The Union Difference for Professional Employees
Joining or forming a union in your workplace is the most effective way to improve your wages, benefits, and working conditions. Thousands of professionals have made tangible improvements that are not only enhancing their individual careers, but enabling them to do their jobs better.
The information below highlights union professionals’ contract gains in specific workplaces, which are arranged by industry. Examples come from first union contract negotiations and subsequent contract renewals. First union contract negotiations provide professionals with an opportunity to protect existing policies and practices by enshrining them into the contract, as well as to achieve new gains in pay, benefits, and working conditions. Subsequent contract renewal negotiations, which typically occur every three to four years, offer union professionals an opportunity to build upon the gains won in prior negotiations. We indicate first union contracts in the examples below to provide greater clarity.
Select your industry to view recent union professionals’ contract wins. Don’t see your industry here? Contact us to be put in touch with a union of professionals in your sector, industry, or field.
Contact us to connect with a union organizer at organize@dpeaflcio.org.
Architecture
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) members at Bernheimer Architecture secured the following with their first union contract:
A 36 hour work week
Comp time for each hour worked over 36 hours in a week and the option of receiving pay for hours worked over 45 hours in a week
A hybrid work policy that is flexible in work location, schedule, and hours
A layoff and recall provision that does the following: requires the employer give employees 30 days notice before layoffs; gives employees the ability to volunteer to be laid off; provides for layoffs to be determined by skills, job performance, qualifications, experience, and seniority; and gives laid off employees the right to be rehired if positions for which they are qualified become available within 12 months
Education
College faculty and staff
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) members who are faculty and staff at Portland Community College (Oregon) secured the following with their union contract:
14% cost of living raises over two years
Raised part-time faculty pay to 75% of the full-time rates for any given class
A lump sum payment of about $700 for faculty who taught in the 2023 fall semester and 2024 winter semester
A one-time $1,000 bonus for academic professionals
Increased pay for part-time faculty whose classes are canceled
A “wage opener” in 2025, to allow for the negotiation of additional raises in the last two years of the contract
Increased employer contributions to health insurance premiums
Remote work improvements
Seniority for part-time workers
First choice for classes taught based on seniority
Hiring preference for current part-time faculty when full-time positions open
AFT members who are professors at Oakland University (Michigan) secured the following with their union contract:
Pay raises of 17.8%
The first year would also include one-time lump sum payments of $1,500 for full-time faculty and $500 for special lecturers
United Steelworkers (USW) members who are faculty at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their first union contract:
A minimum salary of $60,000 for full-time faculty (previously some full-time faculty were making $25,000 per year)
$50,000 minimum annual salary for instructors and visiting faculty
Increases to salary minimums in 2024, 2025, and 2026
Salary minimums for full-time faculty will increase by $3,900 in 2024, $3,140 in 2025, and 2.5% in 2026
Minimum per credit pay will increase for part-time faculty by 4% in 2024, 2.75% in 2025, and 2.5% in 2026
A cap on future health insurance premium increases
Paid leave for jury duty
Personal days for full and part-time faculty
Longer appointments for most full-time, non-tenure-stream faculty, and guaranteed presumptive renewal for all faculty with few exceptions
Layoff protections, including limiting layoffs to financial emergencies or the closure of a campus; providing at least six months' notice for layoffs (or as soon as is feasible); management's commitment to a good faith effort to reassign faculty subject to layoff; and at least four months' severance pay for full-time faculty
High school teachers
AFT members at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School (Massachusetts) secured the following with their union contract:
Wage increases between 12% and 14.5% (the largest in the school district’s history)
An amended pay scale, which values career and technical education teachers who have professional experience but lack a bachelor’s degree
Improved longevity and a future retention bonus
More prep time as well as compensation for teachers responsible for the highest number of students
Increased transparency through improved hiring committees, a procedure to resolve workplace complaints, like unfair treatment, and a new hire orientation
Non-teaching staff
Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) members who are professional, non-teaching staff at New York University’s (NYU’s) Tandon School of Engineering secured the following with their union contract:
A 17.25% increase in base salary
Childcare subsidies
Eligibility to participate in NYU’s Portable Tuition Benefits Plan, which reimburses tuition up to $7,275 annually for members’ dependents who attend an accredited college or university
A say in the development of a new remote work policy through a labor-management committee
Resident Assistants
OPEIU members who are resident assistants (RAs) at Wesleyan University (Connecticut) secured the following with their first union contract:
