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Federal minimum wage rose to 75 cents an hour, a gallon of gas cost an average of 27 cents per gallon, and egg prices here in Louisville soared to their highest level in 30 years to roughly 54 cents for a dozen (Source: govinfo.gov). The year was 1950 and on December 15, Louisville Water marked a new era with the creation of Local 1683, a formal charter of the company’s union members.
Seventy-five years later, Local 1683 remains an integral part of Louisville Water’s operations.
“You cannot have a great company without the union, and the union wouldn’t exist without the company. We must work together in order for both of us to succeed,” said Louisville Water President & CEO Spencer Bruce.
While historically, labor unions and companies have found themselves on opposite sides of issues, Louisville Water and Local 1683 strive to maintain a mutual respect.
“I do enjoy the company and I have a special place in my heart for union employees. If I can get a win-win on both sides, that’s a plus. That’s my motivation,” shared Local 1683 Vice President Adam Purvis.
Purvis made history in February when he became the first union member from metering services elected to Local 1683 leadership. Having a seat in the union office is a bit of a full circle moment from when he arrived in 2002 under the leadership of then-Local 1683 President Billy Meeks.
“I just think back to a 21-year-old kid coming to work for Louisville Water from a small town and him being that guy. You know what I mean, the guy that made you feel welcomed, protected, and appreciated. So, I try to carry that first impression of Billy Meeks on to the people that are coming in new here.”
And if you ask Billy Meeks, who retired in 2013, he aimed to be that person they could count on in the union office at Allmond Avenue Distribution Facility.
“For the most part, I tried to stay level-headed. I tried to listen to everyone; couldn’t make everyone happy, but I didn’t try (to). I just tried to do the right thing at the right time and to disseminate every bit of knowledge that I learned about,” Meeks said.
His 13-year tenure as Local 1683 president began just as former Louisville Water President John Huber was forging a new path to improve processes, operations, and workplace culture.
“There was a group that didn’t believe the union ought to be involved in it and there was a group that felt like, ‘Hey, if we don’t get involved, we’re gonna get left behind’. I was in that second group,” Meeks explained. “It was a team effort; I had good people beside me during those years.”
Meeks saw the collaboration as an opportunity for the union to have a voice at the table.
“You know how people love change. So, when change takes place, you have to help communicate that change. You have to help ease some of the fear that comes along with that,” Meeks said. “You can imagine the difficulty that took because folks that do the front line work had not developed the trust needed to embrace this new culture. There were levels of trust that we had to build. Once we built them, everything started to culminate.”
But it didn’t happen overnight.
“We were making a huge transition. We were meeting with managers and talking about how to improve our work, how to measure unit costs; you can imagine the difficulty that took because folks that do the work, they don’t want to be measured,” Meeks said.
Little did he know that the work they were doing together would capture so much attention.
“We won the University of Louisville Labor Management Award two times. That was pretty prestigious. I think we’re the only company that’s ever won it twice.”
Technology over the last two and a half decades has dramatically changed the workflow for union members.
“When I started as an emergency turner over 20 years ago, all the (work) tickets were printed out and put in our mailboxes in the Radio Room or sent as a text message. There was no Google Maps or GIS (geographic information systems); we used the old fashion map book to look up the address and navigate to there the best way we could. The list of system gates (valves) was also in four different books that had very small print and they were very hard to read, especially at night,” shared Toni Estes, who is currently one of the most tenured women in the union.
That distinction comes with a level of strength, determination, and thick skin.
“When I started, the culture was different. Most of the men had housewives and if their wife did work, it was definitely in a different type of role not manual or hard labor. They were not fond nor helpful of women in this type of work environment. We were told we did not know enough, were not strong enough, and there was no need to train us because we would not last doing this type of work,” Estes said.
But last she has and Estes says her “experience working with men has improved 100%” and she has personally found that many of the men “don’t mind women working in the field and having a female crew leader is not an issue.”
Estes came to Louisville Water some 20 years after Bertha Vinson laid the foundation, becoming the first woman to join Local 1683 in 1979. Today, there are nine women who are members of Local 1683.
SeanTaya Burrell recently made history when she became the first woman in Local 1683 to hold the classification of surface repair leader.
Having previously served as the union’s vice president prior to becoming president, Homer Barger III values a strong work ethic and integrity.
“I look at running this union in the manner that I have to look after all members equally and fairly, and all members’ best interest. With that, there are days that when doing right by all members is tough, but I’m obligated to do so for my members,” he said.
Barger added, “When I am faced with tough times, I look back on the famous quote, “What we do in this lifetime will echo in eternity”, and I’ll lead the way as I’m obligated by my duties as union president to do so, regardless of the backlash that I may face. That is my job and I take it seriously.”
As Local 1683 continues to evolve and change with the times, the admiration for the work its members do remains solid.
“As a member, there’s pride in putting on the uniform and doing the work. When we’re in the field and we are serving the community and interacting with customers, there’s pride in that. We’re the boots on the ground.” Purvis said, “I’m hopeful that in the next five years, the membership can grow and we can get back to doing more of the work that we used to.”
As for Estes, she plans to keep doing the work at least a few more years before eyeing retirement. She beams with pride when looking back at her career.
“Having 23 plus years in Local 1683 means everything to me. It means I weathered the storms, stood my ground, learned a lot from all the women and men I’ve worked with over the years, and I survived.”
And she’s optimistic when looking toward the union’s future.
“I hope the future for Local 1683 will have more women apply and working in the union. I am definitely hopeful to one day see more women in a leadership position with the union, maybe even president or vice president.”
As for Purvis, every member of 1683 is what fuels his work every day.
“They all voted, and they didn’t all vote for me, but the majority of them did and I’m just trying to get them a bigger piece of the pie and make sure their voice is heard at the table,” he said.
He admits he’s come a long way in his 23 years at 4801 Allmond Avenue.
“That’s where the agree to disagree (happens), and that comes with age and a little bit of wisdom and time.”
And as time has passed, Meeks feels good about the chapters he helped write in Local 1683’s story.
“I had a son that came to work there, and I wanted to make sure that I did everything in my power to make that a place that he would never have to worry about layoffs, that he would feel a part of, and that he would enjoy going to work.”
His son just marked 27 years, so it seems safe to say, job well done.
“Louisville Water Company is one of the most successful public utilities in the country. I wanted the union to share in that success, and I think they have,” Meeks said.
Cheers to the next 75 years!
A quick glance at the history of Local 1683:
- December 15, 1950: Local 1683 formally chartered
- Late 1967: Allmond Avenue Distribution Facility opened
- June 1979: Bertha Vinson was the first woman to join Local 1683
- 1998 & 2005: Received UofL Labor Management Award
- September 2025: SeanTaya Burrell became the first woman to hold the classification of surface repair leader
December 15, 2025: Local 1683 celebrated 75 years, making it what is believed to be the oldest local charter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in Kentucky. There have never been any layoffs or strikes in the charter’s long history.
