Con Ed Curtails Services After Talks Break Down

Con Ed Curtails Services After Talks Break Down

www.nytimes.com

As the city heads into a week of expected high temperatures that could strain the electricity grid, managers at the Consolidated Edison Company began settling into new roles on Sunday, doing the jobs of more than 8,000 unionized workers who were sent home after an early morning breakdown in contract negotiations prompted the company’s first labor lockout in decades.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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I can't believe the irresponsibility of ConEd. There are over 8,000,000 people living in NY, and about 16,000,000 working during the day and they lay off over 8,000 people because they didn't want to improve the workers pension benefits.

I think that power for millions of people is a little bit more important that saving money. And it's not like ConEd is struggling, they have the monopoly on power in the largest city in the US.

Let's not forget what happened when the power went out in 1977 and more recently in 2003!

So now 5,000 supervisors who are "trained in field work" are going to try and cover for the 8,000 laid off. And they have the nerve to call in retired workers to come in and help.

When the city goes dark...there will be chaos, especially in this heat.


www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Birthpangs.

It gets better. Errm, worse.

reply to post by goldcoin


Unions are their own worst enemy IMO.

Good in some respects but terrible in others.

Killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

reply to post by grey580


I agree with you on that 100%

But when you're providing a necessary service, there needs to be a level of respect on both sides for the magnitude of the service they are providing. They're not providing us with good Television or underwear, they provide us with running water, AC etc. Hospitals will probably run on back up generators for this...but when they go what then?

I guess I'm just amazed at the dis-concern for the crap-storm that's about to commence if something goes wrong and they don't have people to fix it.

Originally posted by goldcoin
reply to post by grey580

 

I agree with you on that 100%

But when you're providing a necessary service, there needs to be a level of respect on both sides for the magnitude of the service they are providing. They're not providing us with good Television or underwear, they provide us with running water, AC etc. Hospitals will probably run on back up generators for this...but when they go what then?

I guess I'm just amazed at the dis-concern for the crap-storm that's about to commence if something goes wrong and they don't have people to fix it.

When the crap storm happens. And it will. Then the government will step in and regulate.
Which they should.
Critical services should never be interrupted by something like a labor dispute.

And backup generator will keep running as long as they keep getting refueled.

From the MSNBC source that the OP linked to:

The company asked to extend negotiations for two more weeks, it said, but the union, which had threatened a strike, refused. In response, the firm told union members not to report for work on Sunday.

Takes two to tango? You could have had two more weeks of power. But it looks like one side thought the press coverage would be better if they did it during a heat wave.

Originally posted by charles1952
From the MSNBC source that the OP linked to:

The company asked to extend negotiations for two more weeks, it said, but the union, which had threatened a strike, refused. In response, the firm told union members not to report for work on Sunday.

Takes two to tango? You could have had two more weeks of power. But it looks like one side thought the press coverage would be better if they did it during a heat wave.

Union wanted to play hardball.
I hope they have enough money in their strike fund.

reply to post by goldcoin


They know this, so does everyone else.
Therein lies the hook.
Monopolies used to be illegal in the US, it helped keep folks honest.

In my opinion, people who have the responsibility, as well as the massive physical task of keeping a city the scale of New York in kilowatts ought to be able to name their price. Its not as if the boys laying the cable will ever be paid a proper wage anyway, certainly not compared with their over paid and under qualified managers.

Honestly, the fact is that unless each man is asking for an executive level payout per year, hes probably worth every cent the company can spend on him, especially if that includes a decent pension, which any responsible person ought to want to secure for themselves in the very speediest and comprehensive manner.

reply to post by TrueBrit


Absolute power breeds indifference. Indifference breeds sloth in the work place. Who wins in this situation. No one.

Des

reply to post by goldcoin


Surely with 8000 people left with nothing to do for a little while, at least one of them is an ATSer? Love to hear an insider's take on this.

I agree with others, I think the Union wanted this to happen now, while others are already out of power, and there is a heatwave. I think they wanted the publicity and public outcry. Using the citizens of NY as pawns in their negotiation.

I say, with the current unemployment rate, they should get busy replacing all of them. The company needs to be able to operate, so start hiring. If those idiots want to come back to work, let them re-apply for their old jobs, and hire the most qualified people willing to work for the wages offered.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by goldcoin

 

Surely with 8000 people left with nothing to do for a little while, at least one of them is an ATSer? Love to hear an insider's take on this.

