Nov 2, 2012
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A team of Alabama utility workers said they were prevented from helping restore power in New Jersey because of regulations that required them to be members of a union.
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Officials with Decatur Utilities told FOX Business that their workers were confronted by members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers when they arrived at a staging area to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
The Alabama team was given documents by IBEW officials that “required our folks to affiliate with the union,” said Ray Hardin, general manager of the utility.
“That was something we could not agree to,” Hardin told FOX Business. “It was our understanding and still is that it was a requirement for us to work in that area.”
The utility company said they sent a six-man crew to a staging area in Virginia. They were scheduled to repair electrical service in Seaside Heights, NJ.
While at the staging area, the team received documents from IBEW that implied the workers would have to agree to affiliate with the union while working in the New York City and New Jersey areas.
“We chose we could not agree to those documents and began looking for other areas that could use our assistance without those conditions,” Hardin told FOX.
A spokesman from the IBEW said the union is “checking out the source of the story and trying to ascertain the facts.”
As they were waiting for clarification on the union affiliation, the crews received word that Seaside Heights had received the assistance they needed from other sources.
“To be clear, at no time were our crews turned away from the utility in Seaside Heights,” said the utility company in a written statement.
The workers tried to contact other areas to see if they needed assistance — but eventually decided to return to Alabama.
“Based on the uncertainty of union requirements that we could not agree to and the uncertainty of whether a resolution could be reached, we ultimately made the decision to return them to Decatur after being stalled in the Virginia area most of the day on Thursday,” the statement read.
Earlier reports indicated two other Alabama utilities — Huntsville Utilities and Joe Wheeler Cooperative — were also turned away from New Jersey due to union discrimination. However, those utilities have since denied those reports.
With reporting from Fox Business
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This is plain ridiculous.
Perfect example of why the unions are the absolute scum of the earth.
WTH?!
I don't think that the "unions" are, Fred..it's the Union Mgrs…. GREEDY…. GREEDY
Most business owners think like you do.
This is terrible! Decatur Utilities must have spent a good bit of money sending their workers up there to help, & to be told there were "strings attached" for them to be allowed to help is criminal! I DO NOT like unions because of past personal experience, & this is a classic example of why unions have morphed completely away from their original good intent into a money-hungry, self-serving mob-like business entity, that is NOT geared to benefit member employees, but only to pad union leaders' pockets, often at great cost to regular employees!
And they have freezing weather on the way. If anyone dies because of this then someone needs to be brought up on charges. This is a criminal act under these circumstances.
I hope you have your facts correct. If so, someone had better go to jail over this. Follow through and get NAMES and post them on the front page of every newspaper in the metro area!
sadly Richie…the newspapers are unionized!
They should be given a time-frame…like a week and then after that it's free-for all.
To quote my friend who has it down:
" I think that unions shouldn't matter when it comes to something like disaster recovery. If unions want to be pissy about "union first" in something like this, they should be disbanded because disaster recovery is about helping the people who are affected, not lining the pockets of union members and officials."
Unions, in the beginning had good intentions–they evolved from first protecting their workers…to, building up the Union Bosses…and hey, talk about separating church and state? How about unions and government? Churches are driven by their beliefs…union bosses are driven by greed & power.
It's a basic fault of people to become greedy and take advantage. In bad times, high unemployment and no unions some companies would get that itch and really screw their workers over…in better times, unemployment is low, unions get more power and they also take advantage, pull too much out of companies and drive them eventually out of business…steel, U.S. manufacturing, auto industry (still in bad shape that'll return as soon as govt stops doling the $). Like a pendulum. Be nice to stop it in the middle but people just aren't made that way.
the whole world is driven buy SELF
There's more than enough work to go around. Let them do what needs to be done. Recovery efforts should be more important. No doubt those families that could have had their power restored sooner with help of those from outside will hold the IBEW responsible.
WTF!?
Oh man I love this! Maybe the idiot masses will finally wake up to the fact that unions are a scourge.
Just another perfect example of unions putting themselves and interests ahead of everyone and everything. Get ready for them to spin it as, "we are just protecting the safety of citizens from ripoffs."
Romney can't keep his word… here are his biggest flip/flops… HOW CAN ANYONE BELIEVE IN THIS GUY? http://clnk.me/1y9bQ
also check his dark campaing supporters: http://clnk.me/1wPjQ.
obama's are way cleaner: http://clnk.me/1x0CY.
Your kidding right!!! Your a IBEW "Brother" aren't you!!! Stay off the thread if you're not commenting on the topic.
LOLZ Parade is your source? F-ing really? Hahahahahaha!
You sir are not credible.
I heard about this earlier today…WOW Some "Brotherhood" only if it means THEY get the $$$$…This is insane! I also understand now that there are union teams being flown out (with their vehicles) on military aircraft from California. I hope this is wrong…I'm looking into this one further too. I wonder if the NJ citizens really know what their unions are doing to them!
It's bs my friend! If someone wants to help they should allow it!!!
So typical of any union… Forget about the communities they serve and the people tht are struggling and suffering with no power… It's all about their greed and selfishness…. What bunch of BS!
There was audio today on Fox News Radio in the 3pm est segment of NJ or NY IBEW members screaming 'scab' and other insults at the non-union crews that'd driven up from the south to help. Sounded like your basic picket-line rhetoric.. I cannot find that audio nor have I heard it again. Given all the denials it would seem that Fox should post a link on their page…. ah, please do.
Idiots New Jersey get your head out of your asses..Nice way to treat your citizens.
How shocking! Starnes is lying once again!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/sandyunion.asp
Conservatives= too stupid to realize they're too stupid…..
I was suspicious of this story when it first came out, because I couldn't find any corroboration from anywhere other than the local TV station that first aired it. New stories are finally coming out that none this didn't happen. I'm glad that the folks up in the NE are getting the help they need, but saddened that Fox, Drudge, Blaze, and all the other right wing rumor mills jumped on it so quickly without verifying the truth of it.
If you read the full story you see that they said that they were checking with the union to see if it were true, but that the union its' self was checking out the story but could not confirm nor denie the that this happened. Coming from a state that is a union state not a right to work state, when we had areas of parks that need cleaning but didn't have the budget and had groups saying that they would do the job for the community they were told that could not be done because of union contracts. So that being said do I think this possible yes, but could be just the local union not wanting non union people coming in, even if it means that someone would suffer.
Typical of people in need, they won't eat hamburger if they are hungry, they want fillet mignon. They don't want Wallie world shoes they want Nikes. As for unions and I was once a member, they have no interest in the worker but getting rich on the dues monies. Workers need to unite, throw out the unions, invest in their workplace and negotiate for the best interest of all.
IBEW a money hungry bunch. I was offered a Journeman card for $500.00. It is al about money.
Screw the unions if this is how dictatorial they're going to be. May they go the way of Hoffa.
If this is indeed true, then I would say those union workers are not what I would call true Americans. What has our country become? You have to belong to a special club to help people in New York and New Jersey?! Bet those union workers are also Obama supporters. Just sayin!
today's society is easily mislead. We frown upon factchecking if our opinions and beliefs might be altered. Big media giants like FOX contribute to our ignorance and prejudices. Such untruthful stories such as above will be supported and retold by the happily deluded. I myself prefer to have supportive evidence behind my statements.
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