Update: Oreo, Dog Thrown Off Building, Was Euthanized
People Wait For Tomorrow's UWS Apple Store Opening
Emily and Sarah Kunstler, Filmmakers
Cheap Chicken Wing Deal Ruined by Gunslinging Teens
FIT Students Busted For Drug Dealing Get Probation
Con Ed and about 9,000 workers are locked in a contract battle that may threaten the city's power come Sunday. According to Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, the utility and workers are "miles and miles apart."
Union spokesman Joe Flaherty explained the union wants better wages and medical cost coverage, benefits for workers retired on worker's comp, and advancement in job titles. But Flaherty blasted Con Ed, "It's basically the Nancy Reagan school of negotiations - 'Just say no.' It seems to us that they want to initiate a walkout."
Con Ed says it's ready for a strike, telling the Daily News, "We plan for any contingencies - strike-related, too. More than half of our management is up from the ranks themselves." Um, contingency planning like they had for the Queens blackout? Please, make a deal!
Previous year's negotiations have worked out, though workers went on a nine-week strike in 1983, which caused a small blackout in Midtown.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
They should be smart enough and do it right before a major holiday so as to further cement the fact that all unions are full of uneducated shitheads.
a friend of mine worked as an intern with coned, assisting their engineering projects and steam systems.
kid made $20/hr... as an intern... for ConEd.
think about that.
Grooverider: "all unions are full of uneducated shitheads"
Actually most of these guys are IBEW Local 3. The union requires them to go to school at night and pays for it. So most of these guys have a college education. Or are you just bitter because they are just as educated as yourself without the 100,000 in loans to pay off?
Anything good about your job is because a union member fought for it. Weekends, 8 hour work week, medical and life insurance, etc. The mob wormed their way into a couple of unions a few years ago and screwed some things up, but that's no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I'll be the first to admit jealousy of these union jobs and government jobs, where you put in a lazy 9 to 5 for 20 years, and then retire with half pay, medical benefits, etc. etc. for life.
Get one of those jobs at 20. Hit the bar at 6pm if you want, or work overtime, or go to night school, or all three. "Retire" at 40-45 with a guaranteed income and benefits for life. You can still do another job or start a business, with a big safety cushion.
Contrast to the private sector. Go to college, get a 6 figure debt for a shot at a 6 figure job. Even if you make it, about half of your salary goes to taxes (you need to pay those government employees those great benefits), fica, 401k contribution. You are salaried, so don't get overtime, and your workday is probably 9am to 9pm, with weekend work, and the pressures that go with the position.
Many of the people in those sectors are pushed or quit out well before 20 years, but even if they aren't, there is no pension, no guaranteed benefits.
You get whatever you managed to squirrel away in your 401k, and your medical benefits are your own problem.
Screw that, the deal the union guys have is good enough as it is. If ConEd winds up having to raise rates, this will be a big part of why.
@ UnrepantantFenian
I'm down to 3k college debt and work in IT. A field too new to be influenced by Unions (although there was a unionization movement a few years back -- what a joke).
Your response seems like a bitter rebuttal from someone that enjoys the security blanky your union offers. Anyone with the same level of education would have the intelligence to move into a non-unionized position that offers more rewards for hard work.
@ Grooverider->
I'm non-union. But thanks for playing.
Look for the Union Label.
I believe it was Henry Ford who was the first individual that raised wages and lowered working hours for the common factory worker, not the union.
How about the union tell the public what kind of wages they're asking for and let us decide whether these guys are worth that kind of scratch? Or are they too scared that we'd laugh our asses off?
I wish I could work 8 hours a week and get paid the big bucks too. :(
Yeah, It's not like the Cost of living has gone up, right?!?!? Screw 'em for wanting better! Go ConEd!!!
As if.
Riddle me this: Anyone here actually familiar with the existing setup and/or the demands of the Union?
I'm not and I'm not assuming that the Union is being "Greedy" or that ConEd wants anything but more money (It's a Business, that's what it does).
O Scratch that! Why let facts ruin a perfectly good knee jerk reaction...
eyekantspel what are u talking about? These guys are working intill there 60-65. Most guys in construction unions work alot harder then a guy in a cushy office job.
