SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY (WAFF) - The hurricane-ravaged east coast has been receiving north Alabama help, but crews learned they could not help out in New Jersey unless they affiliated with a union. A six man crew from Decatur Utilities 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. The general manager of Decatur Utilities, Ray Hardin told Fox Business they were presented documents from the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers at a staging area in Virginia. The documents stated they had to affiliate with a union to work, which the crews could not agree to. Hardin said the crews were not turned away but were made to believe that affiliating with the union was a requirement to work. Decatur Utilities crews home after issues with union - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL
Well, of course union membership is more important than restoring vital services to millions suffering in the aftermath of a massive tragedy. What about all of the "working men and women", whom unions purport to protect and promote their "best interests", who still don't have power? I assume that they've agreed that no power is better than that which a non-union electrician provided. What's that? Unions only give two shits about "working men and women" insofar as they pay their union dues? Roger, that.
Used to be you hit the shit beat out of you for joining. Now you get the shit beat out of you when you don't. Ass backwards.
That is a damn shame....Pisses me off that my corporate office has been without power all week and total horseshit like this happens.
I don't think we've demonized and simplified the situation enough. Surely it can get even more sinister. It certainly has nothing to do with protecting their jobs, that's for sure!
you'd have to really go all out on the slippery slope argument to argue that the union crews were seriously in danger of losing their jobs because of this.
It sets a precedent where non-union workers can come in any time there is an "emergency." When does a utility company really need a fleet of workers and trucks, again? There is your slippery slope. Doesn't seem that steep of a grade.
Hardin said the crews were not turned away I'm struggling to see what the issue is here. Except of course, the omnipresent fear of unions.
This happens every single major storm. Hurricanes, blizzards, etc. My dad worked for the local power company growing up and I remember hearing about this time and time again. Most of those crews you see respond to emergencies are Unionized and completely ran by contract. They aren't just the City of Knoxville Power Co or whatever. Oh, and they make absolute bank by going to these emergencies. Like averaging $15k a week.
You know, i think this is a pretty clear "emergency" and turning these guys away due to non-union status is a joke.
Those lazy ass union workers should be very grateful that hard working crews from other areas even volunteered to drive up there... Cause I would have not! Sorry but I have some friends that work for the Southern Companies and Bellsouth and they always leave there families and go to help. And they always say the crews from up north that come down and refuse to work because there either not the right union or not union jobs.
pretending like those crews are coming up out of the goodness of their heart to turn the lights back on is a joke. Not reading or refusing to accept that no one was turned away is an even bigger joke. Finally, as the grand finale punchline, ignoring posts in this thread that point both of these things out is the greatest joke.
Seems like to me you get job done regardless of unions, insurance, and any other red tape. That's not the way it is, however.
I'm seriously terrified the public unions will do to this country what they did to Greece and you should be too.
If you were paying 15,000 a day per man on a crew due to a storm that is statistically inevitable for the part of the world you live in, you might see it differently.
