For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
The U.S. job market has been on an upswing for more than two years with unemployment in early 2023 at its lowest level in more than half a century. Most industries are now above or close to their pre-pandemic levels of employment. At the same time, workers are engaging in a wave of unionizing. According…
Merriam-Webster defines a millennial as “a person born in the 1980s or 1990s.” This generation, workers aged 24-44, represents around 40% of the American workforce. With surging costs of housing, healthcare, and education, and real wage stagnation that’s lasted for a decade, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a revitalization in support of organized labor…
Seven New York state utilities in January updated their pilot proposals for the construction of emission-free Utility Thermal Energy Networks (UTEN) that will decarbonize buildings and protect union jobs, and Massachusetts is moving ahead with similar plans. The Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act, signed into New York law last July, calls for multiple…
Water and wastewater workers in southwestern Pennsylvania signed a new five-year contract in October that brings higher wages and a bump in pension benefits. Local 164 represents 260 members employed by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. Members work in various municipal water and sewerage plants within a five-county region east and south of Pittsburgh.…
In January, 11 building maintenance workers cast their votes in favor of UWUA representation. They’ll now be part of the 900-member-strong Local 102 and join a union family that includes linemen, substation, and meter service workers at West Penn Power and other FirstEnergy-owned companies throughout Western and Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland. Travis Beck, the…
Local 116 recently settled a three-year contract renewal with American Electric Power (AEP). The local represents about 140 linemen and substation workers in the Canton, OH, region. IBEW represents other AEP workers in the same area. The new agreement runs through June 2025 and includes 9% in guaranteed wage increases for all members as well…
Operations, mechanical and electrical maintenance, warehouse and garage workers at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Ohio ratified a new agreement with Energy Harbor in early November. The contract covers roughly 100 craft workers who are members of Local 270. The local also represents the plant’s 50 technicians. Perry underwent a recent ownership change related…
Three representatives from the UWUA traveled to Denmark at the invitation of the Trade Council of Denmark of North America to develop an understanding of Danish offshore wind (OSW) training programs and bring back recommendations for how to best train our members for the coming boom in North American wind related jobs. There’s money pouring…
Throughout the COVID pandemic the title of essential worker was liberally applied to various individuals whose occupations companies, the government, and society could not afford to have stay home. These occupations included the obvious police, fire, paramedics, and hospital personnel, as well as utility workers. In addition to the obvious occupations, others were included like…
We recently asked our members on Facebook, “What’s one good change you’ve seen over the course of your career in the utilities?” In your responses, safety came up most often. You brought up ways our members now have more of a say about how to safely get the job done, your ability to work more…