Nonunion Utility Workers turned away from Sandy Recovery

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02 Nov 2012, 10:40 pm

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY (WAFF) - The hurricane-ravaged east coast has been receiving north Alabama help, but crews from Huntsville Utilities learned they'll be doing work in Long Island, New York instead of in New Jersey.

Crews from Huntsville, as well as Decatur Utilities and Joe Wheeler out of Trinity headed up there this week, but Derrick Moore, one of the Decatur workers, said they were told by crews in New Jersey that they can't do any work there since they're not union employees.

http://nation.foxnews.com/hurricane-san ... y-recovery

There is also a video in the article.

Fnord
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02 Nov 2012, 10:48 pm

Not surprising ... some unions are entirely self-serving, and would rather protect their own members' jobs than save a few lives.

Bust 'em; bust 'em all!

cathylynn
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02 Nov 2012, 11:13 pm

this has been debunked. fox news won a lawsuit in feb. 2004 basically giving them a free pass to lie and this is what they're doing here.

Inuyasha
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02 Nov 2012, 11:23 pm

cathylynn wrote:

this has been debunked.

Uh actually it hasn't, while earlier in article that I'm taking an exerpt from below (I'm not including the claims that this is debunked cause it is contradicted later in the article):

"At this stage, it is not clear who is alleged to have turned the crew away and the company that employs the affected workers has denied the claim," said IBEW President Ed Hill in a statement. "IBEW local leaders in New Jersey have reiterated what has been the long standing record of our union – in times of crisis all help is welcome and we pull together with everyone to meet the needs of the public. We have communicated this to the office of New Jersey Governor Christie as well."

The crew from Decatur Utilities attempted to look for work in other areas, but Hardin said based on the uncertainty of other union requirements, they made the decision to return home after being stalled in Virginia most of the day Thursday.

Other utility crews from Alabama are still helping with storm cleanup. Huntsville Utilities said they were not turned away and are in Long Island, New York. Joe Wheeler EMC said they did not respond to New Jersey, but did travel to Maryland and headed home once they were finished.

http://www.waff.com/story/19981857/some ... y-recovery

So we have the possible scenarios of:
1. Miscommunication (which is plausible)
2. Someone didn't get the memo and told these workers that they had to be in the Union. (also possible)

Since the Union is denying they had anything to do with this, and looks like people are now trying to sweep this under the rug so people can save face.

So to say this was debunked is not accurate cause the incident did happen, but we can say the incident seems to be resolving itself.

Fnord
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03 Nov 2012, 11:42 am

Amazing how exposing union-based shenanigans seems to make them stop, isn't it? It's almost as if the union leadership is embarassed by the actions their goons and thugs take.

Here in Cali, we're voting on Proposition 32:

Quote:

SUMMARY

Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures

Prohibits unions from using payroll-deducted funds for political purposes. Applies same use prohibition to payroll deductions, if any, by corporations or government contractors. Prohibits union and corporate contributions to candidates and their committees. Prohibits government contractor contributions to elected officers or their committees. Fiscal Impact: Increased costs to state and local government, potentially exceeding $1 million annually, to implement and enforce the measure’s requirements.

WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS

YES A YES vote on this measure means: Unions and corporations could not use money deducted from an employee’s paycheck for political purposes. Unions, corporations, and government contractors would be subject to additional campaign finance restrictions.

NO A NO vote on this measure means: There would be no change to existing laws regulating the ability of unions and corporations to use money deducted from an employee’s paycheck for political purposes. Unions, corporations, and government contractors would continue to be subject to existing campaign finance laws.

I'm voting "Yes". Bust the unions! Bust them all!

HeWhoTheGodsDetest
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05 Nov 2012, 1:48 pm

Let me get this straight...we had a massive storm in Sandy which completely devastated the east coast, millions are without power, entire cities have been flooded, and people are unable to live normal lives; and they are worried about non-union people helping out??? :huh: ...This is depressing. :cry:

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ruveyn
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05 Nov 2012, 5:24 pm

HeWhoTheGodsDetest wrote:

...This is depressing. :cry:

This isn't madness!! !! ! This is New Jersey!! !!

ruveyn

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05 Nov 2012, 6:22 pm

And now Fox and their adherents can say that this is representative of all unions.
No, it is not.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Inuyasha
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05 Nov 2012, 7:42 pm

Except for the fact Fox News isn't saying it is representative of all unions, they've actually not covered this story since the issue has been resolved.

Kraichgauer
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05 Nov 2012, 7:46 pm

But how many other stories have they ran, vilifying unions? There's a cumulative effect.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Inuyasha
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05 Nov 2012, 7:57 pm

I can only think of two Unions that they have actively reported on negatively over the course of several days.

SEIU, and the Teacher's Union, but it has been mostly SEIU...

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05 Nov 2012, 8:00 pm

Is that for any real wrong doing, or because they are targeted by the right for destruction?

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

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05 Nov 2012, 11:20 pm

We had a major ice storm a few years ago,a really bad one,Most power was out in all of N.W. Ark,roads completely blocked,cell towers down,radio and t,v. towers down,the first time in my life I remember that a land line phone didn't work,for days.Lots of people were without power for up to three weeks,people couldnt even get out of their driveways for the broken trees(not limbs).
Power company people came from all over to help us,we were so thankful!!Many people even gave the fellows beer to drink after work.It knocked down probably 90% of our power grid.And this is steep,rocky country. I think it's awful that they would turn away people who want to help.I was SO happy to see those power guys,they were heroes.Amd I was so amazed at how quick they got us up and going,it was so bad I expected to be out for a month.Trees were just exploding,you could hear them all night.

Inuyasha
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06 Nov 2012, 10:28 am

Kraichgauer wrote:

Is that for any real wrong doing, or because they are targeted by the right for destruction?

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

In the case of the SEIU, yeah they are involved in real wrong doing and often give other unions a bad name.

GoonSquad
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06 Nov 2012, 10:56 am

ruveyn wrote:

HeWhoTheGodsDetest wrote:

...This is depressing. :cry:

This isn't madness!! !! ! This is New Jersey!! !!

ruveyn

Exactly.

I've been a member of the IBEW and I've worked a few disasters (not as a lineman, thank god) in the south and mid-west--mostly ice storms.

In those situations there is always WAY TOO MUCH WORK (16-18 hr days of hard labor in hellish conditions) and nobody who could help in relief efforts was ever turned away.

Union and non-union crews worked together out of the same staging areas and supply yards and tried to get the mess cleaned up ASAP.

This incident, whatever it was, had more to do with Jersey Wiseguys and less to do with unions, I'm sure.

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Misslizard
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06 Nov 2012, 1:12 pm

Dear GoonSquad,were you living in this area when we had that last BAD ice storm? That was something else.We keep equipped with Petzel LED headlights,everyone should have one for emergencies.I had wood heat and a well and spring so I was better off than most people,but I couldn't get out of my drive for a long time,that's o.k. I'm a homebody anyway.

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