UWUA Local 369 Winter 2019 Edition of The Current

UTILITY WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA LOCAL 369

THE CURRENT WINTER 2019 NEWSLETTER

C ON T EN T S 03 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK 0 4 U W U A 3 6 9 E N D O R S E S R E P. J O E K E N N E D Y I I I I N U . S . S E N AT E R A C E

0 5 U W U A C O N V E N T I O N U P D AT E 06 ON THE FRONT LINES:

P R O T E C T I N G W O R K E R S AT PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER PL ANT

0 7 FROM THE TREASURER H U G E H E A LT H C A R E S AV I N G S A RE YOU RE A DY TO RE TIRE 08 SUPPORTING VETER ANS IS IN OUR BLOOD

0 9 REMEMBERING OUR PA U L G E R M A N O

BROTHER

ROAD WORK SAFET Y 10 LOCAL 369 NE WS DESK 11 UPCOMING EVENTS H AT T I P T O R E T I R E E S 12 ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN FREE BRUINS TICKETS

A BOU T OUR ME MBE R S UWUA Local 369 represents nearly 3,000 workers across the utility industry in Massachusetts. Our members are proud to bring power, heat and telecommunications to homes and businesses across the Commonwealth. We’re dedicated to fighting for our members and all working families in Massachusetts.

FROM THE

PRESIDENT’S DESK

A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT

CRAIG A. PINKHAM

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Local 369 is having a record year and I couldn’t be more proud of everything that we’re accomplishing in light of so many hurdles for working-class people. Even with the closing of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, we are maintaining our membership, cutting our costs and in some bargaining units, we have delivered record-breaking healthcare savings for you and your families. The state of our union is strong and growing.

MORE MEMBERS, MORE POWER We’re proud to welcome our newest members from the Eversource Bulk Power Transmission group, who voted 18-0 to join our great union. These hardworking men and women join our family of nearly 5,000 union members across the utility industry in Massachusetts who perform crucially important work and can now count on the industry-leading wages, benefits and training that we’ve bargained and fought so hard to win.

This is a tremendous victory, and there’s more to come. By growing our ranks, we have even more power at the State House and the bargaining table. Together, we’ll keep organizing and fighting for organized labor and middle-class families.

FISCAL STABILITY = STRENGTH When I was elected Treasurer of Local 369 in 2011, the union’s financial future was in doubt. We were saddled with liabilities and debt, but with the support of the Executive Board, Trustees and Membership, I made it our mission to get our fiscal house in order. I’m excited to announce that we’re now debt-free. In April 2019, we paid off the mortgage balance on our Braintree union hall and streamlined our operations to further reduce costs. At a

time when some are questioning the future of organized labor, our union has never been in a stronger financial position. Our financial reserves will allow us to fight any corporation at the bargaining table and continue to negotiate the best contracts in the country.

Greater financial strength and stability means more opportunity: more opportunity to advocate for our members, and more opportunity to provide the services that our current and future members need.

MORE BENEFITS FOR YOU At a time when healthcare costs are skyrocketing and families are being forced to pick up more and more of the burden, I’m honored to report that here at Local 369, we’ve successfully managed to do the opposite, lowering member healthcare costs at National Grid by an average of 28 percent.

We know that you work hard and that you and your families deserve the peace of mind that comes with exceptional coverage that you can count on when you need it most.

That’s why we’re so focused on ensuring that you can get the care you need, when you need it, without having to worry about the potentially high costs of medical bills.

and re-branding of this newsletter—The Current—to bring you the latest information about your work and your union. If you have any issues or interesting stories that you would like to share with your brothers and sisters, please let us know.

There’s lots of important benefits news, advocacy updates, and events coming up that you won’t want to miss. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @uwua369 and be sure to text “WORKER” along with your name to 844-696-6435 to stay in the loop on important union alerts.

