This week, Executive President, Eddie Hall and Executive Treasurer, Paul Talboo took part in a meeting in Columbus with a group of senior executives and governmental affairs officers from the major utility companies in the state of Ohio, including Dominion Energy, Dayton Power & Light, Columbia Gas, AT&T, Spectrum Cable, First Energy, and the Ohio Gas Association.
The meeting was called to discuss legislation to increase penalties for crimes committed against utility workers while in the line of duty. Through our relationship with the company, G-555 was able to secure a seat at the table of this meeting to advocate not only for our members, but for utility workers across the state. As it turned out, Local G-555 was the only voice on the side of Labor present. A bill was introduced in the House (HB 276), but the Union believes the proposed amendment to the code does not go far enough. Our Union implored those present to consider language that had been previously introduced in the Senate during the 128th General Assembly, that treated crimes committed against utility workers the way that they would be treated if they were committed upon police, fire or other first responders.
Our goal at this point is to build a coalition of both labor and utility companies to get behind a bill that would levy real penalties against those who harm utility workers, in an effort to dissuade these events from continuing.
We will keep the membership informed as things progress.