A pay structure that accounts for seniority and substantial increases to annual stipends, which raise RA stipends to $11,500
Time off for holidays
A labor-management committee made up of representatives from the union and management that will meet at least twice per semester to discuss issues like RA’s placement in housing
A non-discrimination clause prohibiting the university from discriminating against any worker for any reason
Sanctuary campus status, which guarantees the university will require immigration agents to comply with all legal requirements before ever interacting with workers
OPEIU members who are RAs at Tufts University (Massachusetts) secured the following with their first union contract:
Increased compensation by 46% with the addition of a meal plan with 80 swipes per semester and a $1,425 stipend
Holiday pay of a $50 credit to RAs’ student spending accounts for each day of a holiday worked
An adjusted summer training schedule, which requires RAs to arrive on campus a maximum of eight days before the first move-in date (previously RAs were expected to arrive up to three weeks before the start of the academic year)
The creation of a labor-management committee made up of five university representatives and five RAs to regularly discuss issues of mutual interest
Staffing ratios capped at 50 students per RA
OPEIU members who are RAs at the University of Pennsylvania secured the following with their first union contract:
A $3,000 stipend (previously RAs did not receive a stipend)
A one-time payment of $750 for ratifying the contact for those who worked during the 2024 spring semester
20 additional meals as part of their meal plans
OPEIU members who are resident assistants (RAs) at Emerson College (Massachusetts) secured the following with their first union contract:
Guaranteed stipends of up to $1,600 each semester
Daily pay minimums for RAs working during school breaks
Automatic reappointment to a RA position to those who wish to continue to be a RA in the next school year they are enrolled, instead of having to reapply for the position
Shorter pre-semester training, which means RAs do not have be on campus as long before the semester starts
Eliminated the 24-hour on-call requirement, so RA no longer have to be responsible for resident calls and emergencies at all hours
Federal Government
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) members who are transportation security officers (TSOs) at the Transportation Security Administration secured the following with their union contract:
Increased cash allowances and greater flexibility for the purchase of uniforms
Improved work-life balance
Expanded ability to trade shifts (from 20% of an employee’s work hours to 40%)
Greater ability for TSOs to work double shifts
AFGE members at the Defense Health Agency secured the following with their union contract:
Robust telework and remote work opportunities (for those in positions where telework and remote work is appropriate)
Strong protections for employees to use leave for personal reasons
A fair process for details and reassignments
AFGE members at the Social Security Administration secured the following with their union contract:
Virtual details, which are special projects or assignments that can be done remotely
Temporary Compassionate Assignments for up to 60 days at an alternate duty station for a temporary personal situation outside of the employee’s control (like the illness of a parent, etc.)
Funds that cover up to five days per calendar year of emergency back up care for those with dependent minors and/or adults
A new labor-management partnership effort chaired and jointly run by union and agency leaders
Improvements to lactation spaces for new mothers (a dedicated mini fridge provided by the agency, etc.)
Adequate time for employees to read emails such as agency transmittals
Adequate time to attend and complete assigned training
Language advising employees of their rights to request reasonable accommodations during training
A new definition of workplace bullying
AFGE members at the National Science Foundation secured the following with their union contract:
Telework eligibility for up to eight days per pay period (telework was previously limited to mostly one day a week)
Core hours from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST to accommodate hybrid work
A flexible time band of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday
AFGE members at Joint Base Andrews and Joint Base Anacostia secured the following with their union contract:
Civilian treatment of Dual-Status Air Reserve Technicians during the work week, which means they are not required to abide by military formality (saluting, standing at attention, recognizing rank, etc.) in their day-to-day work lives
The right to refuse unsafe work, to report unsafe conditions with no reprisal, and to contact the union when reporting an injury
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) members at the Federal Aviation Administration who work for flight standards and Flight Standards and Aircraft Certification secured the following with their union contract:
A $5,000 bonus
The current hybrid work policy of coming into the office two days per week
Healthcare
Nurses
AFT members who are nurses at Oregon Health Sciences University secured the following with their union contract:
Wage increases of 15%, 6%, and 6% in each year of the contract, as well as a new 30-step wage scale (the average base wage will increase 37% and will average to a $20.67 per-hour increase over three years)
Paid training for trauma-informed care (in-person de-escalation training, including advanced physical skills, crisis intervention, and assault prevention)
Additional contract protections requiring break-relief assignments so that patient care is not compromised
