Boilermakers from Local 26 in Savannah, Georgia, have returned to maintenance work at Plant Scherer and Plant Yates after more than 30 years, signing a three-year contract with Southern Company facilities. This return was made possible by the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund, which helped them reclaim work they lost decades ago.
Non-union contractor Zachry lost its contract, opening the door for Day & Zimmermann to secure a maintenance contract at both plants. Mike Autry, International Representative and Recruiting and Training Coordinator for the Southeast, explained, “We utilized the M.O.R.E. funding to get these contracts in order to be competitive enough to get that work.”
Johnathon Bates, Local 26 BA/ST, noted that significant maintenance work by Boilermakers at Scherer occurred last in 1994, while at Yates, the most recent job was during the facility’s conversion from coal to gas in 2013-2014. Bates acknowledged, “The M.O.R.E. Fund was the biggest factor in getting this work,” enabling them to be competitive with non-union rates.
Currently, Plant Scherer maintains a crew of 20-25 Boilermakers year-round, with potential workforce increases to 300 during outages. At Yates, five Boilermakers are engaged in maintenance. Bates expressed that Scherer would double Local 26’s man-hours, labeling the development a “lifesaver.”
Bates explained how the M.O.R.E. Work Fund facilitated the contract acquisition, describing the process as straightforward after gaining leadership’s support. Looking to the future, Yates will see the construction of three new gas-fired units, which will provide additional man-hours beyond M.O.R.E. Fund agreements.
Currently, Plant Scherer is experiencing an outage with 65 Boilermakers on site, set to see over 200 workers in the fall. Recent recruiting efforts have increased membership by 14 workers from Scherer and four from Yates, with further recruitment ongoing.
Bates credited M.O.R.E. as vital to securing this work, and praised the support from Boilermaker leadership and Day & Zimmermann.
