Posted on 10/04/2005 3:08:33 AM PDT by Pushkin
Dozing on the Dig: Idle hands raise ire By Casey Ross Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - Updated: 03:10 AM EST
A stunning lack of oversight is allowing Big Dig workers to sleep on the job, read newspapers in idling vehicles and drive backhoes aimlessly through city streets all while pocketing their $49-an-hour taxpayer-funded pay, a Herald investigation found. During a five-day surveillance, a reporter watched heavy-equipment operators nod off or simply sit idle for hours on construction sites along Atlantic Avenue. At times, workers who are supposed to be fixing prior construction blunders napped in full view of supervisors and passing commuters. ``There is no explanation or justification for anyone sleeping on the job,'' Massachusetts Turnpike Authority spokeswoman Mariellen Burns said in a statement. ``It is disrespectful and in this case infuriating to residents, businesses and commuters who are being inconvenienced as work proceeds.'' Big Dig crane and backhoe operators caught snoozing, reading and joy riding are paid about $102,000 a year, according to prevailing wage rates.
How to fix that problem???? Require them to sleep out of sight at all times.
I had friends that worked on the Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant back in the late 70's (they used to joke that if the clamshell alliance was ever driven off the pot supply at Seabrook Station would dry up, but that's another story). They had full time union day jobs & then went to Seabrook at night to work . From what I understand the night job consisted of driving a 10 wheeler to a line & pulling forward every hour or so. The day job wasn't much better. These guys joined the union right out of high-school, thanks to their fathers, brothers and uncles that were teamsters. Last I knew they were doing union "work" on the big dig.
Two wrongs...
Golly gee...you want someone to work for only 49.00 per hour? What are you saying? I think you are being an unreasonable, insensitive conservative to expect so much for so little. It's only tax dollars here, so it doesn't cost anybody anything....at least that is the union's point of view!!! What a pile of steamin' dung this whole project is!! Thanks to Fat Teddy and John F'in Kerry!!!! The taxpayers are getting screwed, and not gettin' kissed!! :0)
Fired?? Well, we know better, they are UNION!!! What a silly suggestion. (sarcasim) If I could run a crane or backhoe, I would be there right now demanding my job.
Boston has no idea what they are doing. Hell, we can send up some Philly union thugs that will do it for TWICE the price.
I'll bet you loved those union wages tho...And hey, those paid vacations and health insurance???
That's called 'envy'...You clearly made the wrong career choice...
More than 7 TIMES the original estimate, but it's MASS.---things EXPAND up there.....(See Ted Kennedy pic)
Yeah, I was afraid "union rules" would come up.
Still the threat could be made and attempted.
I see your point however if you can't fire someone for this kind of behavior, then its pretty much a lost cause.
You would think even the union would admit this is a punishable offense. Its certainly not safe.
The surprise should be that the "workers" were even FOUND, let alone actually doing anything. This is BOSTON, for cripes' sake!
Even Frank didn't get fired. If anyone needed to be fired for being worthless, he was the most creative guy at finding ways to avoid work.>>>>>>>>>
I have never belonged to a union, but in non-union shops it is amazing how often some clown can hang around without ever doing a full day's work. Most management types would rather overwork the willing workers than attempt to get the worthless types to get up off their rumps. Now and then one of these worthless clowns manages to actually get promoted and then they seem to have life tenure, they never get fired.
They're the "corporate OJ's"
My sister-in-law who's an MD in Pennsylvania was making $60k/year (after paying malpractice insurance --she's never been sued) before she retired early.
Ain't socialism grand?
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