Plow drivers may sit out big weekend snowstorm

Boston Herald ^ | 12/5/03 | Jennifer Rosinski

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

The snow shovels may come out of hibernation this weekend, when cold fronts moving in from the north and south dump several inches of the white stuff across Boston and outlying areas.

And state-contracted plow drivers are considering sitting the storm out.

``Saturday looks ugly,'' said Alan Dunham of the National Weather Service in Taunton. ``There's a possibility of more than 6 inches of snow. We don't expect the snow to clear up until Sunday morning.''

That could mean bad news for drivers if snow-plow operators in a contract dispute with the state refuse to show up when called to work this weekend.

Drivers who gathered at the Raynham Taunton Greyhound Park last night said they will not work if the state does not honor their current contract, which expires Dec. 31, and instead requires them to use GPS phones to track their movements. Mass. Highway has said the state is not required to call into work drivers who have balked at using the phones.

Both sides will meet at 11 a.m. today in the Transportation Building to continue negotiations.

A mix of sleet and snow will hit Boston and coastal areas, while pure snow will cover communities to the north, south and west, Dunham predicted. The first flakes should blanket the ground by late tonight when temperatures drop to the low 20s, Dunham said.

Tomorrow, wind gusts of 35 mph could whip up the snow as it falls steadily throughout the day.

[ppaul]

Every driver who refuses to work ought to have his or her ass fired.
There are plenty of good people waiting in line to take their places, and for less pay.
If they don't wanna work, can 'em!
And hire someone that will.

[Agnes Heep]

Every driver who refuses to work ought to have his or her ass fired.

Not only that, but the rest of him (or her) as well.

[RightWhale]

GPS and GIS is a great application of new tech to snow removal. The roads should be cleared in half the time by eliminating scheduling inefficiencies.

The year we got 10 feet of snow a lot of people decided to get push blades for their pickups and a lot of entrepreneurs decided they could make a living plowing driveways. That was fine, but the next ten years it snowed maybe 2 feet per winter. It's been hard times for snow shovellers, and it usually is. So the plow drivers want to strike when it snows? More power to you, but snow plowing isn't usually more than a convenience; we can get by without snowplows.

[glorgau]

There are plenty of good people waiting in line to take their places, and for less pay.

and most of them are illegal immigrants!

[TheBattman]

Unfortunately - when was the last time you heard of a municipality firing striking workers?

[xsmommy]

i can hear one Falls Church plowboy whining all the way up Lee Hwy.... ; )

[xsmommy]

guess it would help if i read the article! i thought they were sitting out bc of less snow than expected. i am sure you are hoping for a big 'un down here : )

[mdittmar]

Great opportunity for Bostonian entrepreneurs.

Mount a blade on the truck and clear them parking lots.

[patton]

I especially got a laugh out of #2 - truck is mounted, gassed up, and ready to go.

And I hired someone else to drive it. Look - I created a job, all by myself!

[xsmommy]

well is it spozed to do anything? we have mostly sleet here. look at you becoming an entrepreneur! next thing there will be a whole dang FLEET of PattonPLOWERS : )

[patton]

Snowdozers is the name. And I almost bought a second truck, today.

[Little Bill]

Ain't that simple, the contractor has to pay prevailing wage, has to answer his phone with in 15 minutes of a call, has to have Insurance, my kid carries a Million, and wait 3 to 6 months to get paid.

[Tacis]

I am rooting for the snow plow drivers!! I hope they are able to squeeze management and extort every extra penny they can. They will set a great example for other Boston workers.

It would be great to have Boston unions hold up and try to extort all employers but especially the city next year, say, right before the dem convention! Can you imagine the great publicity of unions limiting the dem convention and the dems and Kennedys having to bribe or pay them off for permission to go forward?

[HankReardon]

Are you saying unions are organized extortionists?

[tbpiper]

That could mean bad news for drivers if snow-plow operators in a contract dispute with the state refuse to show up when called to work this weekend.

As much as I hate unions, I'll have to say their one saving grace is their selfless, community mindedness.

[patton]

Strike that - I just hired a second truck. Two jobs created - President bush can thank me later.

[patton]

Oops - see #17

[xsmommy]

dang falls church JOB BOOM going on here, and they better give Pres Bush the credit, commie deaniacs that they are.

[patton]

They won't - and you don't know the half of it. I hired four folks at my real job this week - the poorest of them is getting $80K.