The Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) recently endorsed Joe Biden for president, citing the vice president’s pro-worker values, commonsense leadership and decades-spanning career fighting for working families. “Vice President Biden has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to organized labor and the issues our members care about most,” said UWUA President James Slevin. “We’re confident he’ll…
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…
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Power for America (P4A) was getting ready to ramp up training for current and potential UWUA members. State stay-at-home orders forced all in-person trainings to be suspended. As the pandemic continued, P4A looked for new ways to re-start trainings for members. Pictured left – The 24th graduating class of the…
Michigan State Rep. Mari Manoogian was one of 17 “rising stars” who gave the keynote address on the second day of the August Democratic National Convention. Mari is the daughter of George Manoogian, who retired in 2016 as the UWUA chief of staff with more than 50 years as a UWUA member. “When the auto…
Water workers employed by American Water at the Fort Leonard Wood Army base in central Missouri voted overwhelmingly by mail on August 31 to join the UWUA. They become the first U.S. military service group to organize with the union. “We’re excited to be a part of the union brotherhood,” says Brett Brown, a plant…
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint against the illegal bargaining tactics of Highland County Water management during negotiations with UWUA Local 477-W for a new contract. The NLRB complaint upholds charges filed by the UWUA that the company has illegally frustrated negotiations by refusing to provide bargaining information. A hearing has…
During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump promised that if he was elected he would be a champion for workers. This promise led many union members to support President Trump, including many UWUA members. After nearly four years in office we now have a record to judge whether President Trump has kept his promise. From the…
On a recent trip to Oregon in support of Local 609 members fighting for a fair contract there, I experienced first-hand the wildfires laying waste to the West Coast. Our members in California and Oregon have described what it’s like to survive and combat the fires, some with families even needing to be evacuated. I…