Nurse staffing standards that align with the higher complexity patients
Minimum safe staffing standards for the Emergency Department, Acute Care, and custom ratios and levels for all other areas
Improvements to workplace safety (a commitment to immediately institute urgent changes to lockdown procedures, securing entrances, and other workplace violence reduction)
AFT members who are home health and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services (Oregon) secured the following with their union contract:
Wage increases up to 16% over four years and pay raises for nurses with advanced degrees and skills
A one-time bonus for nurses still with PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services
Increased support for nurses’ professional development
The establishment of a health benefits task force to explore workers’ and families’ health needs and make recommendations to keep care accessible and affordable
The ability to isolate to avoid compromising vulnerable, home-bound populations for nurses who are exposed to communicable diseases
A provision empowering the interdisciplinary workplace violence prevention committee to address workplace violence and prevention, physical and verbal abuse, and harassment issues unique to home care environments
AFT members who are nurses and technicians at Central Vermont Medical Center secured the following with their first union contract:
An average wage increase of 21.5% over the course of the contract
OPEIU members who are nurses at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children (Hawaii) secured the following with their union contract:
Annual pay increases of 3.5%
Pay increases based on tenure at Kapiolani for nurses who have been at the medical center five, 10, and 15 years
A staffing matrix to be used to determine the number of nurses needed to staff patients that takes into account medical conditions and patient needs and uses guidelines that align with the recommendations of professional nursing organizations
A staffing council made up of nurses and management that will meet each month to address any staffing issues and review the staffing matrix yearly
A tool that takes into account the changing situations of patients to assist with determining the scheduling needs of each unit
A commitment to attract new nurses and support current nurses as part of recruitment and retention programs
Other Healthcare Professionals
AFT members who are technical employees, including respiratory therapists, MRI radiology techs, ultrasound echo sonographers, at Mid-Columbia Medical Center (Oregon) secured the following with their first union contract:
New standardized wage scales that match experience (wages will increase 4% across the board)
AFT members who are social workers, counselors, therapists, case managers and other frontline employees at Equitas Health (Ohio), a LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS-serving healthcare organization, secured the following with their first union contract:
A 2% raise retroactive to January 1, 2024 (on top of a recent 3% raise)
A $1,000 signing bonus
Increased compensation for a degree, license, or certification advancement
A cap to the employee share of health insurance premiums
Additional bereavement leave
A more inclusive parental leave policy
Eight hours of paid time off to volunteer in the community
AFT members who are techs at St. Charles Medical Center – Bend (Oregon) secured the following with their union contract:
Pay raises
Cost of living adjustments
A compensation structure that provides predictability by guaranteeing specific annual wage increases based on years of service and experience
Improved time-off
Adjustments to disciplinary procedures, including the removal of disciplinary actions from personnel files after 12 months
AFT members at University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center secured the following with their union contract:
A 3% pay raise
Improved job security
Creation of a Labor-Management Committee that is responsible for addressing issues related to safe staffing, patient outcomes, and working conditions
IAM members at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home (Maryland) secured the following with their union contract:
Pay increases of approximately 10.5%
Improved time off language that allows employees after one full year of service to request a cash payment instead of taking time off
Two additional floating holidays for employees with 20 years or more of regular full-time seniority
IAM members at Military and Family Life Counselors (North Carolina) secured the following with their union contract:
Retroactive base salary equity increase of approximately 13.6%, plus a locality premium of 6.5%, with an additional 2% base salary increase in each year of the three-year contract
Flex time
Paid time off and holiday increases
Job security improvements
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) members at Sodus Rehabilitation Center (New York) secured the following with their union contract:
Increased wages by 40% for certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses
Part-time employees receive time-and-a-half pay for holiday work
Improved 401K contribution match by the company
Higher uniform allowance
Sick leave for part-time employees and an improved sick leave policy for full-time employees
RWDSU members at Bloomsburg Care & Rehabilitation Center (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contract:
Improved starting minimum wage rates
Annual pay raises
Secured paid time off
Improved job security
RWDSU members at Valley View Manor nursing home (New York) secured the following with their union contract:
Instant wage increases of 18% to 32%
A contract ratification bonus of $300
Pay raises of 2% in each of the last two years of the contract
