For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
People are sick, in the hospital, and dying from COVID-19. Yet, we still have members who can take the vaccine to protect themselves and their loved ones but refuse to. The vaccines have been tested and proven to be effective. To date, the FDA has approved the Pfizer vaccine for use. I encourage those who…
Joe Mazzoni, who retired in 2020, recently passed away. Joe was a 30+ year member of Pennsylvania Local 164. He began his union career as a Steward for the outside commercial group. He was then elected Chief Steward and helped negotiate Local 164’s current contract with the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. He will be…
Local 1-2 safety icon Billy Bleichner is retiring on October 1 with almost 50 years of service. He was a full-time Senior Safety Inspector taking care of Con Ed’s electrical division in the Bronx and Westchester, New York. He is pictured here with Jim Slevin, who was president of the local at that time. “There’s…
Each year, two UWUA members’ children are awarded college scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). This year’s UWUA National Merit Scholarship winners are Cass Dobrowolski, child of Michigan Local 223’s Daniel Dobrowolski, and Liam Ouderkirk, child of New York Local 1-2’s John Ouderkirk. Children of UWUA members are also eligible to apply for…
The UWUA National Safety Committee regularly conducts detailed reviews of incidents that result in injury or death with the goal of correcting mistakes to prevent future mishaps union-wide. The review typically includes: an incident summary, containment of damage, causes, and corrective actions. Below is an example of such a review. Fall from Pole Incident Summary:…
The attacks on our country on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 were certainly some of our deadliest hours. With 2,996 casualties, they exceeded those of Pearl Harbor and comprise the deadliest terrorist attack in world history. The tragedies that occurred in Shanksville, PA, the Pentagon and the World Trade Center changed our lives forever. It was…
Earlier this spring, as the three U.S. COVID-19 vaccines were becoming readily available, many of us thought we saw light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. As vaccination rates rose, we saw infection rates decrease and many thought that we were heading for a summer that would allow us to return to some form…
As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Utility Workers Union of America, I am both honored and privileged, as your National Secretary Treasurer, to assist in providing historical data for these anniversary editions of The Utility Worker. Our 2021 second quarter magazine titled “Making History, Moving Forward” covered the years 1933-1955. It identified many…
Protecting bargaining unit work from contractors, providing a pathway to careers for veterans, training women in non-traditional jobs, and shining a light on the truth about electrification are all areas of focus for the National UWUA and many of its locals. Each of these taken separately presents a challenge to the union, its members and…
Barbara Yatauro was recently elected President of Local 393, representing approximately 350 members at Suffolk County Water on Long Island, New York. For most of her 22-year career, she worked in the new construction division of the company and is now a Senior Clerk there. A few years after joining the union, she was elected…