, the Black River Electrical Cooperative’s 25 service trucks were out of commission. UWUA Local 398 members working for Black River — linemen, engineers, warehousemen and office workers — quickly discovered they…
1 – Peer to Peer What does it mean to have a peer-to-peer safety program? At Local 648 in Scranton, PA, it means you may see Heather Novak or another member of the local’s safety team when they conduct weekly ride-alongs. At Rocky Mountain Power, it means if you miss Local 127’s mandatory monthly safety…
While COVID-19 has made safety and Personal Protective Equipment topics of discussion worldwide, workplace hazards are nothing new for utility workers. We’ve been dealing with dangers on the job our entire careers. From the very first days of our nation’s industrialization to today, utility workers have faced live wires, leaking gas lines, open pits, gushing…
With key new appointments at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), President Joe Biden is delivering on his campaign promise to be the most pro-union president in history. First, out with the old and in with the new. Within hours of taking office, President Biden fired Peter Robb, the most anti-union general counsel in the…
After two years of meeting cancelations and attempts to replace in-person meetings with virtual meetings, the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) will return to hosting in-person events in 2022 with its regional education conferences. The conferences will begin with the Region V meeting in Redondo Beach, California, on March 24 – 26; followed by…
In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors says, “Do you know what today is? Today is tomorrow. It happened.” As we approach year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all feeling emotionally and physically exhausted and to a certain extent like we’re stuck in the same time loop as Phil…
That was the message conveyed by a UWUA Young Workers Committee panel that gathered virtually for the P4A Training in Action conference. Committee members joined me and National Executive Vice President Patrick Dillon for a discussion about the choices they faced as high schoolers preparing for their futures. They hope that by sharing their experience…
As part of the recent Power for America conference, leaders from three locals joined me for a roundtable discussion on how we can all do a better job of fostering women leaders in our union. Juanita Ray, president of Local 223 in Michigan; Jean Washington, a Local 1-2 business agent; and Barbara Yatauro, president of…
With great sadness we share news of former UWUA President Donald Wightman passing away on November 16. We offer our condolences to his family, friends and all who knew him. A true fighter Upon learning of his death, President Jim Slevin said, “Don Wightman truly understood the fights our members and their families faced. He…