Increased shift differential or pay rate for working at untraditional times
401K match by the company
Additional paid time off based on years of service
USW members who are certified nurse assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), recreation aides, dietary and housekeeping workers, and material handlers at four different Kane Community Living Centers (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contracts:
An immediate hourly raise of $3 for LPNs and another $2 an hour by the end of the contract
Employees with at least three years of service will receive longevity raises
Increased uniform allowance to $400
Union representation for part-time employees
Clearer communication
USW members who are unit clerks, phlebotomists, respiratory therapists, occupational therapy assistants, environmental service workers, and other professionals at Oroville Hospital (California) secured the following with their contract:
An average one-year wage increase of 9.5% in the first year of the contract
An additional week of vacation for members in the business office and service unit to address disparity issues
Formation of a worker-driven joint health and safety committee (which will also address worker concerns related to patient care and workplace violence)
USW members at Cleveland Clinic (Ohio) secured the following with their union contract:
Wage increases of between 2.5% and 20% in the first year of the contract
General annual wage increases of 3% for the next two years of the contract
Paid time off for maternity and paternity leave for full-time employees
Insurance and Finance
OPEIU members at Amalgamated Life Insurance Company (New York) secured the following with their union contract:
14% wage increases
Access to new bonuses
Juneteenth added as a holiday to guarantee a total of 11 holidays
A hybrid remote work schedule of four days in, one day remote, but the number of remote days can be increased with supervisor approval and the remote work policy will be revisited annually
OPEIU members at TruStage (Wisconsin) secured the following with their union contract:
15.5% pay increases retroactive to 2022 and 13.25% raises over the four year lifespan of the contract
A provision codifying remote work and a monthly allowance for work from home expenses
OPEIU members at Independent Federal Credit Union (Indiana) secured the following with their union contract:
Pay increases of 10% to 13%
A $1000 retirement bonus
Doubled profit sharing
Juneteenth added as a paid holiday
Nonprofit
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) members at the Animal Legal Defense Fund (California) secured the following with their first union contract:
Equitable and guaranteed salary increases
A retroactive cost of living adjustment
Monthly remote work stipend
Expanded holidays
Protected existing benefits of paid sabbaticals, alternative work schedules, and a health insurance plan with 100% employer-paid premiums by adding them to their union contract
IFPTE members at Voces de la Frontera (Wisconsin) secured the following with their first union contract:
An immediate wage increase of at least 6%
Cost of living increases of up to 10%
Layoff protections, guaranteed severance pay, and advance notice in the event of layoffs
More paid time off
IFPTE members at East Bay Community Law Center (California) secured the following with their first union contract:
Established a $50,000 salary floor
Individual average salary increases of 15%
Secured back pay and salary adjustments to individuals misplaced on their salary scale
100% employer-paid benefits for medical, dental, and vision insurance
Vacation accrual cap raised to 40 days and sick leave cap raised to 35 days
Secured paid time off for holidays, including two weeks off for winter holidays, four floating holidays, May Day, standard federal holidays (including Cesar Chavez Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day), and the ability to observe alternate holidays
Sabbatical leave (after five years, employees may take an eight-week sabbatical leave, the first five weeks are fully paid, with an option to extend. Employees may also take a prorated amount of sabbatical leave at years seven and 10 years.)
New attorneys are entitled to 20 days of paid leave to study for the bar exam
Hour-per-hour comp time for staff who do not qualify under the law for overtime pay when they work more than 45 hours in a week
Penalty pay for missed meal breaks
Preserved a 35-hour workweek by codifying it
Alternative work schedules and telework
De-escalation protocols and training provided by the employer to improve safety
IFPTE members at The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (Virginia) secured the following with their first union contract:
Creation of a $50,000 salary floor and formalized salary bands
Retroactive pay at adjusted salary rates for 2023
Guaranteed annual salary increases
Twice-a-year office closures to promote rest
Additional annual leave and sick leave
Improvements to family and medical leave and bereavement leave policies
More accessible retirement benefits
Formalized teleworking policies and secured employer’s commitment to a hybrid workplace
IFPTE members the National Immigration Law Center (California) secured the following with their first union contract:
A salary floor of $53,800, up from $50,000
A 3% wage increase for all employees
A one-time $1,500 bonus
IFPTE members at Washington Center for Equitable Growth secured the following with their union contract:
Annual pay raises of $3,000 plus at least a 7% salary increase for promotions that bump employees into a higher job-grade and at least a 3.5% salary increase for promotions inside a job grade
A monthly stipend of $40 monthly for cell phone and/or internet costs
A hybrid work schedule with in-person attendance for meetings and social functions where in-person attendance does not exceed five days per month, except in special circumstances
