You're Fired!

[Californiaman]

Bosses Ordered Slowdown

 

I don't know about you, but if I was mayor or a member of the city council and found out about this, I'd fire those responsible for this.

Not the employees at the ground level. No. The union bosses.

[BigKahune]

I don't know about you, but if I was mayor or a member of the city council and found out about this, I'd fire those responsible for this. Not the employees at the ground level. No. The union bosses.

 

Union bosses?

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what was written in the article, here's a quote: "City Councilman Dan Halloran said three sanitation workers and two Department of Transportation supervisors came to his office saying their supervisors ordered the slowdown..."

 

Later in the article it states: "The head of New York's sanitation workers' union earlier blamed harsh winds and budget cuts as reasons for the slow response." - nothing to indicate the union ordered a slowdown.

 

At this point looks like city-officials/supervisors are the culprits.

 

Actually, quite a scandal for Bloomberg to investigate.

[Mark]

When I was doing my Electrical apprenticeship (134) many years ago in Chicago. I was told too slow down, go find somewhere to take a nap, don't come

back after lunch and it only got worse when I became a journeyman.

 

Their attitude does not surprise me at all, and trust me no one will get fired.

[DanvillRob]

My christmas card several years ago:

 

 

The inside said something like, "I said I wanted Hair PLUGS for men!"

[MrNylon]

Someone needs to be held accountable for the total disregard for the safety and well being of people relying on those services.

[NeoConMan]

Unions + Public sector responsibilities = BIG TROUBLE.

 

Every time.

 

PATCO, 1981.

 

That should be the result of ANY workers organizing AGAINST the public.

[DanvillRob]

Someone needs to be held accountable for the total disregard for the safety and well being of people relying on those services.

 

 

Since there were a couple of deaths, I suspect there should be manslaughter charges brought up all involved, (even the Mayor, if he's somehow involved, or negligent).

[PP_CS336]

Since there were a couple of deaths, I suspect there should be manslaughter charges brought up all involved, (even the Mayor, if he's somehow involved, or negligent).

 

DanvillRob, I have to agree with you. I saw this on the nightly news and someone or some persons need to be held accountable for this, possibly the Mayor since he's the

one who's supposed to be in charge. They'll probably get the standard "slap on the wrist" because their part of the good ol' boys. I hate the way these people

get away with everything, including murder(manslaughter as you say because they didn't directly kill these people, but their negligence was the cause). I've worked

with guys who are in prison for less than this, but because they didn't have money or were one of the "have-nots" as opposed to the "haves", they got put away

in prison.

[WahKeen]

Freaking passive agressive "service" management..... That'll show them....

[milod]

The problem with something like this is that it's virtually impossible to really document and prove anything. That's regardless whether you agree with the union or with City Hall.

 

Let's assume the union bosses told workers to slow down to make a point. How does one prove that the workers actually intended to do so? Lemme tell you I've been around my fair share of blizzards and there are times the most dedicated snowplow drivers simply can't do much very quickly, and sometimes conditions mean they can't do much at all. So... how does one "prove" a slowdown?

 

I think the real problem here is the general mentality that union members are not truly public employees. That damages public confidence and IMHO, it damages the perspective of many of those employees who perceive that they follow union contract rules for their supervisors' orders and no more - and "the public" is almost irrelevant.

 

I'm reminded of the good old days when even a small daily newspaper owner's wife kept up her printing union card because in those days the card was a guarantee of her skills and ability to run a linotype machine as near to capacity as humanly possible. I'm not sure I've heard of any union's card nowadays that has that same meaning of competence.

 

In my region of the U.S. I think also that the WWII generation - my own parents' age - messed up the musicians' union. Instead of setting scale and protecting dues-paying young members whose music they didn't care for, they tended to use it to make life difficult for venues and bands. They ain't around any more, which I think is sad for musicians who now lack a common voice at minimum to communicate venue operators who may not be honest.

 

m

[rocketman]

The thing I can't understand is why do they p!ss off the people they serve? So a few years ago our city police were upset over a contract dispute. Their supervisors ordered numerous spot checks on major roads and highways leaving the city during rush hour! It caused a huge traffic slowdown. The mayor went ballistic and ordered the police to stop it. I, as did most residents, lost all respect for them after that stunt.

[Murph]

The thing I can't understand is why do they p!ss off the people they serve?

 

Yea, those DUI roadblocks used to p1ss me off........