I agree with others, I think the Union wanted this to happen now, while others are already out of power, and there is a heatwave. I think they wanted the publicity and public outcry. Using the citizens of NY as pawns in their negotiation.

I say, with the current unemployment rate, they should get busy replacing all of them. The company needs to be able to operate, so start hiring. If those idiots want to come back to work, let them re-apply for their old jobs, and hire the most qualified people willing to work for the wages offered.

This is what happened with the air traffic controllers union when they went on strike, and Reagan broke it up by firing them all. Our skies have been safer since then. Let the same apply here, fire them all. They are endangering lives by threatening to go on strike during a heat wave. Do they care about the elderly who will suffer, and some die...no they don't. They only care about the end game. Screw 'em all. Let the Union pay all the bills for their members they are asking to go on strike...let it be a permanent strike. Fill those jobs with people who WANT to work.

jmoho....Des

This is terrorism. When you have all the resources to keep people ALIVE (not comfortable, but ALIVE) and you shut it off over money.....that is the epitome of pure evil.

This is the sort of behavior that, if practiced by the people against say....the banking cartel....by refusing to use bank services, might make them wake up. But when people's very lives are in danger due to overwhelming heat, you don't just "send the workers home"!!

I was once a supervisor in a housekeeping department at a major hotel. The corporate dweebs were so focused on their 0.002% off-budget results that they missed --- no, they IGNORED -- the safety and welfare of high-risk pregnant women, sexually assaulted women, overworked people...and kept pushing and pushing their stupid "formula" for 'every room to look identical all over the world' in 15 minutes flat -- regardless of the mess left by previous guests or the limitations (transitory limitations) of their workers.

I used to reassure the housekeeping staff that they had the power: If ALL of them called in sick on the same day, that hotel would have been INOPERABLE. We're talking about 720 rooms....no way all the corporate yes-men could have kept that hotel running.

I don't fault the workers for asking for a living wage....but to send them home when lives depend on their being at work is nothing short of criminal terrorism.

Sickening.

Shame on the unions for using a heatwave as a bargaining tool. Because a heat wave is always a good time to strike!! It doesn't take much for certain segments of our population to die from heat causes when they lose their power,'

I certainly agree with the notion expressed before my post. Unions have certainly outlived their own necessity. The days of Sinclair's "The Jungle" are long gone.

Lock them out and replace them with people who would love to take their place without the union membership.

Con Ed is massive. Not only do they provide electric, but they also provide natural gas and steam to most of Manhattan. This is a delicate situation that could very easily get much worse should a large storm happen to strike during this "event".

Makes me wonder... (only while posting on a conspiracy site) We all know how planned events start...

BTW all of this because of Pension demands by the union. They should be lucky they even have a pension to begin with. Pensions are no longer the norm these days....

reply to post by defcon5

As the city heads into a week of expected high temperatures that could strain the electricity grid, managers at the Consolidated Edison Company began settling into new roles on Sunday, doing the jobs of more than 8,000 unionized workers who were sent home

SENT HOME, not "out on strike".

Big difference there. It's the management that's to blame, not the workers.

reply to post by wildtimes


They threatened to strike before the negotiations broke down. Message sent to the unions should be very clear!

2 days ago

With a second heat wave poised to strike New York City this weekend, union workers at power company Con Edison may go out on strike, which could leave consumers hot and bothered if their air conditioners don't turn on.

Union negotiators and Consolidated Edison Inc were still far apart on negotiations for a new contract on Friday, said John Melia, a spokesman for the union.

He said talks were not going well and suggested if there was not a strike, the union feared the company could lock the workers out. Con Edison declined to comment on the possibility of a lockout.

The union membership has authorized its leaders to call a strike at midnight Saturday, when the collective bargaining agreement expires.

Con Ed just beat them to the punch rather than to allow the bullying from the union.

articles.chicagotribune.com... d

reply to post by jibeho


How does that exonerate management? The FACT is that millions of people are counting on Con Ed to keep services running. Putting innocent, uninvolved lives in danger during an emergency situation is BEYOND wrong. It is criminal. Can't the stupid negotiations wait until a "strike" or a "lock-out" would not endanger people?