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Missouri Utility Workers Seek Law to Prevent Attacks During Shut-Offs

April 19, 2012

Utility workers, like policemen and firefighters, sometimes face threats from citizens just for doing their jobs.

Stress and anger can explode when utility customers whose service is being shut off for non-payment of bills meet the worker disconnecting their power. Lives have been threatened. In one case, two pit bulls were let out of their cage to attack the utility service worker.

Last year, the Missouri State Utility Workers Conference lobbied for a bill in the state legislature that would have utility workers included in the state law that protects police, firefighters, corrections officers, emergency personnel, highway workers in a construction zone and probation and parole officers from assaults while performing their jobs.

The bill failed. This year, a new bill protecting utility workers passed a house committee on crime prevention by a 7 to 6 margin with a recommendation of support.

Mike Walter, president of the utility workers conference, business manager of St. Louis Local 1439 and Fifth District IEC member told the St. Louis/ Southern Illinois Labor Tribune:

I can appreciate people are upset with growing utility bills. And when they can’t pay them, the thought of having a service that’s essential to their life turned off makes a person really angry. The only person they can take that anger out on is the utility worker when they come out to do their job.  This bill will make it clear that there is a severe penalty if they act on their frustrations.

Rep. Rod Schad (R), the bill’s sponsor, a professional firefighter, told the Tribune:

The opposition feels utility workers are not as valued as police officers. That’s nonsense. They provide a crucial service and they are coming under attack. They deserve the same protection. I know firsthand what it’s like to come under attack while you’re only trying to do your job. I’ve been down that road.