After more than two decades as a member of IBEW Local 1837, Pat Moran has taken on a new role serving the membership as the Local’s Business Manager/Financial Secretary.
Moran was elected by the Local’s membership in June and stepped into the position in July following the retirement of longtime Business Manager Tony Sapienza. While the new job has taken him from working outdoors to spending considerably more time behind a desk, his path to the union office began years ago as a member and shop steward at Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), now Eversource NH.
Moran grew up in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where he worked as an automotive mechanic and retail clerk while attending high school. After graduation, he entered the workforce full time at Home Quarters Warehouse. When the company announced it was closing, Moran returned to his automotive background, working on a mobile fleet maintenance unit that serviced customers including the U.S. Postal Service and PSNH. That experience eventually led him to a union job with PSNH in 2000.
Moran started as a meter reader before transferring into the line department and later helped establish the company’s Troubleshooter Department, where he’s worked for the past decade.
Moran’s involvement with the union deepened when he was asked to become a shop steward. Having previously worked in nonunion workplaces, Moran said he initially wasn’t sure about taking on the responsibility, but that quickly changed.
“Coming from jobs that did not have union representation, I was not quite sure about performing such a duty,” Moran said. “However, it did not take long to see what types of shenanigans that management can put forth to disrupt the normality of working men and women. This is what provoked me to become more involved with the union.”
For Moran, union membership also carries a personal connection to his family.
“My father and my grandfathers were all blue-collar union workers,” he said. “Working a union job to me means that safety is a priority. Wages are better. Schedules are better. Working conditions are better. And you have a voice at the table.”
Moran said the idea of becoming Business Manager gradually began to appeal to him, particularly because of his interest in negotiations and problem-solving.
“I was always inspired by the negotiating process and working with people to come to a fair and neutral agreement,” he said. “Working with many different personalities and coming to one common goal is a challenge that I like, and taking negatives and turning them into positives is something that I strive to achieve.”
He also sees fairness and respect as central to the way he approaches the job.
“Treating people fairly and with respect, regardless of who they are, has always been a trait of mine, and I believe that I gain people’s respect because of that,” Moran said.
The transition from a career in the field to running the Local has, admittedly, required some adjustment.
“Being an outdoor worker pretty much most of my life and becoming an office jockey with a computer, a desk, a business phone, a staff, my own office and an indoor bathroom are all new to me,” he joked.
Before taking over, Moran remembers talking with Sapienza about everything there was to learn, from computers to the Local’s finances. Sapienza offered him advice that has stuck with him: Nobody comes into the job knowing everything and learning it takes time.
“He always told me that you cannot please everybody, just do the best job that you can,” Moran said. “And that is what I plan to do.”
When asked to identify Local 1837’s greatest strength, Moran doesn’t hesitate: its members.
During his campaign, he spoke with members throughout Local 1837’s expansive jurisdiction, from Nashua and Keene, New Hampshire, to Presque Isle, Maine. Since the election, he said he has continued to receive support from members, Executive Board members, his former opponent Donny Palmer, and the Local 1837 staff.
“We were all new at our jobs at one point,” Moran said. “As time goes by, you strive to be better. Time, commitment and the willingness to learn are key, and when you have the members to support you like I do here, that is the strength of Local 1837: the members.”
Moran says one of his priorities for the Local is fostering positivity.
“I am a strong believer that if you offer positivity, you will receive positivity,” he said. “There are far too many negative things in this world, and unfortunately people don’t take the time to look at the positive side of things.”
He also wants to ensure members across Local 1837’s workplaces feel connected to and supported by the union, including areas of the membership that may need greater attention. For members who want to become more involved but aren’t sure where to begin, Moran encourages them to start small.
“Come to a unit meeting. Assess your workplace. Could it use attention? Maybe right now it’s all good, but tomorrow it could be a different story,” he said.
Outside of work, Moran enjoys spending time with his family. He and his wife have been together for 36 years and married for 28.
“She is my best friend!” he said.
Their two adult children have moved away from home, with their son living in Virginia and their daughter in Manhattan. Moran and his wife still have Scout, their dog, at home with them.
“He is just like my wife and I,” Moran joked. “He misses having the kids around.”
The couple enjoys traveling and “glamping” with their travel trailer, taking trips as far south as Virginia Beach, west to Cleveland and north to Niagara Falls, Canada. One of their favorite destinations, however, remains closer to home: Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, whenever they can manage to get a camping spot.
As Moran settles into his new role, he says he remains mindful of exactly who put him there and who he works for.
“I would like to say thank you,” Moran said. “I would not be here as your Business Manager if it wasn’t for you. I appreciate your vote. You need to know that every day, the people in this office work hard for you. I will not lose sight that I work for you. Together we are all one. A union. In solidarity.”