We’re also offering educational seminars for free financial advice and retirement planning to help make sure everyone can have a secure, dignified retirement. After a career of dedicated service, you and your families deserve to have a secure retirement to spend your days free from worry.

I want to wish you and your families a very happy and safe holiday season. There is much to be thankful for, and I’m especially thankful to all of you for your hard work in making our union strong. Remember, it’s never about the money...because it is always about the money!

RAMPING UP COMMUNICATIONS

In Solidarity,

We’re ramping up our communications operations, moving at full speed to get our message out on Twitter, Facebook and on the web. We’re excited about the re-launch

Craig A. Pinkham President UWUA LOCAL 369 | FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER

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U W U A L O C A L 3 6 9 A N N O U N C E S E A R LY E N D O R S E M E N T O F

JOE KENNEDY III FOR U.S. SENATE LOCAL 369 IS PROUD TO ENDORSE REP. JOE KENNEDY III FOR U.S. SENATE Joe Kennedy has been a tireless fighter for working families and a lifelong union supporter. He’s always had our back, and he knows we have his.

Our country is at a crossroads. Big businesses are stepping up their attacks on labor unions. And the Trump Administration is working overtime to eradicate decades of worker rights and protections. We need fresh, progressive voices in the U.S. Senate like Rep. Kennedy, who will hold his colleagues—and the President— accountable while working to pass meaningful legislation for Massachusetts families.

We’re honored to be among the first labor unions in the state to support Rep. Kennedy’s bid for U.S. Senate.

With thousands of members across the Commonwealth, Local 369 is a growing force in the labor movement and politics.

In recent years, our coveted endorsement and political activism have helped hold Massachusetts politicians accountable and win real results for families every single day.

Rep. Kennedy will always fight for working people in the U.S. Senate as he has throughout his career, from his time in the Middlesex District Attorney’s office to the U.S. Congress. We’re proud to support him for U.S. Senate.

above: President Craig Pinkham and Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III pictured, left to right: Secretary-Treasurer Dan Leary, Treasurer of the Plymouth Bristol County Central Labor Council and Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589 Mark Flaherty, Trustee Chairman Jim Pinkham, President Craig Pinkham, Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, Executive Vice President Craig Connolly, Business Agent Bobby Senier, Executive Board Vice President Richie Hughes

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FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER | UWUA LOCAL 369

UWUA CONVENTION UPDATE left: Antonio DePina accepting the 2019 Utility Worker Hero Award

above: Local 369 delegates, Executive Board members and union members attending the 31st Constitutional Convention. left: UWUA National President Jim Slevin with Local 369 President Craig Pinkham

Our own Antonio DePina was honored at the UWUA national convention in Las Vegas over the summer with the 2019 Utility Worker Hero Award. While working on an Eversource crew, Antonio noticed a nearby baby wasn’t breathing. Using the CPR skills he learned at a union-sponsored OSHA training, he jumped into action and saved the child’s life.

“To save a baby’s life, that’s a big thing to be able to do,” Antonio said. “I’m glad and grateful it had a positive outcome.” He said the child and his family will forever be a part of his life.

At the convention, Local 369 also celebrated the many achievements of the last four years and looked towards the future of our union. The convention theme “Our Mission: Protecting Our Legacy, Building Our Future!” gave us an opportunity to collectively deliberate on UWUA’s direction and develop concrete plans on how to navigate the waters ahead fighting privatization and serving our brothers and sisters.

right: Local 369 Secretary-Treasurer Dan Leary, UWUA National Executive Vice President Pat Dillon and Local 369 President Craig Pinkham

UWUA LOCAL 369 | FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER

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ON THE

FRONT LINES PROTECTING WORKERS AT PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Our work isn’t done. We still have Brothers and Sisters working at the plant, and we need to make sure they have a place to land as the decommissioning process continues.

Every member is a part of the Local 369 family, and we stand by each other, always.

