UWUA E-News 11/03/2015

UWUA News
UWUA Women’s Caucus Chair Encourages Working Women To Take Survey Share
Mobilizing women begins with understanding their true priorities and challenges, and providing opportunities for them to Speak Up! We encourage all women, union and non-union, to take the National Survey of Working Women. Read More

Download The New UWUA Mobile App Share
The new app is your guide to the UWUA. Find events, campaigns, committees, locals, and much more at the touch of your fingers. Read More

2017 Utility Workers Union Of America Scholarship Applications Share
This scholarship program was established by the UWUA for the sons and daughters of active UWUA members. The annual competition is conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, an independent, not-for-profit organization. The current program is accepting applications from students who will be graduating high school in spring 2017, and starting college that fall. Read More

Labor News
White House Spotlights Importance Of Unions Share
President Obama hosted a “White House Summit on Worker Voice” Oct. 7, which focused on the importance of unions in the modern economy, a welcome national spotlight that comes as more Americans say they approve of unions. Read More

Heroes Beneath The Earth Share
Mine rescue is among the most risky and challenging first responder work undertaken in this country. Volunteer men and women – often miners themselves – willingly travel miles in the dark, navigating underground mine workings filled with debris and emitting toxic gases after a devastating mine fire, explosion or cave-in occurs. Read More

Utility News
Philadelphia Gas Works To ‘Aggressively’ Replace Old Gas Lines Share
The owner of the most leak-prone natural gas distribution system in the state has agreed to “aggressively” accelerate the replacement of its most dangerous pipes. Read More

FirstEnergy Eyes Settlement In Ohio Power Purchase Agreement CaseShare
FirstEnergy Corp. is confident its closely watched Ohio rate plan case will reach a settlement. The proposed power purchase agreement was a frequent topic of discussion for the Akron power company on its earning call, just as it was for Columbus-based American Electric Power Company Inc. (NYSE:AEP). Read More

Power Producers Take Steps To Beat Winter’s Freeze Share
During the worst of the winter of 2013-2014, the mid-Atlantic saw widespread power plant outages. Texas was forced to import electricity from Mexico, one generator fired up units closed for years, and Southern California ran short of natural gas. Read More

COPE (Political Education)
AFL-CIO Joins More Than 75 Groups Calling For Transparency In TTIP Negotiations Share
If you’ve been following our on-going coverage of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), you’ve probably caught on that one of our biggest complaints about the process is that working people have no idea what’s going on. Not surprisingly, the same air of secrecy surrounds negotiations over another trade deal, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).  Read More

Legislation To Counter Union Tactics Goes To Gov. Tom Wolf For Signature Share
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill that, if signed by Gov. Tom Wolf, will likely have an impact on organized labor in Philadelphia. House Bill 874, introduced by Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin County), would amend the state’s Crimes Code. Read More

Right-to-Work for Less
Right-To-Work Mobilize For Kentucky Governor’s Race Share
Kentucky’s next governor will face a bevy of issues, ranging from a declining coal industry to a struggling pension system. Then there’s right-to-work. Read More

Right-To-Work Proposal Introduced In Ohio Share
A Cincinnati lawmaker introduced his plan to bring a right-to-work law to Ohio despite opposition from fellow Republicans. The proposal from Rep. Tom Brinkman, R-Mount Lookout, would prohibit mandatory union membership at workplaces. Read More

Human Rights
What The Decline Of Unions Could Mean For The Next Generation’s Income Share
Decline in union participation—halved since the 1980s—is one reason that middle-income wages have stagnated for decades. Unions tend to create compressed income structures, where more workers earn similar wages. Read More

Voter ID Laws And The Ghosts Of Jim Crow Share
The basic contours of the public discourse on voter ID laws are fairly clear. In-person voting fraud is rare. Read More

New Online Database Makes It Easier To Fight Corporate Crime Share
Now it’s possible to keep tabs on companies that are the largest corporate environmental, health and safety violators, thanks to Violation Tracker. The Violation Tracker database includes about 100,000 cases with penalties of $5,000 or more, initiated by 13 federal agencies. Read More

Retirement Today
The Average Retirement Age In Every State Share
Choosing the right retirement age is as difficult as it is important. Retiring too early could leave you short on savings years into your retirement. A premature retirement can also cost you a chunk of your annual Social Security income. Read More

4 Retirement Risks That Can Be Reduced Share
The decision to retire can be scary. You leave behind the security of a monthly paycheck, and hope that your savings will be enough to pay your monthly bills. There are certainly many unpredictable events that could go wrong. Read More

Veterans Affairs and Information
Veterans Still Struggle To Get Mental Health Care At VA Share
Eighteen months after a scandal broke over waiting periods for Veterans Affairs health care, the department is still struggling to manage patients’ schedules, at least in the mental health care arena where some veterans have waited nine months for evaluations. Read More

U.S. Veterans Day Parade Directory Share
Find a Veterans Day parade near you. Search by state and find out the location, start and end times, and more information about the parade.  Read More

Labor’s Day in History
November 8, 1892 Share
20,000 workers, Black and White, stage general strike in New Orleans, demanding union recognition and hour and wage gains. Read More

November 9, 1935 Share
Representatives of eight unions announced the formation of the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO). In 1955, the AFL and the CIO merged. Read More