FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT
CRAIG A. PINKHAM BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I hope you and your families are staying safe and well. Although we cannot believe that we have reached the one-year mark into this pandemic, I am not surprised at how successful our entire membership has been under such challenging times. First, I want to salute all of our members for answering the call during this tough winter season. Severe holiday storms, record snowfalls, and Nor’easters caused emergencies and outages across our region.
best utility contracts in the country. We have adjusted very well to the “new normal” of Zoom and Teams meetings and will use our experience and expertise to deliver for the members of the five (5) remaining contracts that expire in 2021.
But every time, Local 369 members stepped up to restore the power
There’s also good news for workers at the national level. President
and assist our customers, on the ground and in our call centers.
Biden has appointed Boston’s own Mayor Marty Walsh to be U.S.
Together, we kept thousands of families safe and warm throughout
Secretary of Labor. Mayor Walsh has been a strong champion for
the winter. Thank you for your dedicated service to our customers
working families throughout his entire career, and he will be the first
and our communities.
union member to lead the Department of Labor in over 50 years. We
There are promising signs on the horizon regarding the COVID-19
are proud to see him continue standing up for workers in Washington.
pandemic. As part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ COVID-19
We are also continuing to hold politicians accountable at all levels
vaccine rollout plan, utility workers are now eligible for vaccinations.
of government. Together with workers across the country, we are
These vaccines are the best way for us to keep our families and
pushing Congress to pass a Workers First Agenda to protect our jobs,
communities safe from the virus. While it may take some time for
our benefits, and our rights to organize. At the same time, we are
vaccines to become available due to limited supply, we strongly
advocating for state legislatures to recognize utility workers as first
encourage all of our eligible members to get the vaccine as soon as
responders, so our members can get better access, resources, and
you can.
recognition during emergencies. To add your voice in support, please
It remains important for all of us to do our part to stop the spread of
see page 8 of this issue.
the virus. Most of our members, colleagues, friends, and family have
This winter, we showed that when we work together, nothing can stop
not yet received the vaccine — it is critical that we continue following
us. I look forward to standing alongside each one of you in the weeks
safety protocols, including wearing a mask, social distancing, and
and months ahead, to keep our union strong.
washing our hands frequently. To keep everyone safe, we postponed
Remember, it is never about the money…..because it is ALWAYS about
our Regular Membership Meetings during the winter, and we will be resuming outdoor meetings at the end of March once the weather
the money!
gets warmer. As we put 2020 behind us, the new year has also brought exciting challenges for Local 369. Since the start of 2021, Local 369 has successfully negotiated six (6) new collective bargaining agreements. While this pandemic has all but eliminated in-person bargaining sessions, your bargaining committees continue to negotiate the
Craig A. Pinkham President UWUA Local 369
UWUA LOCAL 369 | WINTER / SPRING 2021 NEWSLETTER
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