Con Ed Locks Out Workers Following Failed Contract Talks

NY1 News ^ | 7/1/12 | NY1 News

[Kaosinla]

Con Ed officials said they offered to extend the current contract until July 14 in an effort to reach a new deal, and sent NY1 a signed document showing it made the offer.

The company says it dismissed the workers because it could not get assurances from the union that it would not call a sudden strike. The utility also says the contract extension offer remained on the table.

"We offered a two-week extension of the current contract letting all of the members continue to work this week and the next, as long as there was no threat of a strike or a work stoppage for our customers, and the union leadership refused," said Con Ed spokesman Michael Clendenin.

The union disputed those claims, as a spokesman said the two-week extension offer was never made, and said workers told Con Ed they would were willing to work without a contract until negotiations could continue.

[Kaosinla]

Look for the Union Label.

[Liberal Bob]

I don’t think people trust the word of Union leadership anymore.

[FlyVet]

Why should anyone trust them? They pick the worst possible economy, worst possible weather conditions, to strike. They think they're gonna hang that over the public's heads. Give us what we want, or else.

They're idiots.

[gunsequalfreedom]

Why would a union in the middle of negotiations give up the option to strike? Sounds like a pretty weak excuse for sending everyone home. Looks like the company is playing hardball.

[matt04]

The union disputed those claims, as a spokesman said the two-week extension offer was never made, and said workers told Con Ed they would were willing to work without a contract until negotiations could continue.

Some of the workers may be willing to work.

However, the vast majority of Union workers will do what ever the Union leadership tells them to do. If they say the a contract is bad and a strike is best, most will go along with it no questions asked.

[Kaosinla]

Why would a union in the middle of negotiations give up the option to strike? Sounds like a pretty weak excuse for sending everyone home. Looks like the company is playing hardball.

It would only be a guarantee not to strike during the 2-week extension (i.e. high heat period), which I think is a perfectly reasonable request to ensure a stable grid.

[Gaffer]

No. They don’t want union sabotage of electricity which would kill people. I’d say a pretty proactive action myself.

[no dems]

Con Ed Locks Out Workers Following Failed Contract Talks
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So, “who’s minding the store?” as the old expression goes. How are they operating the power plants with no workers? I sense that they Company is frustrated because the Union probably threatened to strike in the middle of this terrible Summer heat. Not sure who to believe here, but, I have a hard time believing Union bosses.

[gunsequalfreedom]

No. They don’t want union sabotage of electricity which would kill people. I’d say a pretty proactive action myself.

I can't believe anyone would sabotage with intent to kill. Your statement is way over the top.

[sefarkas]

The results in Wisconson a few weeks ago challenges your premise.

[glaseatr]

They don’t want union sabotage...CORRECT!!!

I see you've never worked in a union. Last time we went on strike some how, some way thing just happened to fail.

After the contract was signed we got overtime to fix the stuff that just magical broke.

They don't have the intent to kill, but as the old saying goes. It's not my fault, it Bushes.

[Safetgiver]

I can’t believe anyone would sabotage with intent to kill. ....Check out the Union and the snowplowing job they did in NYC (I believe three years ago). They slept, refused to do side streets and let the snow back up until ambulances and fire trucks couldn’t get through. And, yes, people died.

[gunsequalfreedom]

I can’t believe anyone would sabotage with intent to kill. ....Check out the Union and the snowplowing job they did in NYC (I believe three years ago). They slept, refused to do side streets and let the snow back up until ambulances and fire trucks couldn’t get through. And, yes, people died.

That is not the same as sabotage. Let's keep the discussion here intellectually honest. That's what FR is supposed to be about. I understand your point but you are really reaching.

[gunsequalfreedom]

I see you've never worked in a union.

You are correct. I worked to keep them out of my business. Still, what you are talking about is a little different than the comment I responded to, which was that the equivelent of a boobie trap would be set up to try and kill someone.

[Gaffer]

Read about the NYC blizzard and the unplowed streets - the lady who lost her newborn baby because she waited for help 10 hours. Union.

Also you please show me where I said the saboteurs wanted to kill people. They would only think it was “good bargaining”. However, in this heat wave that would likely be the result.

There is nothing good about unions.

[BobL]

"Look for the union label.♫♫" More like: "♫♫ Look for the union label... ♫♫"

[slowhandluke]

That is not the same as sabotage. Let's keep the discussion here intellectually honest. That's what FR is supposed to be about. I understand your point but you are really reaching.

It is most certainly sabotage. When it's your job to keep machinery working, and you put a spanner in the gears, it's sabotage. When it's your job to keep the roads open, and you don't, and you sit in the snow plow so nobody else can use it, then it's sabotage.

Let us keep the discussion intellectually honest, by all means.

sab·o·tage
noun

1. any underhand interference with production, work, etc., in a plant, factory, etc., as by enemy agents during wartime or by employees during a trade dispute.

2. any undermining of a cause.

I think that leaving the roads block certainly fits the phrase 'interference with production'.

Using polite euphemisms for actions that result in the death of innocents is not 'honest discussion'. The kind of honesty we need now is more of the 'brutally honest' type.

[backwoods-engineer]

I hope ALL the lights in NYC go out because of these union toads. A pox on them.

[Safetgiver]

sabotage [ˈsæbəˌtɑːʒ] n 1. the deliberate destruction, disruption, or damage of equipment, a public service, etc., as by enemy agents, dissatisfied employees, etc. 2. any similar action or behaviour ......The DELIBERATE...DISRUPTION...of..a PUBLIC SERVICE... Seems to be what the Union thugs did in the storm walkoff. Sabotage is not meant to kill, but it does, quite regularly.

[Safetgiver]

I will accept your apology, also, for not being intellectually honest. That’s what FR is all about.