12 weeks of paid parental and personal medical leave
Half work days on Fridays
IFPTE members at the National Partnership for Women and Families secured the following with their first union contract:
Annual pay raises
16 weeks of paid family and medical leave
Union members’ participation in hiring committees
More transparency in performance reviews
Staff trainings on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism
OPEIU members who are project coordinators at City Bar Justice Center (New York) secured the following with their first union contract:
Immediate pay increases to $41,500 and $43,500 (depending on length of service), including back pay for employees misplaced on wage scale, which raised wages by 15% on average
Annual pay increases
A mental health stipend
OPEIU members at American Jewish World Services (New York) secured the following with their first union contract:
A $60,000 salary floor and structural salary increases
Health care and insurance improvements, including reduced copays, increased fertility care, increased transgender/gender-nonconforming benefits, and the addition of orthodontia coverage
Increased employer match to the retirement plan
20 weeks paid parental leave plus 12 weeks unpaid
Transparent processes for promotions, job expansions, and annual salary increases
A fair process for employee discipline that protects due process rights
Retail
IAM members at the Apple Store in Towson, Maryland secured the following with their first union contract:
Pay raises of 10% on average
Enhanced scheduling protections
Restrictions on using contract employees
RWDSU members at Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly (New York) secured the following with their first union contract:
Annual wage increases of 9%
An increase in the minimum hiring rate
A lower deductible health insurance plan with broader coverage for full-time employees
Telecare, vision insurance, and health insurance for full-time and part-time employees
Paid time off
Paid holidays
RWDSU members at McNally Jackson Bookstores (New York) secured the following with their first union contract:
Wage increases ranging between 7% and 17% and an improved pay system that recognizes skill levels and responsibilities to ensure employees are paid fairly for their work
Retirement program access
Four additional paid holidays for a total of nine paid holidays
Additional week of paid vacation time when employees reach four years of employment
Greater creative autonomy for employees to curate their particular sections of the store
RWDSU members who are Guitar Center (various stores in Massachusetts, New York, Nevada, and Illinois) employees secured the following with their union contract:
Higher minimum wage rates for each position
A seniority wage adjustment for tenured employees
A short-term disability benefit
Notice of job opportunities five days before the job is publicly advertised
State and Local Government
Attorneys
USW members who are assistant district attorneys and public defenders for Crawford County (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their first union contract:
$50,000 base salary for assistant district attorneys and public defenders who have not yet passed the bar exam, $53,000 base salary for those who have passed the bar exam, and a $56,000 base salary for those with two years of experience as a lawyer, which amounts to base salary raises of 35% or more
$40,000 base salary for part-time assistant district attorneys and public defenders
Pay increases of $1,350 in 2024, $1,500 in 2025, and $1,500 in 2026
Firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders
International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) members who are firefighters, medics, mechanics, and 911 dispatchers in Fairfax County (Virginia) secured the following with their union contract:
Higher starting salaries and larger annual raises for employees’ first 25 years of service
Pay for training
Compensation for employees who pursue higher education
Employees returning to work after pregnancy are eligible for an additional period of light duty
IAFF members who are career firefighters, fire marshals, medics and public safety communicators in Loudon Country (Virginia) secured the following with their first union contract:
Raises of 12.4% to 19.6% depending on job classification
Near doubling of employer match to employees’ retirement accounts
Increased paid time off
Employees returning to work after pregnancy can be on temporary restricted duty for up to a year
Established a labor management committee with representatives from the union and management to discuss issues of common concern
IAFF members in South Fulton, Georgia secured the following with their union contract:
Guaranteed raises
New incentive plans
Protection of working conditions
IAFF members at the City of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contract:
A 21.5% increase in base wages
Six months of paid parental leave
IAFF members in Lansing, Michigan secured the following with their union contract:
9% salary increases
IAFF members in Houston, Texas secured the following with their union contract:
34% pay increases
$650 million in backpay
IAFF members in Durham, North Carolina secured the following with their union contract:
22% pay increases
IAFF members who are firefighters at Boeing (Washington) secured the following with their union contract:
2% to 3% pay increases in each of the four years of the contract and guaranteed overtime, which raises average annual pay by up to $21,216
A one-time $1,000 bonus
IAFF members in Palm Coast, Florida secured the following with their union contract:
A defined-benefit pension plan
IAFF members in Taos, New Mexico secured the following with their first union contract:
