Category: Magazine

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…

Wind technicians working for Michigan giant DTE Energy overwhelmingly voted to join Local 223 recently. The new 25-member unit joins the UWUA’s growing number of members working in the booming renewable energy industry. With the Local 223 victory, Michigan becomes the only state in the nation where the operation and maintenance of wind turbines owned…

Congratulations to UWUA brothers and sisters from Local 223’s Power Generation Division for achieving 1 million hours worked without an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable injury. This significant milestone demonstrates Local 223’s dedication to workplace safety! “Although we work around hazards every day, we are getting better at recognizing and mitigating them prior…

Michigan receives nuclear community grant This summer, the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a branch of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, awarded a $969,261 grant to the Southwestern Michigan Commission, a grant aimed at developing an economic recovery strategy ahead of the closure of the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station. Further, this grant will be matched with…

This summer tested us in ways we’ve never been tested before. As if COVID-19 and the Delta variant weren’t bad enough, we’ve experienced unprecedented natural disasters. Extreme wildfires, hurricanes, droughts and floods are no longer an anomaly. They are the norm. As first responders, nobody knows this better than UWUA members. We are on the…