For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
Nothing is more fundamental to the safe, healthy functioning of our society than water and wastewater infrastructure. Without the ability to deliver clean, reliable water and to safely treat and dispose of wastewater, we would be living in a pre-industrial, almost medieval world. Water-borne diseases that used to be the scourge of the entire world…
Threatening to trash decades of a productive relationship with members of Local 477W in southeastern Ohio, the Highland County Water Company is demanding unfair concessions of workers in this round of contract bargaining. Defending arbitration process Management’s most egregious demand is to eliminate arbitration as the final step for settling employee grievances. This could hurt…
Cleveland Local G-555 won a huge victory recently with Dominion Energy Ohio when they successfully negotiated back into the contract automatic progression for more than 300 members in the Field Metering Services (FMS) Department. The local proved that it is possible to negotiate back into a UWUA contract things that were previously lost when concessions…
Public sector members of Local 542 in Bay City, MI recently ratified a new three-year contract that took almost two years to negotiate. The 95 municipal workers staff city hall, and the Department of Public Works; including streets, sanitation, parks, water distribution and waste water systems. No concessions The new agreement provides annual raises, an…
So far my travels as UWUA president have taken me from very small locals where a handful of our members provide vital services to their own communities, to large locals with thousands of members, as well as others of various sizes, with more to come. I’ve had numerous conversations that have sparked my interest in…
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, newly appointed UWUA National Representative for Region II, Joseph Swenglish, became a member of UWUA Local 433 in 1994. Since then, he has been employed by the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN), where he spent the beginning of his career as a welder before becoming a control room operator…
UWUA support was key to Local 164 member John Lorenzo winning his race to become Commissioner of Rostraver Township, PA in November. The 40-year-old father of two decided to run for office after successfully opposing the privatization of his township’s wastewater operation. “I want make sure our residents’ interests come first,” he says, adding, “The…
Fifty-Eight Years of Service And Going Strong! Local 175 member Janice Behnken (pictured left) was recently recognized by UWUA President Jim Slevin for her 58 years of service at Vectren Energy and her dedication to her local’s membership. “I’m still working full time for the gas company and when I get off work I volunteer…
For United States high school juniors who will be completing or leaving high school and entering college in the fall of 2021. This scholarship program was established by Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO for the children of union members. To enter your child into the 2021 Utility Workers Union of America Scholarship Program (for…
Each year on November 11, we recognize the sacrifices and contributions made by our veterans. While support of our veterans is heartfelt by everyday working people, that has not always been the case with some of our elected politicians and others. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, the “GI Bill of Rights,” into…