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FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER | UWUA LOCAL 369

We’re also watching closely to ensure the plant is decommissioned safely. It’s a dangerous job, and we’re making sure that our highly skilled and highly trained members of Local 369 are the experts performing the work during the decommissioning process. We care about the health and safety of our members, and our communities.

DECOMMISSIONING TIMELINE LOCAL 369 MEMBERS

Since the closing of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station was first announced in October 2015, UWUA Local 369 has worked tirelessly to minimize the impact on our members. With the help of Executive Board Member John Daly and the bargaining committee, hundreds of men and women that were affected with this decision could have been left out in the cold, as they so often are when plants close. Thankfully, we came prepared and we fought hard. As a result, we successfully negotiated lucrative retention and decommission agreements and excellent severance packages for hundreds of our members.

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant projects

38

Local 369 members will be working at the plant on April 1, 2020.

DATE

FROM THE TREASURER

HUGE HEALTHCARE SAVINGS FOR LOCAL 369 MEMBERS A N D FA M I L I E S

While healthcare costs skyrocket and nonunion employers push more and more of the burden onto working families, we’re proud to report that last year we took a close look at the UWUA 369 healthcare plan to see ways we could increase services while decreasing costs so families can keep benefits. In the end, we managed to save members an average of 28% last year alone.

Making changes to the health plan wasn’t a simple task. We consulted with our financial department and healthcare providers to determine cost-effective

ways to increase access to medical professionals, so families could keep their doctors without spending more each year.

Working closely with leading healthcare providers, we were able to produce a healthcare plan with lower upfront costs to the consumers.

The new plan maintains the same level of healthcare coverage for members and their families while lowering deductibles.

As we’ve implemented the new policy, members are seeing lower deductions from their paychecks and lower upfront

costs at the doctor’s office. This is another example of how UWUA 369 fights for members every day.

If you have any questions about the new healthcare plan and the costs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at our UWUA 369 offices at (781) 848-3740 and please visit www. benefits369.org to learn more about our union benefits.

Dan Leary

UWUA Local 369 Secretary-Treasurer

ARE YOU READY TO

RETIRE? There’s a simple and unsettling reality in the United States: most Americans aren’t financially prepared for retirement.

you need to start planning. We’re even making the advice and workshops free, so everybody can access them.

F Gauging monthly retirement income needs (38 percent) F Estimating Social Security benefits at a planned retirement age (38 percent) F Thinking about moving or downsizing (38 percent) F Determining expenses in retirement (34 percent) F Talking with a financial advisor about retirement planning (23 percent) F Preparing a formal, written financial plan for retirement (11 percent)

While working with financial advisors may improve retirement outcomes, saving is critical for anyone who wants to retire from working full-time. In fact, the majority of workers and retirees participating in a recent Wells Fargo survey wish they had begun saving for retirement sooner than they did.³

A big part of what we see as the union difference is ensuring workers can have a decent, middle-class life, including a secure retirement. We want you to be well-prepared and confident about your future, and we’re committed to providing you with the tools SOURCES:

In fact, some are completely unprepared. The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI)’s 2017 Retirement Confidence Survey found almost half (47 percent) of workers have less than $25,000 in personal savings and investments, and about onequarter has less than $1,000.¹

And even for those who are actively saving for retirement, many haven’t taken other important steps to prepare, such as: ²

Saving and planning can be difficult. Boston Retirement Group, LLC is partnering with UWUA Local 369 to provide resources to help. Give Boston Retirement Group, LLC a call today to start planning for your future.

