For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
Supreme Court Bows Down to Right-Wing – Janus Decision Will Not Stop Us! On June 27, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 that ruled a public employee cannot be required to pay dues or fees for the representation the union provides related to collective bargaining and other representational activities.…
Local 537 Secures Contract with American Water Under a long-standing agreement by the parties, the National UWUA and other unions negotiate most benefits with American Water as part of a National Benefits Agreement. Negotiations for wages, hours, and working conditions are done separately by local unions. Local 537 members in Brownsville, PA, ratified a new…
American Water Benefits Agreement Inked More than 3,000 members of the UWUA and eight other unions ratified a National Benefits Agreement with American Water on July 31. It includes improvements to healthcare, retirement, and other benefits for nearly 70 bargaining units in 15 states across the U.S. The national agreement is negotiated by a coalition…
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE If Not Us, Then Who? If Not Now, Then When? As Utility Workers, we face life-threatening situations on the job every day. Hurricanes, fires, mudslides, explosions, you name it we deal with it. That’s why we focus on securing collective bargaining agreements that protect us from the dangers of our work. And that’s…
Labor Rights are Human Rights April 4, 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While it is well known that Dr. King’s assassination took place in Memphis, most Americans are not aware of the fact that he went to Memphis in support of striking sanitation workers. The…
Our Toolbox for Contract Negotiations Works! Union representation and strong UWUA contracts are what separates us from workers who have no voice and very few rights at work. With our contract, we cannot be fired at the whim of management, and our wages, benefits, working conditions, and more, are all protected. This gives us peace…
Linemen Sculpture to be Unveiled in Lakeland, FL “I lost my husband almost 16 years ago, on August 26, 2002,” says Tracy Moore, whose husband Marc was tragically electrocuted while working for the city of Lakeland, Florida. “I learned that day the true power in electricity, and the true sacrifice our linemen make — all…
What have you learned at your Regional Conference to take back to the members of your Local? Alyna Kong Customer Service Rep. Local 132 “California Gubernatorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa was a guest speaker. Being a shop steward, my focus was always at a local level dealing with local management. I now realize there is a bigger picture.…
Regional Education Conferences are Off and Running In late April and mid-May, UWUA members and officers attended Regions V and I’s Educational Conferences in California and New Jersey respectively. With two more regional conferences slated for 2018, the National Union is well on the way toward meeting its goal of educating, activating and mobilizing its…
The development of hydropower in the United States has roots as far back as 1880 when the construction of a hydroelectric turbine in Grand Rapids, MI provided the first public demonstration of hydropower in the country. Boasting the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth — by total volume they contain 21% of the world’s…