After many decades in operation, Georgia Power Plant Scherer in Juliette, Georgia, transitioned from an open shop to a fully union‑run operation. Beginning in January 2025, Georgia Power partnered with Day & Zimmerman (D&Z) to handle the daily maintenance contract for the fourth-largest electric generating plant in the United States.
Site Manager Chip Phillips began working for D&Z in 2013. A pipefitter by trade, Phillips worked his way up from apprentice level and has remained with the company ever since.
D&Z is an international signatory contractor known for its commitment to union labor and high standards. Phillips knows the value of strong union labor in industrial facilities. He describes the Georgia millwrights and other trades on site as “the best of the best,” emphasizing the years of apprenticeship training and the union’s safety culture. “You get what you pay for,” he said, noting that Georgia Power moved to union work to improve labor quality and overall safety on site.
Before the transition, Plant Scherer functioned as many open‑shop plants do, one worker might jump between tasks from electrical work to welding to concrete forming in a single day. There was little separation of crafts, and the workforce often relied on whoever was available instead of specialized professionals.
After the switch, workers on site were given the option to pick a craft and join the union. Along with higher wages, health benefits, and pension contributions paid by the contractor, the employees now have access to free training from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and can dive deeper into their chosen craft or move on to leadership training.
Braylon Renner began working at Plant Scherer three years ago. With his background in maintenance and millwright work, he was able to join the union at the journeyman level. “It just seems like a better community to be in,” he said.
Council Representative and Member Engagement Program Coordinator for the Southern Regional Council of Carpenters (SRCC) Je Ann “G” Will, explained that workers who came directly from the plant bring valuable hands‑on experience. “They’re coming in at journey level because they have that experience,” she said, “one of the things that we highlight, being part of union labor is all the safety training you’re getting, the safety culture and the health and welfare and the pension benefits, it’s taken care of for you and you don’t have to pay for that anymore.”
With its increased commitment to safety and training, the SRCC looks forward to continuing to provide signatory contractors throughout the region with quality carpenters and millwrights.