Patrick Nee & Douglas Padden Boston Retirement Group, LLC Financial Advisors Office: (781)-239-2063 info@bostonretirementgroup.com

1 https://www.ebri.org/pdf/surveys/rcs/2017/RCS_17.FS-3_Preps.Final.pdf 2 https://www08.wellsfargomedia.com/assets/pdf/commercial/retirement-employee-benefits/perspectives/2017-retirement-study.pdf 3 https://www.cms.gov/research-statistics-data-and-systems/statistics-trends-and-reports/nationalhealthexpenddata/nhe-fact-sheet.html

Securities offered through MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.. This material was prepared by Carson Group Coaching. Carson Group Coaching is not affiliated with the named broker/dealer. All investing involves risk including potential loss of principal. Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protection against a loss. CRN202110-255656

UWUA LOCAL 369 | FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER

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VETERANS SPOTLIGHT

HELPING THOSE WHO SACRIFICED FOR OUR FREEDOM UWUA LOCAL 369 makes honoring our veterans a top priority. Our own Business Agent Bob Senier keeps the military spirit of helping veterans going throughout the year, not just on Veterans Day. It’s in Bob’s DNA to help his country and his fellow vets.

Bob was a Marine in the mid-1980s and was deployed several times around the globe to keep the peace and remain at the ready at the height of the Cold War. Today, he’s a proud Business Agent for UWUA 369 and serves as Chairman of the Veterans Committee. One duty Bob is proud to carry on in this role is organizing the union’s annual clothing drive for homeless veterans, a tradition the union has carried on for over 35 years.

“Way too many vets experience economic hardship when they return home from service. I’m proud of everything the union does to supply them with warm coats, boots, hats and other winter essentials,” Bob says.

This year, dozens of bags and boxes of clothing and supplies have already been

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FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER | UWUA LOCAL 369

collected and donated to the Vietnam Veterans of America, who provide clothing directly to veterans in need as well as offering them much needed support programs.

“Our members are amazingly generous. I’m especially grateful for all of the support we received from the folks at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. Even though they were dealing with the plant being shut down, they donated brand new boots and other items to vets in need,” Bob said.

Needless to say, Bob can’t do the drive alone and is thankful for everything his union brothers and sisters do to contribute. He noted that a recent raffle raised hundreds of dollars for veterans. He’s glad the union is able to help our nation’s bravest.

“We’re a union and this is what a union does. We help our fellow Americans,” Bob said.

If you have a few minutes, please go through your closet and consider donating gently used coats, sweatshirts, pants, boots, hats, gloves or other articles of clothing and bring them to the union hall. We’ll sort them and make sure to get them to veterans in need.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF BROTHER

PAUL GERMANO Utility workers work in dangerous conditions and put their lives at risk every day. No one knows this more personally than the family and loved ones of Brother Paul Germano of Dudley, Mass.

SPOTLIGHT ON

Paul died this summer after he was hit by a car while working on a National Grid highway project on Route 9 in Spencer. At the time of the tragedy, Paul was marking underground

piping for upcoming construction. He was only 50 years old, leaving behind his loving daughter, Taylor M. Germano and his granddaughter, Aviana Germano.

We’re grateful to Paul for his decades of service to his family, his community, and his union. The Local 369 Executive Board has approved a $500 annual scholarship to be offered in his memory.

May he rest in peace.

ROAD WORK SAFETY

Brother Paul Germano was the third worker killed this year by a moving vehicle in Massachusetts. In 2018, there were 17 fatal transportation incidents, making it the leading cause of death from dangerous work.

These statistics tell us that more must be done to protect the men and women who risk their lives every day on dangerous worksites.

At the time of Paul’s accident, there was no work zone set up. There weren’t any cones, signs or police presence to alert motorists of the construction and to keep Paul safe.

What’s worse, none of that is required by law. That’s why we’re calling for tougher road work regulations, and urge you to call the union if your worksite feels unsafe.

UWUA LOCAL 369 | FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER

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LOCAL 369

NEWS DESK

This year, Local 369 was proud to offer scholarships to some deserving young people.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL the 2019 LOCAL 369 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS.

