New Jersey town to Ala. volunteer utility crew: Don't help with Sandy unless you're unionized

Originally posted by longlostbrother

Originally posted by ManBehindTheMask

Originally posted by ldyserenity

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by Zaanny

 

Not to be a wet blanket, but New Jersey is a state, not a city.

(although I know what you mean, couldn't help but poke fun).

Here's my stance:

If they only want union help, then by all means, go home. But I do not want to see a penny of federal aid that would help overcome the union obstinance.

They are already putting up news shows on national TV about "unlicensed" contractors and the dangers. While I know there are crooks that make the rounds, what this typically equates to is "nonunion" as a union card is required (from the way I understand it) to get said license.

And herein the problem lies you need a license in that state to do electric work regardless whether union was involved or not. You need to pass the state tests (I honestly don't think Unions have a nickle to do with who can take a state test and pass it as my old man never belonged to a union and had a NJ contractor's license.) No matter where you go, though, the state license is a must. So they'd really have to be in state to work there at the clean up and for good cause there is a lot that can go very badly very fast when messing with electric.It's what I know to be true. A thousand volts will kill you, on highpower lines it's a risk and the paid workers would be responsible for the injuries or anything else suffered by volunteers. Just saying...been helping down here with my old man's job and it is electrical work, so I know what i am talking about.

Wrong you dont have to be licensed in the state to perform line work.......journeyman lineman are not electricians in the capacity that electricians have to be licensed in that state....

This happens with every disaster, states bring in contractors and companies from other states to aid in the relief effort.......

No offense....but again......its not the same kind of work

this is nothing but the union throwing its weight around..........id love to see the reaction from the people of the area when they find out its because of the Unions its taking so long to get them back up and running again......

I know this because i did plenty of it...(not anymore of course).....my family has been involved in this work for over 30 years......My father, myself and my brother were all linemen at one time.....

edit on 2-11-2012 by ManBehindTheMask because: (no reason given)

If you READ the thread you'll see the unions DIDN'T stop anyone from working.

That's just right-wing propaganda.

YES .........they have..........and if you would have read my response, youd know a friend of ours from a utility company here in Texas, was turned down yesterday by the unions......so they went to a dif state to help......

PERIOD it happened and is happening........its not propaganda im getting this directly from the horses mouth, whatever you think of the OP and the link........

Its not just coming from the "Right wing media" Its coming from the companies that are complaining about it......

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask


Typical of a Texan. Go to help out, and when you are turned away, just help someone else. Tell you friend thanks for representing us well.


I dealt with unions at a location a former company operated in Decatur, IL. Illinois is a horribly unionized state, all because of Chicago. Most of the southerners there hate Chicago and the effect its politics have on them.

The benefit we got (a call center company) was a workforce that showed up to work, and generally performed slightly higher in overall quality (by about 5-7%) than nonunion counterparts in Texas and Louisianna. On a side note, nowhere in the states performed as good on a consistant basis as any of our Canadian sites. The Canadian sites were always the best performing and most professional of all our locations. To give Canada their just due.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by ManBehindTheMask

 

Typical of a Texan. Go to help out, and when you are turned away, just help someone else. Tell you friend thanks for representing us well.

I dealt with unions at a location a former company operated in Decatur, IL. Illinois is a horribly unionized state, all because of Chicago. Most of the southerners there hate Chicago and the effect its politics have on them.

The benefit we got (a call center company) was a workforce that showed up to work, and generally performed slightly higher in overall quality (by about 5-7%) than nonunion counterparts in Texas and Louisianna. On a side note, nowhere in the states performed as good on a consistant basis as any of our Canadian sites. The Canadian sites were always the best performing and most professional of all our locations. To give Canada their just due.

Def will man, they have a great crew with them and are working hard.......as soon as they heard where the storms were going to hit, they started getting ready and headed that direction.......they were there, rode out the storm and started trying to get to work........hell of a great group of guys, I kinda miss the work!

You do have to give them their due, and im not saying ALL unions are bad.......the problem that you run into tho, is that the large unions that are use to running roughshod over everyone......

People dont want to believe it but it happens frequently......

I just hate seeing people turned away who can help over stupid bureaucratic b.s.

Thanks for stoppin by bigfurry!

The only people being hurt by this are the people who are still without electric.I`m sure the people who still don`t have electric could care less whether it`s a union crew or non union crew that gets their electric back on.

I`m sure all those union crews have their electric back on they got theirs back on first, they don`t care about the rest of the people who still don`t have electric.
things like this are why unions have a bad reputation among the general population, and continue to be in decline.

I started a thread to address this, but was politely pointed to this one (now closed). Thank you.

"It's all a bunch of games, and who gets the most money - until someone dies"

The unions are looking after their own. This is the basic problem with them. It's the customers who they should be looking after. Their view and their position is a little askewed. I understand that "the man" can be greedy and needs to be kept in check by unions... but during a northern US east coast emergency... it's overkill (pun intended) to bar non-unions from helping.

There have been other blurbs in the MSM saying that.... no, we didn't turn out any non-Union help. But the fact remains is that those crews did turn back and consequently did not help to get the lights back on. Who will not have necessary heat... it's not a luxury in that area... Who else will get electrocuted by downed power lines- today, tomorrow or onwards. This could have been a deadly mistake on the Union's part...

Of course, it will not be known to us who might die because of this. Things like this get covered over a lot... but that doesn't make it any more right.