Slowdown Explained: Everyone Was Drunk or "Sick"

Our sentiments exactly (greenelent's flickr)

The Department of Investigation began a probe this week into allegations that Sanitation workers purposefully staged a slowdown during the Blizzard clean-up as revenge for department budget cuts. There have already been reports that Sanitation bosses purposefully targeted certain well-heeled neighborhoods, such as Borough Park, to "gin up the p.r. machine," and that Sanitation workers were instructed to use a variety of tactics to stall the clean-up process. And what were some of those tactics? Getting plastered, or calling in "sick."

The DOI is investigating a report that a group of on-duty Sanitation supervisors allegedly bought alcohol and then hung out in their department car for hours Monday night. And they allegedly did so while blocks away there was a bus and three snowplows stranded in the snow. According to witnesses, four Sanitation workers were seen buying two six-packs of beer from a Brooklyn bodega; the group then sat idly in their car at 18th avenue near the F train entrance, ignoring the stuck plows and bus. The next morning, they were overheard telling their supervisor that they could do nothing about the blizzard because they had run out of gas, but one witness told the Post, "They just sat in their car all night with the heat running." Some angry locals saw the Sanitation workers buying the beer, and shouted, 'How can you do this? You should be outside!' " In response, one of them said, 'Don't worry about it. We know what we're doing."

And if they weren't drinking, then they may have been sleeping at home: between 660 and 720 Sanitation workers called in sick on Monday and Tuesday last week. That's more than double the usual sick rate, and nearly 12 percent of the entire downsized Sanitation department. So while the failure to properly and efficiently clear the streets post-Blizzard may have been "character building" to some, it sounds like it was character failure for many others.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in News on January 2, 2011 3:15 PM

Comments [rss]

chuzzlewit

TIL - there is a DOI. WTF ?

pvbklyn

Borough park "well-heeled?" I'd consider Brooklyn Heights as "well-heeled."

silver

Plow trucks are driven down streets with their plows up. I've gotten 6 plow passes, every time with the plow up, the plows even drove over the snow banks and pushed all the snow back into the road.

Ander Henderson

I personally witnessed the same thing on Avenue C in Manhattan. I was shoveling my walk for about 20 minutes and watched maybe 20 plows drive by with their plows up. There was no lack of plows, only lack of plowing.

pun31

And the Commissioner of the Department of Investigation reports directly to Bloomberg so of course they will blame the san workers and the union. Bloomberg and Dohtery will be 'free' of any blame.

MorrisWise

The big apple will always be a union run town because the gals love the guy with the union label. It is a pity for those who have to slave for minimum wages, but things will change if they fill out an application and pass the sanitation workers test.

Christopher J. Stephens

Has anyone looked into the rumor that the reason Bloomberg didn't declare a Snow Emergency was that city employees would be required to take a day of annual leave rather than be excused from work because they couldn't get to their jobs? This doesn't excuse any misbehavior by Sanitation workers, but you need to keep in mind that the mayor has essentially declared war on his employees. Some push-back is going to happen, and the mayor needs to pick his fights more carefully.

Rod

right on: if the Sanit workers DID do a slowdown, that's still 100% bloombucks fault on every level.

he himself said you have to pay exorbitant salaries if you want high worker morale!

that's why he fought for the $100,000 pay raise for Walder at the MTA, (he now makes $350,000 to cut services and raise fares?) and a $450,00 salary for the head of Cuny.

and it's why tax hike mike gave $70 million in perpetual raises to his highest paid cronies like thug ray kelly last year.

SonnyBobiche

You know that the families of all who could not get to the hospital on time because they were snowed in while these greedy clowns read catalogs and drank beer are going to sue. I hope they not only sue the city but the union.

Government workers unions have been a total failure since they were allowed some 40 years ago. With no competition, they are inefficient, and pull crap like this. They are bankrupting the states that have allowed them and they have become a political force with only one purpose; to elect those that would give them more money and perks, the public be damned.

randomtransplant

A big part of the problem was that the experienced "no competition" had been hired by the airports & surrounding towns in the first 24 hours, leaving NYC with inexperienced contractors & longer snow removal times.

Not that every other reader isn't aware of that, I just want to drive home how well researched your rational labor stance was.

Rod

wow. are you like 10 years old?

ever had an idea of your own?

your parroting the talking points of the corporations is not so impressive.

yeah, "competition" really works. A 2 cent can of pepsi costs $1. Thank goodness they have competition, so I can get a 2 cent can of COKE for $1.

and the more phone companies we got, the better the customer service got, and the lower the prices! YAY!

idiot.

just admit it: you voted for bloombucks and don't want to look like an ass, so you're trying to help protect his rep too.

BottomlessChips

You're parroting liberal talking points, too.

"Corporations are bad and evil! Blah blah blah"

Rod

that's not a liberal talking point, idiot.

the corporations themselves say they are evil and bad, from the pharmaceutical companies who admitted they deceived customers and killed them to the tobacco companies who now admit they deceived customers and killed them to Time /Warner who now say their merger was a moronic scam.

you are an idiot.

idiot.

SonnyBobiche

Rod, you don't know me, I don't know you. However, you are part of that sad majority of internet commenters who get their courage through anonymity. Ad hominen attacks will not convince me or anyone else that you are right.

If you dislike Bloomberg so be it. Maybe the Unions and Bloomberg are out for themselves and couldn't care less about the rest of non-billionaire, not-able-to-retire-at-47 tax payers. Maybe you are a union member and greedily and selfishly rail at those who criticize your gravy train. Maybe you wish me ill and violence (wouldn't be the first time that union goons have utilized or wish to utilize violence on their critics). I don't really care and I will no longer respond.

Rod

you are so ignorant it's shocking.

example - i HATE unions!

I just know scapegoating when I see it. just like it don't take a genius to spot a troll using talking points he parrots.

Yahtzee

If we sue the sanitation union for doing a lousy job and getting paid for it, can we sue people on welfare for doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and getting paid for it?

A single mother from the projects gets $1500 dollars a month for each dependent. Have 3 kids and you can make more than a garbage man's starting salary! You'll also get free room & board!

So let's sue everyone who receives government assistance...matter of fact sue everyone on unemployment too. Those of us who actually work hard and struggle to get by and pay our own bills will be rich!

Rod

you don't give out welfare to be nice, dummy.

america gives out welfare because the alternative is that the poor people are going to mug you every single day if they can't feed themselves.

in every nation that tried it your way, the only possible results were riots and revolution.

dummy.

and if you want to be mugged everyday and have your home burglarized, then let's try it. what do the poor have to lose?

PRISON IS THE BIGGEST ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM THERE IS!

dummy.

SonnyBobiche

The lawsuits would not be for doing a lousy job and not earning their pay. The lawsuits will come from the family of the woman who suffered a stroke and the ambulance couldn't get through, which lead to brain damage from the prolonged waiting. The family of the baby that died, also while waiting to get to the hospital, is certain to sue. I hope that the lawyers include the union bosses in those lawsuits.

Yahtzee

Well lets sue those on welfare who leech off the city's services and don't pay taxes. With that income we could have paid the required amount of sanitation workers and supervisors and had the appropriate amount of equipment to clean the streets.

randomtransplant

unemployment insurance is taxed.

Foodstamps and wic goes to non-taxable food items.

Housing Vouchers pay your land lord's property taxes just like rent.

liar.