Then, of course, there are safety concerns when a smaller workforce is doing the same level of work. Workers are now commuting up to 60 miles each way because service centers have been regionalized. The National Union has been providing information and support. I imagine it is a difficult time for them as well. Utility work was always stable employment, but that's no longer the case.
People are worried.
We're trying to figure out ways to help people who might be laid off or forced to quit. The average age of our workers is 48. If we lose our jobs it would be difficult to find new work, let alone work that would offer comparable wages and benefits. Florris Fortune is a member of Local 175 at Dayton Power and Light in Dayton, Ohio, where her career with the company spans three decades. She is single.