A 22% pay increase
A structured pay scale
A cost-of-living adjustment of 2%
Librarians
OPEIU members who are librarians and library professionals at Somerset County Library System of New Jersey secured the following with their union contract:
Guaranteed minimum raises of 8.75% with an improved policy to earn additional raises
The addition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday bringing total paid holidays to 12
Other Public Sector Professionals
IFPTE members at the City of San Jose (California) secured the following with their union contract:
Pay increases of 14.5% to 15%
A one-time lump sum payment of between $442.50 and $1,770 based on their pension benefit level
An improved market definition for more accurate comparisons as part of wage studies
$2,500 to use for professional development
Additional seven weeks of paid family leave for a total of eight weeks of paid leave
Increased vacation sell back to 70 hours
An additional eight hours of personal or executive leave
Increased bilingual pay of $20 per biweekly pay period
Up to $275 paid by the employer for protective footwear and insoles, with a $25 increase each year of the contract
Employees who serve Emergency Operations Center shifts of 12+ hours for more than four consecutive days receive a minimum of 36 consecutive hours off
Tech
OPEIU members at Nava PBC (Washington, D.C.) secured the following with their first union contract:
Guaranteed 2% across-the-board wage increases
A salary minimum of $60,000
Improved transparency around compensation and promotions decisions
Regular pay equity reviews
Provisions formalizing current benefits, like unlimited sick leave
16 weeks of parental leave
A fair, transparent process for employee discipline
Prohibitions on intrusive monitoring of employees
Terms that entrench a preference for full-time employees by limiting the use of contracted and temporary workers
OPEIU members at Code for America (California) secured the following with their first union contract:
Guaranteed annual wage increases of 3.4%
17 weeks of paid parental leave for all employees
$10,000 lifetime coverage for adoption assistance, fertility assistance and preservation, and family planning
$10,000 lifetime coverage for care related to gender affirmation or reassignment
Creation of a career development committee where employees can receive input on professional development pathways
Provisions that protect against caste-based discrimination
Protections against intrusive employee monitoring
Terms that promote full-time careers by putting limits on the use of contracted and temporary workers
A neutral third party process to resolve disputes between employees and management
OPEIU members at BioBus (New York) secured the following with their first union contract:
Substantial increases to base salaries along with regular cost of living increases
Five weeks of vacation time, with a payout of up to five days of unused time
Increased number of paid holidays, personal days, and bereavement leave days
Paid sabbatical
A fair, transparent process for employee discipline
Utility
Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) members who are field workers and clerical workers at West View Water Authority (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contract:
Total pay increases of 17.5% over their contract’s five-year duration, in addition to a one-time lump sum payment for employees and $1,000 annual bonuses after the contract’s first year
Fixed healthcare cost caps for the entire term of the contract
UWUA members who work on the water and wastewater systems for Anderson, Indiana secured the following with their union contract:
Guaranteed 14% pay increases over the four-year duration of their contract
40% increase in on-call pay, going from $250 per week to $375 per week
Doubled annual longevity payments of $200 per year for 2022 and 2023, and a further increase to $250 per year in 2024, with no cap for years of service
15 paid sick days with an improved accrual method that will allow new employees to use their sick leave more quickly
UWUA members who are power generation employees at Seminole Electric (Florida) secured the following with their union contract:
10.25% in guaranteed wage increases
$1,500 bonus upon ratification of the contract
Increased pay for when employees are required to be on-call
Improved healthcare benefits
Two additional paid holidays
UWUA members who tend the roads, water, sewerage and buildings for East Longmeadow (Massachusetts) secured the following with their first union contract:
11% to 16.5% first-year pay increases due to step increases and changes in base step rates
Guaranteed annual raises
Improvements in standby pay
Two new holidays (Juneteenth and Good Friday), increasing the overall number of holidays to 15 in a year
An additional personal day
Ability to take vacation after six months of service for new hires, instead of having to wait a year
Changes that improve the way sick leave is calculated
UWUA members who work at Delta Gas (Kentucky) secured the following with their first union contract:
5% to 45% increases in base wages with most receiving a 15% pay raise on the contract’s first day
Additional pay raises of 9% over the contract’s 3.5-year term
Established a job progression structure that provides annual pay increases
Double time pay for working holidays
Increased employer reimbursements for work clothes and boots
More vacation days and better short-term disability insurance
UWUA members at Con Edison who serve New York City and Westchester County (New York) secured the following with their union contract:
A 17.83% wage increase
The ability to receive top pay in 5.5 to 6 years instead of 7.5 years
Improved maternity leave
More paid bereavement leave
Increased shoe and meal allowances
Juneteenth added as a holiday