This article is a reminder that it is that time of year to review our year-end financial records and execute our compliance requirements. Since our 32nd Constitutional Convention in July 2023, we have experienced a vast change of local leadership due to retirements and elections. I want to take this opportunity to thank the many…
In October New York’s governor approved three new wind farms off New York City’s shores, including one project that would shift Rise Light and Power’s (RLP) Ravenswood Generating Station to 100% renewable energy and another that will supply Con Edison’s planned Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub. Local 1-2 represents workers at both companies and has been…
Members of Local 416 working at the West View Water Authority recently won a new five-year agreement with substantial gains. However, getting to the finish line wasn’t easy. The new contract came 14 months after the prior contract expired, after a May 2023 strike authorization, and members’ rejection of two authority-proposed agreements. “There hadn’t been…
Getting water from nature to end users is a team effort involving those who pump and treat it; those in distribution who lay and maintain the pipes that send it out to homes, fire systems, and businesses; and those who interact with customers on service and billing issues. UWUA represents members who manage every step…
The UWUA wishes all our retirees health and happiness during your “golden years.” Enjoy it — you’ve earned it! Local G-555 Charles S. Caspio Nancy A. Crimaldi Samuel L. Faller Jerry T. Gowins Cathy Whittaker Jones Jeffrey A. Reiff Local 1-2 Wilbert Bascom Ralph Calise Mark Edwards Daniel Gilroy Robert King Tahir Lyle Easton…
As a recent addition to the board of United Support and Memorial for Workplace Fatalities (USMWF), I find myself reflecting on the crucial role this organization plays in the lives of those who have tragically lost loved ones due to workplace incidents. The reality is stark: when a workplace fatality occurs, the usual investigative process…
As utility workers, we often proudly declare ourselves as the stewards of essential utility services — ensuring everyone has the basics needed to move through life. It’s a source of profound pride, a badge of honor we wear as we navigate the complexity of our daily tasks on the job. But amidst this pride, do…
Every time our union goes to the negotiating table, we fight against a system that is hell-bent on extracting the most out of every worker. Our union stands up to that system and fights for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. The union defends the idea that we workers deserve a fair…
In 2023, seven Michigan State Utility Worker Council locals (101, 104, 105, 119, 123, 144, and 254) raised $17,200 and provided 513 complete dinners to families in Pontiac, Roseville, Warren, Lansing, and Bay City. The locals targeted areas where they had worked on large replacement projects that had at times inconvenienced…
In spring 2023, I was one of several Young Workers Initiative Committee (YWIC) members who took part in the UWUA organizing training in Roswell, NM. Little did I know then that I would put that training to good use just a few months later. When UWUA Organizing Director Deidre Brill and National Representative Valerie King…
New Mexico A group of public works employees from the Village of Bosque Farms, outside of Albuquerque, chose UWUA to gain more control over their work. Five municipal workers operate the village’s water and sewerage services, maintaining 2 wells, a wastewater treatment plant, grinder pump stations, and the billing/customer service operation. It’s a large workload…
Since its founding in 2012, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services has been assisting organizations to integrate veterans and their families into their existing programs. This work is only possible with partners who are committed to honoring the service of our military-connected community. Since 2015, UWUA has been one of those partners. It’s a…
The Utility Workers Union of America, coming off a hugely successful convention in 2023, will focus on membership development and education in 2024 and 2025. In April, we’ll hold the first of four 2024 regional conferences. In the past, in off-convention years we alternated regional conferences with conferences by the Power for America Training Trust…
Here we are, and it’s 2024: the first quarter of a new year, six years before we begin a new decade, and two presidential elections yet to come. So, what’s ahead? Did you make plans already or create New Year’s resolutions for 2024? Were you successful with your plans and resolutions in 2023? Did you…
UWUA Local 51 members in Roswell, NM, recently won unscheduled bonus payments and new benefits for blue-collar employees of the City of Roswell, following a months-long battle over a bare-bones budget imposed by the city council in July 2023. Shortly after council members adopted the surprise austerity budget — citing exaggerated woes in the city’s…
It’s easy to get bogged down by the work tasks on our plates. We can quickly lose sight of the big picture including all the ways the work we do — regardless of which utility sector we work in — is interconnected. We’ve all experienced moments of feeling very siloed in our work, which has…
Workers responsible for water treatment, distribution maintenance, and wastewater services for Jersey City’s 280,000 businesses and residents recently ratified a new four-year agreement, winning substantial gains in wages and other areas. The agreement holds particular significance for the 40 workers represented by Local 375. It was the first time they bargained with Veolia Water. Five…