This article is a reminder that it is that time of year to review our year-end financial records and execute our compliance requirements. We have seen a large number of retirements in our ranks and many younger members are getting involved in their local leadership. This new energy is encouraging and exciting and will require…
There is no worker more vital and connected to our everyday lives than the utility worker. And there is no union that has, since its inception over 75 years ago, been more able to enhance the livelihoods of these unsung heroes known as utility workers than the UWUA. On March 1, I’ll be retiring from…
On January 15, The Philadelphia Inquirer published this opinion piece by Local 686 President Keith Holmes. Philadelphia is not the first city to undertake such an effort to eliminate natural gas or prevent new natural gas hookups. In 2021, efforts were made by cities and states around the country to attempt to ban new gas…
Numerous factors are driving utilities to focus on lowering their carbon output and examine the ways they generate and deliver power. At the same time, they’re re-examining their business models in the wake of significant competition from non-utility power producers, particularly of renewables. A 2021 report by Hitachi found 88% of all utility-scale wind and…
Local 601 members recently wrapped up their first contract negotiations with the Bordentown Sewerage Authority. The four-year agreement sets a strong foundation for the unit of nine members who run the town’s wastewater plant and also perform public works maintenance. The vote for UWUA representation back in June 2021 was spurred by a desire for…
UWUA members working for Indiana Borough, a municipality about two hours east of Pittsburgh, started 2022 off with a great start. At its January 3 meeting, the borough council appointed a new borough manager, and within days had inked a new contract with its parking, street crew, wastewater and office workers — all members of…
When members of UWUA Local 600’s women’s caucus chose ReSet Ministries Women’s Sober House in Newport, Kentucky, as their first philanthropic project, they never imagined their example would inspire so many others to join their efforts. Members’ initial volunteer outreach in October 2021 soon led to a $500 donation from the Local 600 general board.…
On October 24, as five twisters touched down throughout the Midwest one took aim at Fredericktown, in southeast Missouri. In a matter of seconds, the Black River Electrical Cooperative’s 25 service trucks were out of commission. UWUA Local 398 members working for Black River — linemen, engineers, warehousemen and office workers — quickly discovered they…
1 – Peer to Peer What does it mean to have a peer-to-peer safety program? At Local 648 in Scranton, PA, it means you may see Heather Novak or another member of the local’s safety team when they conduct weekly ride-alongs. At Rocky Mountain Power, it means if you miss Local 127’s mandatory monthly safety…
While COVID-19 has made safety and Personal Protective Equipment topics of discussion worldwide, workplace hazards are nothing new for utility workers. We’ve been dealing with dangers on the job our entire careers. From the very first days of our nation’s industrialization to today, utility workers have faced live wires, leaking gas lines, open pits, gushing…
With key new appointments at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), President Joe Biden is delivering on his campaign promise to be the most pro-union president in history. First, out with the old and in with the new. Within hours of taking office, President Biden fired Peter Robb, the most anti-union general counsel in the…
After two years of meeting cancelations and attempts to replace in-person meetings with virtual meetings, the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) will return to hosting in-person events in 2022 with its regional education conferences. The conferences will begin with the Region V meeting in Redondo Beach, California, on March 24 – 26; followed by…
In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors says, “Do you know what today is? Today is tomorrow. It happened.” As we approach year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all feeling emotionally and physically exhausted and to a certain extent like we’re stuck in the same time loop as Phil…