For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
Something special is happening with the members of the Michigan State Utility Workers Council (MSUWC) who work at Consumers Energy. Members from vastly different backgrounds, who used to think they had little in common, are finding ways to have conversations on difficult subjects like politics, race, and religion. Some may ask, why go there? Aren’t…
Companies have been adopting “Lean” process, a methodology focused on creating value with fewer resources and less waste, since it was first introduced in the 1930s. In theory, Lean calls for ongoing experimentation by workers and managers to find ways to improve quality and flow, reduce time and effort, and lower costs. It involves collaboration,…
The Region V conference was a great big, joyful family reunion. Our UWUA brothers and sisters gathered for the first in-person meeting in two years, and I was overwhelmed with emotion as I stood at the podium and looked out over a sea of beautiful faces. Our family has evolved and today is more representative…
On March 24 – 26, 2022, the UWUA held the first of its 2022 regional conferences with Region V members in Redondo Beach, California. The conference was very well attended with over 100 members who participated. Attendees included approximately 50% first-timers and a very diverse group of members, including an impressive number of women. In…
Too many times members have had to fight for basic information after they were either injured or exposed to a harmful chemical at work. That’s why it’s imperative that every member know their rights under section 1910.1020 of the Occupational Safety and Health standard. It spells out employer obligations for recordkeeping of medical and exposure…
What does it mean to walk in your power? It means creating safe spaces for our union sisters to be their authentic selves, promoting opportunities for upward mobility for our UWUA sisters, and fighting inequality that denies women opportunities to thrive. Local 223’s Women’s Committee put this concept into practice in March with its “Painting…
Paul Turner is not afraid of heights. It’s a good thing because his utility sector career launched him from operating and maintaining natural gas lines to where he spends a lot of time today, up 300 feet into the air working on wind turbines as a journeyman renewable specialist. He and three colleagues completed a…
I am humbled and honored by the overwhelming support and faith to be elected to this new role as vice president. I look forward to serving our union and all UWUA’s members across this country. I wanted to use my first column in The Utility Worker to introduce myself and offer insight into the experience…
UWUA members at five Columbia Gas units in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Ohio recently won significant gains in wages, healthcare, and other benefits, after facing down intransigent management bargaining tactics during contract negotiations. When negotiations opened last fall, UWUA local bargaining teams were determined to secure fair wage packages and to rein in excessive out-of-pocket employee…
Members of Local 351 have long operated the combustion turbine power generation plant in Lorraine, Ohio. When their collective bargaining agreement expired last July, they faced bargaining with the plant’s new owner, Starwood’s IHI Power Service Corp., which had purchased the plant from First Energy. The natural gas and diesel-powered plant serves as a peak…