Non union power company workers not welcome in New Jersey

[DAB]

several years ago, about a year after the great east coast blackout than ran from cleveland (where i got stuck) to NYC, i was assigned to inspect some nursing homes in NYC. in the course of that work, i learned that each had an emergency generator, designed to run essential stuff, and in talking with the folks onsite, found out that everyone of those generators had either failed (lack of cooling for one) or had run out of fuel for that blackout. each had about 12-24 hours of fuel onsite. i strongly suggested they up that to about 7 days worth.

still good advice, but no one forecast 14 feet of water flooding the fuel pumps. oops. better look at that option going forward.

[bradc6]

And in other news utility workers pelted with eggs

[Bill]

Originally Posted by GentleBen

Well, according to the New York Times, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent organization, Mahmud Mozaffar told the semiofficial Fars News Agency in Iran that they were "ready to help the flood stricken people of America." His men are on standby, ready to board planes as soon as the United States accepts their offer.

Also, in Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, a terror suspect with $10 million bounty on his head, has offered his support and resources to the US.

On the whole, I think we should forego both of these offers.

Not to make this political (which the Iranians are probably trying to do), but we should accept their offer of help. The US had no problems saving the Iranian fishing boats from pirates. Providing genuine humanitarian aid in a crisis is probably the best diplomacy that can be done between countries.

It might help us to see that the Iranian people are similar to us....they like to eat and they enjoy having electricity. The fact that they are willing to help our flood stricken folks eat and regain electric service? I say bring it on.

I'm sure our Red Cross could be the liason for the Red Crescent volunteers.

[VatorMan]

Originally Posted by bradc6

And in other news utility workers pelted with eggs

Now that's pure ignorance. I'd put that up there with shooting at ambulance personnel.

[mikeg826]

Alabama utility crew needed union affiliation to work in N.J., official says | NJ.com

From the article...

Two other Alabama utilities were initially mentioned by a Huntsville (Ala.) television station in a story that said non-union crews had been turned aside.

One of those, Trinity, Ala.-based Joe Wheeler, was never in New Jersey and is unionized, its CEO, George Kitchens, said this morning.

Eight Wheeler workers were instead dispatched to Maryland before the storm hit, and is already back home, a company spokeswoman, Mandi Phillips, said.

“We are headed back home,” she said. “We were never turned away.”

Bill Yell, communications manager for Huntsville Utilities, said he was not aware that a union issue had prevented three of that company’s crews from working in New Jersey.

Huntsville originally sent two 3-man bucket crews and one 3-man pole-setting crew to Seaside Heights, but that all nine had since been dispatched to Long Island, Yell said.

“The reason we’re not working with the New Jersey system is that they had all the crews they could handle,” he said.

The fact that those crews are not unionized did not have any effect, he said.

“They didn’t have any problems with us,” he said.

But meanwhile in Conn. :

Utility workers pelted with eggs after Bridgeport, Conn. mayor blasts provider | Fox News

[island14]

Originally Posted by onedef92

Have any foreign countries lifted as much as a finger to date to help us?

I thought about sending a few of our local electricians over to give you guys a hand, but none have ever seen an electric power pole, and usually just run the power lines from one coconut tree to the next.

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

I have to give it to the union folks....they stood firm. Had they said, "hey, it's an emergency, we'll let this go", then they would be admitting that there is no value to union membership.

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Not to make this political (which the Iranians are probably trying to do), but we should accept their offer of help.

so it's ok for Iranians to help, but not our own people?????
Sorry Bill, i'm just not ready to board that ship.

Either way, i doubt the people (currently without electricity) really give a rat's azz who gets the power back on, as long as it's done. If it were me, i wouldn't care if it was Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, as long as my family was warm.

[carlton_fritz]

Originally Posted by onedef92

Have any foreign countries lifted as much as a finger to date to help us?

[burtonbl103]

Originally Posted by GentleBen

Well, according to the New York Times, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent organization, Mahmud Mozaffar told the semiofficial Fars News Agency in Iran that they were "ready to help the flood stricken people of America." His men are on standby, ready to board planes as soon as the United States accepts their offer.

Also, in Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, a terror suspect with $10 million bounty on his head, has offered his support and resources to the US.

On the whole, I think we should forego both of these offers.

LOL with open arms just tell them they have to fly through customs in Gitmo bay

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

so it's ok for Iranians to help, but not our own people?????
Sorry Bill, i'm just not ready to board that ship.

Either way, i doubt the people (currently without electricity) really give a rat's azz who gets the power back on, as long as it's done. If it were me, i wouldn't care if it was Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, as long as my family was warm.

Your sarcasm meter needs recalibration. I find it unconcionable that the non union workers were turned away. Living on the Gulf Coast I am aware that in a crisis we need all hands on deck. I am sure those without power do not care if the folks coming to help are non union or Iranian or even communists. They want powef back on food and water and the roads cleared. M y point waz that no help should be refused especially over some partisan bs union bs or even political bs.

[JMS32935]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

... I find it unconcionable that the non union workers were turned away...

Apparently they weren't, at least not officially...

snopes.com: Non-Union Help in New Jersey Rejected

... but seems at least one crew heard those rumors, got their feelers hurt, and turned back before they even got to NJ.

[FasterTraffic]

Originally Posted by GentleBen

Also, in Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, a terror suspect with $10 million bounty on his head, has offered his support and resources to the US.

We should accept his gracious offer of support but inform him that, due to a recent change in US postal standards, all return addresses must be in the form of exact GPS coordinates.

[Mike Mercury]

unions... are 20th century technology

[Jeff '79]

Originally Posted by FasterTraffic

We should accept his gracious offer of support but inform him that, due to a recent change in US postal standards, all return addresses must be in the form of exact GPS coordinates.

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

M y point waz that no help should be refused especially over some partisan bs union bs or even political bs.

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

M y point waz that no help should be refused especially over some partisan bs union bs or even political bs.

Then please accept my apologies.
Perhaps my sarcasm meter is one of the many things with me, that need recalibrating

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

Then please accept my apologies.
Perhaps my sarcasm meter is one of the many things with me, that need recalibrating

No worries.....we're good.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by TxAg

Cheap shot as Israel/Jews?

Nope. Just an observation. The country we are literally starving out with crippling sanctions is offering us humanitarian assistance in our time of need. Meanwhile, the country that has been sucking at the teat of the US taxpayer for decades offers us.....um, what?

The dichotomy is interesting, wouldn't you agree?

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by TxAg

I don't think the US has asked for any, AFAIK.




Cheap shot as Israel/Jews?

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Nope. Just an observation. The country we are literally starving out with crippling sanctions is offering us humanitarian assistance in our time of need. Meanwhile, the country that has been sucking at the teat of the US taxpayer for decades offers us.....um, what?

The dichotomy is interesting, wouldn't you agree?

You really didn't expect any help to be offered to a leader before an election? Wednesday help will be offered.

( comments tempered to keep this out of PRC )