For press inquiries, please reach out to Communications Director Erin Bzymek at ebzymek@uwua.net or 202-702-9655.
This has been a year of unprecedented challenges for the entire world. COVID-19 has claimed many lives worldwide, including over 185,000 lives here in the U.S. It has wreaked irrevocable economic harm on industries, businesses large and small, and caused families to fall into financial and emotional despair. Adding insult to injury, this once in…
The economic and mental health challenges our veterans face due to this pandemic are distressing, particularly for those leaving military service and entering civilian life. There’s a lot that keeps me up at night worrying about these individuals, but there are also reasons to be hopeful. The 24th graduating class of the Utility Workers Military…
The year of 2020 has been a time to pause, reflect, re-evaluate, and establish a “new normal!” Some say, “I can’t wait until things, go back to normal!” There is no going back, we must move forward. It is time for change! There have been so many unprecedented, horrific, events this year that have shed…
When I watched the funeral services of George Floyd, a gentleman, a Black man who lost his life under the knee of a police officer, and listened to the speakers’ words of comfort and remorse to the family, I could not help but reflect on my own life’s experiences as a child growing up in…
Members of the UWUA National Safety Committee, led by Safety Director Scotty MacNeill, held the first-ever online Tailgate Talk, September 2. Livestreamed on Facebook, Safety Committee members spoke about why safety factors into every decision they make on the job. Panelists also answered questions about staying safe at work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured: National…
The Utility Workers Union of America Committee on Political Education Committee Fund (UWUA-COPE) was established for the purpose of providing support to candidates for elected office and/or political organizations. The UWUA COPE Fund supports candidates who promote the principles and values of working families on issues such as organizing protections, worker rights, or prevailing wage…
In response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police, the resulting protests and the national discussion on race, the UWUA hosted two virtual Townhall meetings. Entitled, “A Conversation on Solidarity, Equality and Justice,” race and racism were discussed by a panel that included UWUA President James Slevin, representatives from the…
Recent natural and manmade disasters have revealed the important work UWUA members play in delivering water, gas and electricity to millions of Americans across the country. COVID-19 has only magnified that. California is at the top of the list of states responding to multiple disasters all at once. Without the hard work and dedication of…
In a first-of-its-kind decision on the East Coast, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey recently blocked legislation that would have prohibited the use of natural gas in new construction and renovations in Brookline, a town bordering Boston. Working with its extensive political network in the state, the UWUA challenged the gas ban and Healey overturned it…
When Columbia Gas took responsibility for the 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions in Massachusetts, killing one person, injuring dozens of others and destroying or damaging hundreds of structures, it was ordered to pay a $53 million federal fine, a state penalty of $56 million, and lost its permission to operate in the state. Forced to…