As a Con Edison Lineman and a long time union worker, I am deeply offended by some of the garbage being spewed here. Con Ed workers are over worked, and severely underpaid. In electrical construction, workers handle live 13-27,000 volts as part of their daily job functions. Most overhead lineman work nearly 3000 hours a year, in rain, snow, lightning storms, and all the conditions that nobody would want to be outside in, let alone dealing with electrical emergencies. I dislike Edison as much as it's customers, and I understand your feelings towards the company, but don't project it on the hardworking men and women who do our best to keep the people in power when the storms hit. Our wages are far below industry standards, and if the company had its way we would be making even less. Sorry for the rant.
"They should be smart enough and do it right before a major holiday so as to further cement the fact that all unions are full of uneducated shitheads."
Sounds like the eloquent words of an uneducated shithead.
Alright, FrankTheTank, fair's fair. Tell us what they're paying you to "handle live 13-27,000 volts". Then tell us what you think that work's worth. Then we'll judge your ass harshly with crude, snarky comments.
eyekantspel:
Some would say that what you described is the whole point of the market, which cuts both ways...and if the market decides to shiv you in the kidney, whether it be bad mismanagement from the top, bad economy, or bad whatever..you better hope that you're wearing a parachute made out of gold, because if you aren't, you're the first stiff against the wall.
Contrast that with a union job where the job itself is kinda sorta guaranteed if you do what you're supposed to be doing and don't act like a complete heel...but the tradeoff is greatly reduced vertical mobility in many cases. Its predictable, but most of these working guys and gals will not hit the jackpot..whereas you in the private sector..can.
That's the difference.
I don't see why people get so upset about this. I hate to be a rude assclown, but if you're getting shafted in corporate America and 'drowning in debt' and taxes...then maybe, just maybe..you suck at playing the game.
And also, as a card carrying union member (even though I'm sorta wary of them at times), my ass gets completely demolished by the government come April as well.
And..AND..since I'm not rolling in it, merely comfortable (although its a good comfortable ;) ) I don't have the same type of connections and access to people who are pros at shielding from tax liability downtown that my friends who are on wall street do.
BTW unfortunately most of Con Ed isnt IBEW local 3. We are Utility local 1-2. The fact that we share our union with clerical office workers and meter readers really hurts the guys in the construction trades. They dilute our voting power and make it hard for us to vote down a bad contract, as Edison always throws in trivial perks for clerical workers and they simply outnumber us. Most in Electric Ops would love to leave our union and become part of IBEW, like Orange and Rockland utilities are. O&R have a fantastic contract.
Gothamist should be ashamed to allow the comments above me be posted. I expected more from the readers of this newspaper.
Lets get some facts straight. It doesn't take a mere 20 years to retire in Con-Edison. In fact theres guys who start at age 18 and not until 55 years old are they elidgeable to retire.
Thats 37 years for those of you who can't add. And with the cost of living, alot of people nowadays cannot retire anyway especially with putting children thru college who are probably the same career students posting on this web site!
95% OF Con-Ed is represented by Utility Workers Union of America not IBEW.
And as for rate hikes. Con-Ed was shutdown by the P.S.C and got much less then what they wanted for their rate hike. Con-Ed could have gotten what they wanted and still low-balled our Union.
But more importantly. Its our Unions knowledge that has kept this Utility afloat. Management barely has a clue especially these college interns who think likes one big party.
and if you think the ASTORIA BLACKOUT was bad,wait until you see if we go on strike!
Amen Johnny.....as for those of you who work for Con Ed like myself, let people say what they have to say...Everyone has the same opportunity to apply for a job at Con Ed just as we did back in the day. The sad thing is that I see people coming thru our Learning Center Facility to take these entry level tests and can't even pass them...Is that our fault?...These young kids that are coming in now have no clue... whether they are Gold Associates or Union. That's what's really going to hurt Con Ed in the long run......If New York City thinks that Con Edison Management can maintain our system with all that the union employees do day after day then everyone is going to be in for a big surprise....
Their entitlement for a guaranteed pension is outrageous. What is so privileged about this job that the workers are guaranteed a lifetime annuity instead of contributing at least a small percentage towards their own pension/401K?
Here we go with the reasons for rates increase - thousands of 40-45-year-old retirees, their wives, ex-wives, and girfriends that we have to support for years to come. This applies to MTA as well. Thanks, unions.