Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Is there any coincidence NY has one of the highest costs of living in the US, with one of the most antiquated and neglected infrastructures in the country?
This was a brazen attempt by the union to totally rip off these men. Look at the terms: They might as well put a gun to their heads and take their wallets.
You left off the part where they were paid union wages as well, which are a damn sight higher than what they would have made otherwise.
This is a non-story used to stir up anti-union sentiment. Whoopdie do, 125 workers were slightly delayed. I'm sure that had a measurable effect vs. a crumbling system and completely incompetent non-union management.
You left off the part where they were paid union wages as well, which are a damn sight higher than what they would have made otherwise.
This is a non-story used to stir up anti-union sentiment. Whoopdie do, 125 workers were slightly delayed. I'm sure that had a measurable effect vs. a crumbling system and completely incompetent non-union management.
Sure the union wages are higher, but if they signed the contract they'd be dumping 29% of those union wages (plus $9.75/hr) into IBEW funds they would never see anything out of, and with the higher income tax rates in New York I seriously doubt they're making out much better (if at all). It's a big payday just based on the O/T, but it would be ridiculous to see this as the IBEW looking out for these guys. Plus it puts them in a difficult position with their own employers for no good reason.
More importantly, AFAIK the IBEW/UWUA official position is that they welcome any and all help (union and non-union) during a natural disaster. This was completely unnecessary and clearly designed as some sort of twisted "us and them" membership drive ploy that would have added some nice funding into the union coffers. The 125 workers here are the only ones we know about, I'm positive that other crews went through this same thing... and 125 bodies being delayed even a few days seriously hurts the recovery effort. That's a lot of manpower and equipment wasted that could have gone to good use.
Even union vs. nonunion here in NY there is a huge wage disparity, I can't imagine what some poor schleb in Alabama makes to pull wire. In any event, 99% of the problem is failed management and outdated/poorly maintained infrastructure. Ideally yeah, the union shouldn't have pulled this crap, but there's no reason to throw feces all over the floor over it. At least the union is working in the interests of the workers as opposed to management that is f'n us all to line the pockets of patronage hacks.
You left off the part where they were paid union wages as well, which are a damn sight higher than what they would have made otherwise.
This is a non-story used to stir up anti-union sentiment. Whoopdie do, 125 workers were slightly delayed. I'm sure that had a measurable effect vs. a crumbling system and completely incompetent non-union management.
"Slightly delayed"..what's a few extra dead LI'ers worth anyway.
Did you ever wonder why the system is left to crumble to begin with?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Interlude
Ideally yeah, the union shouldn't have pulled this crap, but there's no reason to throw feces all over the floor over it. At least the union is working in the interests of the workers AT THE DETRIMENT OF THE PUBLIC as opposed to management that is f'n us all to line the pockets of patronage hacks.
Yeah, 125 guys from Florida getting here a day late COST LIVES. Most likely they would have been sitting in the Nassau Coliseum parking lot waiting for direction and supplies because management can't be arsed to upgrade their computer system since 1975.
The system is left to crumble because it's a political patronage utility where bankers and lawyers are left to oversee a complex public service that won't bring itself into the 21st century. Much like most of the Island, which is suffering a direct result of antiquated government services.
Even union vs. nonunion here in NY there is a huge wage disparity, I can't imagine what some poor schleb in Alabama makes to pull wire. In any event, 99% of the problem is failed management and outdated/poorly maintained infrastructure. Ideally yeah, the union shouldn't have pulled this crap, but there's no reason to throw feces all over the floor over it. At least the union is working in the interests of the workers as opposed to management that is f'n us all to line the pockets of patronage hacks.
The union is working in the interests of the workers... if they want to start paying union dues and giving away 30%+ of their paycheck while they're in town. And they're holding LIPA/National Grid and all of their customers hostage to accomplish their humanitarian goal. I'm sure a similar "join or die" letter went out to every single crew the IBEW Local could confirm was coming in to aid in the recovery effort. All of that is completely unnecessary and against both common sense and the official position of the union itself! How much of an impact it had is impossible to say, but what is possible to say is that it had an impact.
Is LIPA management more to blame? Yeah. Don't worry, there is more than enough anger to go around. That doesn't make this tactic any less disgusting, or the response to it some rhetoric based purely in "anti-union" sentiment. I'm very pro-union when the union benefits it's membership without hurting the public. Stuff like this is just embarrassing and all too common.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
