Non-union power workers sent home?

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   habeeposted 11 years ago

   A local TV station and several right-wing news sites have reported that some non-union power crews have been turned away from the storm-ravaged areas. If that's true, I think it's terrible. Those folks need their power back on! From what I've read/heard, some crews were allowed to work while others were turned away. The report from the local TV station can be seen in this video clip:
   
   http://www.liveandlocalenc.com/labor-un … companies/

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      Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So, within this one report, there are at least 3 differences of "fact."
      One is that the workers were not turned away by the NJ utility, but by a local (Seaside) municipal utility (which is still crazy).
      Or, that the Alabama workers were sent to Long Island (which would be good, LI is also a mess).
      Or, that the Alabama workers didn't even go to NJ at all, but went to Maryland.
      
      Somehow, I expect there will be more of these negative stories --- gotta keep feeding the 24 hour news cycle, and the media really do love negative more than positive!
      
      And yes, the honeymoon with government response is definitely OVER. What's happening on Staten Island right now is AWFUL!!!
      
      
      JCP+L spokesman Ron Morano denies reports that the utility turned away help from non-union workers from Alabama.
      
      “We have a great partnership (with our unions) and we non-union workers working as part of this restoration effort. Our unions understand this is an all-hands-on-deck effort and it was not Jersey Central Power and Light that turned away that crew,” Morano told New Jersey 101.5′s Jim Gearhart.
      
      Workers from one of three Alabama utilities,  touted by Governor Christie as coming a great distance to help restore power, were reportedly turned away by a crew in Seaside Heights because they did not belong to a union.
      
      Decatur Utilities workers were sent to Long Island instead according to Huntsville, Alabama TV station WAFF because “they were told by crews in Seaside Heights that they can’t do any work there since they’re not union employees” according to one of the employees.
      
      Morano pointed out that Seaside Heights has a municipal utility. and said JCP+L “is taking the help that has been made available to us.”
      
      A spokesman for Huntsville Utilities told WAFF in a later report that their crews did not go to New Jersey but did assist with repairs in Maryland and headed home once they were done.
      
      The Decatur Utilities
      
      http://nj1015.com/report-non-union-alab … ew-jersey/

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         habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I don't know what to make of it. Maybe the local TV station made it up.

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            Ralph Deedsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            If it happened, it's clearly wrong. If it didn't the propaganda is wrong.

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            DMartelonlineposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I think that it was caused more by confusion than anything
            
            http://whnt.com/2012/11/02/decatur-util … -virginia/

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               Barefootfaeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/03/amid- … stay-home/
               
               
               Here is the contract they were presented.

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      HowardBThinameposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      When you've dealt with the labor unions as much as I have - things like this are second nature. I've seen this happen on union jobs time and again, resulting in driving up the costs for the consumer and creating animosity that sometimes ends in violence.
      
      Unions had their place at one time. Today, many are little more than organized crime.

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   Ericdierkerposted 11 years ago

   Wow! The exact details are interesting. But the mindset that it could happen at all is scary. "It is my unions' right to do that service, so those will have to wait until we get there" As an old lady freezes in the cold. I fear not so much for the old lady's soul but for those union workers.

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   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   Agree with both of you, Habee and Ralph.
   Could be real and if it is, tsk tsk.
   Nonpartisan response means nonpartisan response!
   But could be as fake as those pictures of the sharks swimming in flood waters (on someon's porch, at bottom of escalator in subway).

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   Barefootfaeposted 11 years ago

   http://www.waff.com/story/19981857/some … y-recovery

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Barefoot,
      It appears to be a mixture of a few idiots and union deniability.  But what is really cool is that this time, the "news" jumped in and I think word got out and sent a message. I hope it got through, but that Decatur crew obviously used phones and the like and knew it was futile. Not good.
      One last thing, Hail, love and Thank you from a grateful nation, electrical workers that are there.

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   Dame Scribeposted 11 years ago

   I've always loved how help from others will make themselves available in extremely bad times this part of our human nature should always be celebrated. If it's true that offers of help were turned away b/c they weren't union , is true definitely a shame on them!

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