2020 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS are due on

APRIL 1, 2020

STUDENT

369 MEMBER/RETIREE

SCHOLARSHIP

AMOUNT

Colleen Morahan John Collier Andrew Fournier David Byrne Lillian Blasé Aaron Fournier Abigail Moynihan Daniel Lawrence Rory Walsh Shawn Peckham Katherine Manchester Deirdre Pederson Matthew Hogan Melanie Beaver

Brian Morahan Christine Collier Scott Fournier Richard Byrne David Blase Scott Fournier Eric Moynihan Ed Lawrence, Sr. Robin Walsh John Peckham Larry Manchester Doug Pederson Mike Hogan Joseph Beaver

Larry Eppolito Donald Wightman John “Jack” Holland Valentine P. Murphy Francis A. Kennedy Francis A. Toland Braintree Union Vision Braintree Union Vision John DeSantis Paul Melody Peter Brennan Kevin Fidalgo Local 369, UWUA Local 369, UWUA

$1000 $1000 $1000 $750 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500

Local 369 was proud to welcome National President Jim Slevin for a visit to the Union Hall in Braintree.

Local 369 Union Safety Committee was presented with UWUA Safety Leadership Certificates of Completion by UWUA Local 369 President Craig Pinkham and National Safety Director Scotty MacNeill. Congratulations to Kevin McAnneny, Region I National Safety Committee Chairmen Brian Hannon, Judith Fleming, Scott Miller (pictured). Congratulations also go out to Donald Stirling, Patrick Kelly, Michael Mederios, Paul Williams, Jim Moran, Ed Moore, Richard Boyle, and Ed Long who could not attend the ceremony due to storm restoration work.

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FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER | UWUA LOCAL 369

Congratulations to Local 369’s new Trustee-at-Large Brendan Lee. We’re grateful for your service.

RETIREE LIST Gwendoline Adams - Eversource Timothy Aiello - Entergy John Almeida - Eversource Fedel Alves - Eversource Edward Andrews - Eversource Michael Andrews - Entergy Vinhtrung Auduong - Entergy Deborah Augustine - Eversource Richard Avery - Entergy Donna Baptista - Eversource Kenneth Bartola - Eversource James Baugh - Naes Canal William Bones - Eversource Mando Borgatti - Entergy Scott Boudreaux - Eversource Ronald Bowen - Entergy Daniel Bowman - Entergy Marion Briggs - Entergy William Buckley - Veolia Jeffrey Burns - Entergy Robert Burns - Eversource Robert Byrne - Entergy Francis Callahan - Entergy Michael Cardinal - Entergy Donna Casella - Entergy George Cassell - Entergy John Chamberlain - Entergy Dave Clancy - Eversource Bernadette Clark - Eversource Sharon Coleman - Eversource James Conlon - Entergy Paul Corcoran - Entergy Hector Cordeiro - Entergy Robert Constandine - Eversource James Cummings - NGRID John Cunningham - Entergy John Daly - Entergy Jack Dart - Eversource Michael D’Amico - Entergy Linda Davenport - Entergy William Davenport - Entergy Dan Davison - Eversource

UWUA Local 369 is a family for life. We congratulate the following members on your years of service and friendship and wish you all a long and happy retirement.

Bernie DesRosiers - Eversource Camillo DiNunzio - Entergy William Duggan - Entergy Greg Dunphy - Eversource Ann Feeney - Entergy Francis Feleciano - Entergy William Finnigan - Entergy Patrice Fitzgerald - Entergy Anthony Flaherty - Entergy David Fountain - Entergy William Frazer - Entergy Karlyn Fuller - Entergy Donna Furtado - Entergy Jo-Ann Furtado - Eversource Robert Gage - Entergy Deborah Gilbin - Eversource Ann Gomes - Entergy Kevin Gregor - Exelon Kenneth Hallman - Eversource Daniel Harris - Eversource Joseph Healey - Entergy Bernice Henderson - Entergy John Hendy - Entergy Christopher Hickey - Entergy Eric Hinxman - Entergy Billy Horne - Eversource Brian Howell - NGRID Cornelius Jackman - Eversource Ralph Jameson - Entergy Debra Johnson-McIntosh Eversource Michael Jones - Entergy Gene Kaiser - Entergy Jonathan Kamataris - Entergy Katherine Keegan - Eversource Robert Kelland - Eversource Theresa Kelleher - Entergy Bert Kett - Eversource Wayne Kilanowich - Eversource Richard Kiley - Entergy Brian King - Entergy Yunkee Ko - Entergy

