Unions' disgrace

PhilanthropyDaily.com ^ | 11/6/2012 | Scott Walter

[Edmunds mom]

Teachers’ unions regularly fight tooth and nail for their members’ benefit, with scant regard for whether they harm children and parents. Yet even I am amazed at the story of another union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which in New York and New Jersey has resisted the help of non-union utility crews that came up to help restore power.

This story has gone back and forth since Sandy hit, and the precise extent to which unions have kept out non-union crews is unclear. But in the case of at least one IBEW local — number 1049 on Long Island, New York – it’s clear that their greed and lust for control blocked the would-be assistance of crews from Florida.

Here, in all their bureaucratic glory, are some of the unselfish demands local 1049 had for anyone trying to help New Yorkers:

[Edmunds mom]

Until you read the union's 11 (!) demands for dues, "contributions," and other kick backs, you won't believe it. The author contrasts this greedy with the right-wing talk radio listeners who were incredibly helpful to Alabamans of all races and parties after the 2011 tornadoes struck.

[kearnyirish2]

I was listening to the NY governor (a Dem) complaining about the slow progress in the restoration of power; he should toss the unionized guys and use the non-union workers. It would be done twice as quickly at half the price...

[publius911]

Teachers’ unions regularly fight tooth and nail for their members’ benefit, with scant regard for whether they harm children and parents.

That's not just an opinion!

“When school children start paying union dues, that 's when I'll start representing the interests of school children.” ~Albert Shanker, President of the United Federation of Teachers from 1964 to 1984 as well as President of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997

And it's gotten worse, not better.

[Brownie63]

Why the surprise? Its just a Union showing its true colors. They don’t want the utility or the public to experience the benefits of non-union labor. By contrast their norm of extortion would be exposed.

[ksen]

http://www.politickernj.com/60807/ibew-says-they-didnt-demand-union-affiliation-alabama-linesmen

Didn’t happen

[Radix]

Maybe I read the article wrong. Looks as if it did happen.

[ksen]

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/11/huntsville_utilities_denies_cl.html

I’ve been doing some more reading and apparently FEMA may have turned some workers away because their companies wouldn’t abide by FEMA regulations. I’m still looking for verification on that. But as for the IBEW keeping workers out it looks like it’s not true. There are non-union and union workers working side by side right now trying to restore power.

[ksen]

Ala. utility crew returns home

Ray Hardin, general manager of Decatur Utilities, said a six-member crew left Wednesday for Seaside Heights, N.J. It got as far as a staging are in Roanoke, Va., where it waited for clarification of documents from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He said the documents implied the non-union workers had to agree to union affiliation while working in New York and New Jersey.

"It was and remains our understanding that agreeing to those requirements was a condition of being allowed to work in those areas," he said Friday.

While waiting for clarification, Decatur Utilities learned Seaside Heights had received the assistance it needed. Decatur Utilities attempted to contact other areas that needed assistance, but decided Thursday to bring its crew home based on the uncertainty of union requirements, Hardin said.

IBEW spokesman Jim Spellane said he did not know what papers the crew was given, but "there appears to have been a misunderstanding."

. . .

Decatur Utilities later issued a statement on Friday that said: "To be clear, at no time were our crews 'turned away' from the utility in Seaside Heights."

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

In other words, it’s true. Sure, they didn’t “turn them away” (I love the Clintonian parsing of words). By the time the linemen figured out what the IBEW regs were that they would have to abide by, the town they were heading to was fixed, and they didn’t want to fight the powers that be for another site (with the same regs). Sure, it was a “misunderstanding”... just like Benghazi was over a YouTube video...

Note that no one is disputing that they were given the IBEW regs. Just that it was a “misunderstanding”...

[ksen]

Note that no one is disputing that they were given the IBEW regs. Just that it was a “misunderstanding”...

I guess I should listen to some internet pontificator instead of the spokesman for the Decatur Utiilities company when he said:

"To be clear, at no time were our crews 'turned away' from the utility in Seaside Heights."

The guy leading the crew was a dummy which probably wouldn't normally be newsworthy.