CWA Fights for Tougher Protections for Utility Workers in Georgia

CWA Georgia Political Council Chair and CWA Local 3218 member Mike Tharp testified before the Georgia House of Representatives on February 6 in support of legislation that will increase penalties for assault against utility workers. Tharp shared his personal story of being robbed of his splicing equipment on the job and being dragged down the road by his assailants’ vehicle. In a rare show of support for a labor issue, the House voted 161-0 to increase the minimum penalty for assault on a utility worker from one year to three years. The maximum sentence remains twenty years.

The bill, GA HB1033, will now go to the Senate Judiciary Committee for further consideration.