If True, here is another reason to disband unions

[Dave]

It's being said that the recent snow removal woes in NYC were not simply because of the amount of snow that fell, but may have been influenced by unions leaders there, telling workers to work slowly. If this turns out to be true, their actions are criminal as there may be deaths linked to their lack of proper response. If unions wanted to give themselves a black eye and make themselves a target for court action, they may have done just that. I hope it is true and I hope anyone involved is out of a job and locked up if their actions caused injury or death.

 

NYC Investigating Reports of Work Slowdown During Snow Removal

By Peter S. Green

Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- New York City’s government watchdog agency is investigating reports that some Sanitation Department supervisors told workers not to clear snow during a post- Christmas
blizzard that left some roads unplowed for three days.

“What we are looking at is whether there was intentional misconduct relating to the snow removal, whether or not there was a slowdown,” said Diane Struzzi, a spokeswoman for the
Department of Investigation, an independent law-enforcement agency.

City Councilman Dan Halloran, a Republican from Whitestone, Queens, said five city employees contacted him to complain that supervisors were telling workers not to plow some roads as payback
in a labor dispute with the city over the demotion of 100 Sanitation
Department supervisors, about 10 percent of the supervisory force. The
New York Post reported Halloran’s comments this week.

“Some supervisors, disgruntled they were being demoted for no reason, were looking to take it out on the mayor,” Halloran said in an interview. He said he had no proof of an organized
slowdown.

If laws were broken, the Department of Investigation will take “appropriate actions,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

“I don’t know whether it took place, but if it did it’s a disgrace,” the mayor said on WOR radio today.

The union representing about 900 mid-level Sanitation Department supervisors, who oversee garbage collection and snow removal, said his members didn’t sabotage the snow-clearing.

“Absolutely not, there was no slowdown,” said Joe Mannion, president of the Sanitation Officers Association.

Sixth-Worst

More than 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) of snow fell in Central Park from Dec. 26 through Dec. 27, making it the sixth- worst recorded snowfall in New York history, according to Weather 2000
Inc., a commercial forecasting firm. Winds as strong as 45 miles (72
kilometers) an hour blew drifts back into freshly plowed streets,
shutting businesses and mass-transit service for days.

Riders were trapped overnight on stalled trains, and at least one baby died as ambulances were unable to reach the sick and injured on unplowed streets.

Sanitation workers responded to their department’s call to report for work both days, with 4,800 of the agency’s 5,900 employees arriving to work Dec. 26 on two 12- to 14-hour
shifts, said Kathy Dawkins, a spokeswoman for the Department of
Sanitation.

“When we called out for people, the result of that was the coverage we needed” for Dec. 26, Dawkins said.

The president of the union representing the workers said he knew of no slowdown. If some supervisors did try to delay snow removal, his union members wouldn’t have complied, he said.

“My workforce won’t put their jobs on the line for their officers,” said Harry Nespoli, president of the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association.

The mayor is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.

--With assistance from Ashley Lutz in New York. Editors: Mark Schoifet, Mark Tannenbaum

To contact the reporter on this story: Peter S. Green in New York at [e-mail];

[AQUAMAN]

A big black eye for NYC and the unions both. Paybacks here may have played an important part, and one that bespeaks of how important and powerful these unions really are, sad, and perhaps criminal, I would think.

[masonco]

There are many things unions have done for political reasons and they just don't care about their members. Look at how recently the union stuck out for "their demands" and the workers ended up losing everything locally. Look at how the unions stuck it to the workers at GM.

 

Ever wonder why the unions backed Obama's healthcare plan? Why they backed him? The unions were responsible for the wonderful health benefits auto workers and government employees received.

 

Ever wonder why the unions want (I think it is cap n trade) act to go through. Cause they can require all workers to pay dues to work anywhere.

 

Look here in MI where child care providers were required to join a union to be licensed. Never heard what happened after that was challenged.

 

Don't get me wrong. Unions were great until they became so involved with politics and lobbyists. Sometimes I think it is the unions that run this country.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

I am going to wait until an investigation is done. However If we had a Republican Congress, I am sure there should be an independent one of this issue. We that happen under the current regime??? I doubt it.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Liberals and Unions seem to make great bedfellows to me. In both cases it is the few dictating the lives of the many.

[Willy]

First of all the allegations by the Mayor have not been proven. He may be trying to cover up his own imcompetence. Secondly, if the allegations are true then this still is not a union issue. It is a bad employee issue. It matters not that the supervisors and workers are unionized. According to the report there were but a few supervisors involved in the work slowage and  it was due to a reduction in pay due to demotions which the union would have agreed to. This was simply digruntled employees striking out againts their employer.