KEY CONTRACT DATES

Edward Labo - Entergy Eros Lamb - Eversource Paul LaNouette - Entergy Karen Larson-Sullivan - Entergy Richard Lawless - Entergy DebraAnn Leavitt - Entergy Carol LeBlanc - NGRID Gaye Lindsay - Eversource Vi Ke Lok - Eversource Larry Loomis - Entergy Daniel Lucas - Entergy Daniel Lucas - Entergy Norman MacLeod - Eversource Jennifer Mann-DiCristofaro - Entergy Darlene Marchant - Eversource David Martin - Entergy Migdalia Matta - NGRID Cindy McCann - Eversource Catherine McCoy - Entergy Terence McDonough - Entergy Nicky Meegan - Eversource James Miketa - Entergy Ronn Miller - Entergy John Molineaux - Eversource Edward Moore - Eversource Lloyd Moorethimas - Entergy Donna Morris - Entergy Kevin Naylor - Eversource Micahel Nee - Eversource William Nicholson - Entergy Kelly O’Brien - Entergy Jocelyne Oliver - Eversource Michael Oliver - Eversource Gary Olson - Entergy Michael Olson - Entergy Joseph Pace - Entergy Jacqueline Phair - Eversource Gerard Pothier - Veolia Diane Ramsey - Entergy Normand Raymond - Entergy Brian Reynolds - Eversource Sheila Reynolds - Entergy

Eileen Richards - Entergy David Ricker - Eversource Thomas Roach - Exelon Alexander Robertson - Entergy Donna Rosa - Eversource Katherine Ross - Eversource Charles Ross - Eversource Marie Ryan - Eversource Albert Saccoach - Eversource Peter Saniuk - Eversource Michael Santos - Entergy Gary Schubert - Eversource Cindy Sears - Entergy Lothar Seehaus - Entergy Richard Shea - Entergy John Sheehan - Eversource Richard Sherman - Entergy David Siereveld - Entergy Stephen Smith - Entergy Donald Smyth - Entergy Denise Stanley - Eversource James Sweeney - NGRID Wong Szeto - Entergy Brian Szyndlar - Entergy Michael Thornhill - Entergy Sandra Trask - Entergy Edward Varmette - Entergy Paul Vartanian - Eversource Dennis Walsh - Eversource William Washburn - Naes Canal David Williams - Entergy Murray Williams - Entergy Christopher Wilson - Entergy Mark Wirtanen - Entergy Ngan (Daisy) Wong - NGRID Thomas Wonsey - Entergy Kevin Yetman - Entergy John Yingling - Entergy James Ziniti - Eversource Joseph Zion - Eversource

Local 369 fights for our members every day. Be assured we will fight for strong agreements for our brothers and sisters as the following contracts expire in the new year:

HINGHAM MUNICIPAL LIGHTING PLANT...................DECEMBER 31, 2019

LIBERTY UTILITIES (NE GAS)................... APRIL 30, 2020

EXELON MYSTIC 7................MARCH 6, 2020

EXELON LNG (DISTRAGAS)........................ MAY 14, 2020

EXELON MYSTIC 8 & 9...... MARCH 6, 2020

LIBERTY UTILITIES CALL CENTER......... OCTOBER 25, 2020

CITY GENERATOR, INC..... APRIL 17, 2020

NAES........................................................................ OCTOBER 30, 2020 UWUA LOCAL 369 | FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER

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UWUA Local 369 120 Bay State Drive Braintree, MA 02184

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