WARSAW, Ind. (WNDU) – Several NIPSCO customers were in the dark for about 18 hours following a power outage.
This comes during an ongoing lockout.
It’s been about two weeks since NIPSCO shut out nearly 1,600 workers represented by the United Steelworker’s Union.
We were at one of the NIPSCO headquarters in South Bend.
Some workers represented by United Steelworkers Union were picketing against NIPSCO’s lock out decision.
Most of the employees are line workers, who often handle power outages and emergencies.
And some people in Warsaw say they were left without power for 18 hours.
It was Monday morning when people near Henderson Drive and West Baker Street heard a blaring sound like an explosion.
“We just heard a loud boom,” said Herschel Sears a Warsaw resident. “Power trucks were down the street. And the telephone pole was in two pieces.”
Homes along West Baker Street and Southwest Point Drive lost power.
“They still didn’t have power at like 10 p.m. at night,” said Sears.
Neighbors say their electricity wasn’t restored until around 6 a.m. Tuesday.
All of this comes after NIPSCO locked out the workers represented by United Steelworkers Union about two weeks ago.
Many of the employees are line workers who typically respond to outages and emergencies like this.
Neighbors say NIPSCO crews didn’t arrive for hours and for some residents, this outage was more than an inconvenience.
Patricia Hygema, says she depends on a medical device.
“It’s a CPAP machine. It helps me breathe at night, because I have asthma,” said Hygema.
The 80-year-old says her doctor told her she’s okay after the outage, but she’s worried about what could happen if it lasts longer next time.
“Yeah, if I lose power for a day or two, yeah, it will eventually affect my health,” said Hygema. “It is a strain when I don’t have it because that does help me sleep.”
Hygema says she wants NIPSCO and the Steelworker’s Union to reach a fair agreement.
“Right. I think they need to negotiate fairly with the people and give them fair wages. They put their lives on the line when they climb those poles,” said Hygema.
We reached out to one of the representatives from the Steelworkers’ Union, and he says there’s still no set timeline for the negotiation.
Stay up to date on local news with WNDU on-air and online. Be sure to download the 16 News Now App and follow our YouTube page as we continue to bring you the latest news coverage.
Copyright 2026 WNDU. All rights reserved.