 

:unsure:

[DanvillRob]

In my region of the U.S. I think also that the WWII generation - my own parents' age - messed up the musicians' union. Instead of setting scale and protecting dues-paying young members whose music they didn't care for, they tended to use it to make life difficult for venues and bands. They ain't around any more, which I think is sad for musicians who now lack a common voice at minimum to communicate venue operators who may not be honest.

 

m

 

Milo, did I ever tell you that my band was scheduled to play at the Beatles' concert at Candlestick Park in 1966. We were members of Local 510, (San Leandro), and the concert was in South San Francisco, (Local 6). Local 6 blocked us from playing, and we were replaced by the Army Band from the Presidio who played the National Anthem. No help from Local 510 even though I paid dues there for years!

 

So musician's unions are a sore point with me.

[BigKahune]

Someone needs to be held accountable for the total disregard for the safety and well being of people relying on those services.

 

Wasn't there a similar scandal a while back (January/February?) where ambulance/EMT drivers got in trouble for not parking and walking in to answer emgency calls? The guy ended up dying. (Or maybe that was in Pittsburgh?)

 

 

This behavior is reprehensible, and possible criminal.

[MrNylon]

The thing that gets me the most about this whole mess, the area they are in is not new to snow removal. Sorry folks, that ain't Boca Raton, Florida or Los Angeles, California. What's wrong with this entire picture?

[milod]

Rob...

 

Yeah, I remember that one. I also know I felt I was treated pretty poorly by my local when I was a kid and haven't re-upped since, even when playing three-day weekends for money.

 

I really think it's sad when something goes wrong with what should have been a good go-between for venues and musicians similar to what's found in the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association).

 

Funny thing is how the PRCA has its problems, but I've never heard of a member cowboy's check bouncing or of a PRCA rodeo without an ambulance on hand.

 

m

[stevef]

According to the "usually reliable sources" of rumor, innuendo and half truths 400-500 union members called in sick or for emergency leave.

This to "stress" the issues of a budget cuts and supervisory demotions!

[Sinner 13]

So musician's unions are a sore point with me.

 

Unions in general.....

there are hard working people out of a job in this country, and these peckers sit around on their arses every time they even think that they are being "mistreated".

 

 

end rant

[milod]

When I was in Germany back in '75 doing a series on international economics, a meeting with "West German" union folks was enlightening. They worked with companies to keep the work force functional at an ongoing high level of productivity rather than fighting constantly against change.

 

Today... In spite of some economic problems and the huge challenge of absorbing East Germany, they're doing relatively well compared to nations where the unions are confrontational.

 

Bottom line is that when unions work for the best interest of the industry and the folks they represent, things seem to work quite well. When they don't - as with many in the U.S. - they disappear and too often so does the industry.

 

I keep thinking sadly of the potential good of a proper musicians' union and how it just plain dropped dead in my area. I even tried to contact the closest local several years ago and got no response whatsoever.

 

m

[DanvillRob]

 

Bottom line is that when unions work for the best interest of the industry and the folks they represent, things seem to work quite well. When they don't - as with many in the U.S. - they disappear and too often so does the industry.

m

 

Milo, let me tell you a story about how unions can effect the bottom line. Out here we have a transit company called AC Transit. They're out of money and can't see their way towards getting out of it without cutting routes and raising fares, (and their buses are paid for by the Federal Government!).

 

Many years ago, they called me to say they had two new buses with broken shock absorber brackets. I sent one of my guys over to fix them, and the union rules were that only union personnel could work on the bus.

So, we had to find a mechanic to drive the bus into a bay. Next we had to find the "tire guy" go jack up one side and remove the rear tires. Third, we had to get ANOTHER mechanic to remove the shock from the bracket, (one nut), then we had to find a welder to weld the shock bracket.... THEN find a painter to spray some primer on the weld. Then, of course, we had to do every think again but in reverse. It took 11 hours to get all that accomplished!

 

The second bus..... my guy waited 'til all the mechanics to take a break, (they went off to play dominos), since the welding machine was still there, he just snaked under the bus, welded the bracket without removing the shock, sprayed it with a can of spray paint, and went off to do other things....a total of 15 minutes, (the mechanics always stretched their 10-minute breaks to 20+ minutes).

 

So you can see how our tax dollars are being consumed....all the while the transit property is INSISTING they need MORE!

[milod]

Yup...

 

I think urban areas are worse than out here, but...

 

m