Report Problem
Translate
Worked at Louisville Water since 2007
Working at Louisville Water bears a sense of pride for many who wear the uniform, and for some, that pride is instilled long before they step through the doors.
“My grandfather worked here, my great-grandfather worked here, and then my dad worked here. I had a lot of family that worked here, so growing up, I always wanted to work here,” said David Jared, President of Local 1683.
Jared grew up in Louisville and grew up around Louisville Water.
“My grandpa, he always worked out at Crescent Hill. As a kid, I would go up to Crescent Hill and play around up there.”
He started out as a general laborer, then became a plumber leader’s assistant, and eventually a plumber leader and heavy equipment operator. In his 17 years, he has vivid memories of being in the trenches so to speak.
“The first big water main break I’ve seen was a 48 (inch pipe) that happened over at UofL.” Jared said, “I remember we were standing on an overpass and looking over into cars parked below. There were BMWs, Mercedes, and all the belongings inside the cars were floating around in the water.”
Days like those could be grueling.
“I worked a lot of 16, 17, 18-hour days, especially when I was on second shift,” Jared remembered.
It’s a different scene these days with a different set of challenges, leading nearly 150 union members as Local 1683’s president.
“I never saw me sitting here, absolutely not,” Jared shared. “I never had actually thought about it until people started asking me to do it.”
Jared got his feet wet with leadership when he stepped up as Local 1683’s vice president after an employee retired in early 2023. He moved up to president in March of this year, following longtime president Adam Carter’s retirement.
“You can’t please everybody, so it is hard,” Jared said. “I know I may not be perfect, but I know at the end of the day when I go home, I’ve tried my best and I’ve done what’s right.”
One of Jared’s goals is to grow Local 1683, especially as longtime employees hang up their hard hats for retirement.
“I’m trying to help better us, better the union, and the company is what I’m trying to do. A lot of people don’t understand, but if Louisville Water doesn’t succeed, Local 1683 doesn’t succeed,” he explained.
While his work family is a priority, Jared’s other priority is his wife and their five children.
“My youngest kid is 16 and my oldest is 22, so I have a lot of cars to work on for my kids. Spending time with my family is what I like to do in my free time.”
