Category: Magazine

Murphy Ball is the new Region III Human Rights Committee representative. A member of Ohio Local 270, he has worked for FirstEnergy, previously the Cleveland Light and Illuminating Company, for 34 years. “In light of all the things going on in the country, it’s good that we have the Human Rights Committee,” he says. “I’m at the end of my career and I want to do…

Chris Ericksen Vice President Local 270 With the campaign process in full swing, there are two issues that rise to the top of my list: skyrocketing college tuition, and the need for all people to earn a living wage. As a parent, I am concerned that my son and daughter may enter adulthood with sizeable college debt. As…

On May 12, 2011, as Rick Bonnett stood in line to cast his vote to join the UWUA, he reflected on how difficult the journey had been. In his 19 years, Rick, an instruments and controls technician at Entergy’s Palisades Nuclear Plant, had seen much, and been through more — from working with his original employer, Consumers Energy, to working under a contract management company called Nuclear Management Company, to…

In August, Caucus Chair, Local 601 Executive Secretary Valerie King, and Co-Chair, Local 1-2 Shop Steward Ursula Grant, attended the 39th United Auto Workers Union Women’s Conference at the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center in Black Lake, MI. It was an engaging, influential, and motivating week of learning, and sisterhood! Action Plan/Next Steps “The conference provided an encouraging, insightful environment for women and men to become aware of…

Employer aggression towards employees is certainly nothing new. Corporations exist for one thing and one thing only, profit. But in a true democracy, those we elect to public office have a duty to represent the citizens who elect them. As we all know, that is not what is happening now. Corporate America has hijacked our democracy and is using government as…

Recognizing the importance of safety and skills training for UWUA members, the National UWUA and American Water Works have entered into a 5-year agreement that will allow the UWUA Power for America Training Trust Fund (P4A) to provide training opportunities for UWUA members across AWW’s water and wastewater operations. “P4A is excited to work with AWW to develop and provide training opportunities,” says UWUA Executive Vice…

More than 1,200 UWUA members working for American Electric Power in Ohio and West Virginia recently won a three-year agreement that includes significant improvements and raises the bar for future negotiations. Up until this round of bargaining, the company always came to the negotiating table at the end of each contract with a “best and…

The release of the final rule on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) by the Environmental Protection Agency on August 3 was undoubtedly one the most impactful events to affect utility workers longterm. The CPP mandates carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction standards for the states and applies to all existing power plants. If not for the intervention of the UWUA at the highest levels of government before the issuance of…

With the holidays upon us, now is a good time to reflect on why we get to enjoy the benefits we have today. How is it that we are able to have paid time off to be with family and friends? What brought us paid holidays, vacations, sick days, retirement, and even weekends? Workers joining together, forming unions and…