(PIKETON, OHIO) - Anita Bevins is part of five generations of family who’ve worked at the Portsmouth Nuclear Site in southern Ohio.

For nearly 35 years, Bevins has worked at the site operating cranes and has trained hundreds of workers on crane operation.

She works alongside two of her children, two grandchildren and two sons-in-law who are also employed at the plant.

As she looks forward to retirement, Bevins credits the facility with helping to protect U.S. national security, to ensure energy independence, and to build a strong, secure future for herself, her loved ones and her community.

“It has helped me raise my children,” said Bevins, one of about 900 Members of Local 689 who are part of six Units spread across the sprawling 3,777-acre site in Piketon, located about 70 miles south of Columbus.

Local 689 is one of seven Local Unions that are part of the USW’s Atomic Energy Workers Council (AEWC), which represents a total of about 3,000 Members.

Barry Sexton is one of the longest-tenured USW Members at the Portsmouth site.

After a stint in the U.S. Army, he joined a work-study program and now has been at the site for more than 45 years. 

“Talk about luck,” he said. 

Local 689 President Herman Potter, himself a second-generation Atomic Worker, noted the site is among the largest employers in the region and, thanks to the USW-negotiated wages and benefits, also one of the best places to work.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: USW Atomic Workers on Course for a Prosperous Future | United Steelworkers