Plow drivers may sit out big weekend snowstorm

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

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I am rooting for the snow plow drivers!! I hope they are able to squeeze management and extort every extra penny they can.

They already have resorted to extortion and fraud. That's why the city wants them to use the GPS phones. A number of plow drivers had billed the city for plowing that was not actually done. The city can't prove it and charge anyone so they want the GPS phones used so they can keep better tabs on the fraud.

Naturally, some drivers don't want to use the GPS phones for obvious reasons.

[cajun-jack]

a "lady" once told me that sex and snow had a lot in common..I asked her how that was and she replied..you never know how many inches you are going to get or how long it will last!!!

sorry ladies, but it was so dang phunny

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

And people wonder why stamps are so expensive!

You think 37 cents for first class postage is expensive?

[Fresh Wind]

I was out a while ago, and the only plow activity I saw was by privateers in parking lots and driveways. The main roads were untouched. My tax money at work? Ha!!

[jackbill]

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.

I just checked your "about page". Why did I guess that you were from MA?

[michigander]

it was so dang phunny

I'm laughing! :o)

[vikzilla]

Collective bargaining is as American as Apple pie.

If you don't like it then hire alternatives. It will work or it won't. These people have the right to assemble and speek accordingly.

"Fire them all", are you willing to live with the results, without changing the rules to meet your hypothesis.

[ppaul]

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

That's why the whole system is screwed up.

[ppaul]

Collective bargaining is as American as Apple pie.

BS
It's Marxist.
And, it has destroyed our free republic.
We've created a class of nobles who are "entitled" to benefits for the rest of their lives - government employees.
They started out as "public servants" and ended up getting a better deal than any private sector employees.
Now the public "serves" the unions.

[pageonetoo]

" You think 37 cents for first class postage is expensive?"


uhhhhhh? Yep! You imply that you think that's cheap? Do you work for the g'umt, or the USPS?
When you multiply that 37 cents by the volume of letters delivered, it is a lot of money, billions of dollars...

If there were open competition, UPS , Fedex, Pony Express, or anyone else would surely be able to do it for less, faster. There is way too much waste in the USPS, and that isn't my opinion, it is fact! It is a government protected monopoly, dominated by a union. It has outlived its worth, IMO.
I live in the panhandle of WV. It takes an average of 6 days for a 1st class letter to get to my PO Box, from western maryland (based on two years of experience, two or three times a month). I can drive to the point of origin (at the post office), in less than two hours! I can't imagine how long it would take, if I had it sent to my home!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

You imply that you think that's cheap?

You are correct on all counts. Only compared to the first class postage rate in other countries do I think 37 cents is inexpensive. Nothing more.

And no I do not work for the gubmint. Let's not get insulting.

[pageonetoo]

"And no I do not work for the gubmint. Let's not get insulting."

sorry, but I got the impression that you were questioning my position...
I humbly apologize for any inference that you were a g'umt union guy! Living here in WV has made me quite aware of the abuse of our tax dollars... Robert "Sheets" Byrd and Jay "Benedict" Rockyfeller, are my senators. But I moved away from John "Breck" Edwards, to get here. Those Dims are the type I loathe. But with what the Redims are doing, now, I am going to register as Independent. No more gifts to the Redims.
I have a place in NC, near the ocean, but I love the mountains, and it is only two hours to the seat of World power, and the best museums, in our country (IMO) (and I figure I will hear something about that last one!!!) I also have the privelege of having a place in NM, home of Gov. Bill "greenie weenie" Richardson.... When I go there, I go to get away (its 22 miles to the nearest gas station!!!). Most of my neighbors, there, are coyotes and antelope.

[LizardQueen]

Joke:

Q. What's orange and black and sleeps three?

A. A municipal highway truck

Actually, the plow drivers up here are very good (Vermont - they get lots of practice). But when I lived in NY there were always crews snoozing in the trucks no matter what the road conditions were like.

LQ

[lizma]

What's orange and black and sleeps three?

LOL. The last county I lived in had a problem with their plow guys stocking up at liquor stores before they started their shifts. You'd see a plow coming down the street, you'd run in fear!

[vikzilla]

They started out as "public servants" and ended up getting a better deal than any private sector employees

I would be willing to remove all Gov. employees from Union activities. I continue to defend and will always draw a major distinction between Gov't Unions and those controlled and operated by skilled labor.

Skilled labor will never be a part of Gov't. It is and will forever be a major contributor to Americas future.

[pageonetoo]

"I would be willing to remove all Gov. employees from Union activities. I continue to defend and will always draw a major distinction between Gov't Unions and those controlled and operated by skilled labor."

Collective Bargaining is an admission that individual labor has no merit, by itself. They can draw no distinction, for exemplary service, or total mediocrity. It is classic socialism, in the guise of "helping the worker". In fact, it only helps the union. Do you see many of the workers being chauffered, or wearing $3000 suits, with Gucci loafers?
Unions are an adverse influence, in modern times. While it is always nice to have someone fight for you, he will get his cut. If you fight for yourself, by doing a better job, then you stand out and only YOU are rewarded. That is called personal responsibilty.
Any person who relies on a 'group' to bargain for him, gives up his rights to complain to anyone, except the 'union bosses' who can 'fix' things.
As an individual, you have an obligation to your family to provide for their welfare. To depend on anyone else, abrogates you from that obligation. That is why unions are still thriving. With 'collective bargaining' an artificial barrier is placed, and individuals are no longer responsible, they can rely on someone else. To some people (me, for instance), that is considered laziness, and disrespects the very principles of capitalism.
Unions are, distinctly, a socialist invention, which may have served a higher need at one time (maybe) due to unfairness in the workplace. But, in the free marketplace today, they are the biggest reason we have to go to China, to get cheap stuff. We can no longer afford 'made in USA' merchandise, by union laborers.

"Skilled labor will never be a part of Gov't. It is and will forever be a major contributor to Americas future."

If a laborer has skills, there is a market for them, even within g'umt. However, ONLY he is responsible for negotiating his own future, and excel even more! If he wants to depend on others to speak for him, he is just a cog, in the wheel! He will never be paid what he is worth. And, everyone suffers the consequences!

[Jim Noble]

They want to sit it out because they want to be able to charge the city for plowing while they are 35 miles away doing private work.

GPS eliminates this scam, but Mass municipal workers look at double-billing and no-show city jobs as a sacred right, enough to strike over.

[Jim Noble]

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?

I could imagine it if the whole convention wasn't already an organized payoff which is being run by the local unions and their lapdogs in City Hall.

[Burkeman1]

ANyone else notice that the plows don't seem to be running in Boston today? Where are they? There is ten inches on the roads of Boston now. Cars are skidding out. I overlook Rt93 and have yet to see a plow in the hour since I have come home. I just came from Quincy, south of Boston and the roads there were fine. We hit Boston- and Baam!- It looks like they haven't been plowed at all! Is there a wild cat strike on?