Posted on 11/02/2012 5:03:20 AM PDT by autumnraine
Utility workers from Alabama, touted by Governor Christie as coming a great distance to help restore power, were reportedly turned away from New Jersey because they did not belong to a union. Alabama utility crew in New JerseyAlabama utility crew in New Jersey (WAFF TV)
Huntsville Utilities, Decatur Utilities and Trinity Electric workers were sent to Long Island instead according to Huntsville, Alabama TV station WAFF because “they were told by crews in Seaside Heights that they can’t do any work there since they’re not union employees” according to one of the employees.
Some of the crews wound up in Roanoke, Virginia while others headed home.
OK folks. I was not trying to be funny. My stupid cat jumped on the keyboard and made the triple post. Ironic eh?
UPDATE FROM HUNTSVILLE:
The local (very conservative) News/Talk radio station here (WVNN/770AM) decided to do some further digging. That just had - on the phone - the heads of both the Huntsville Utilities and Joe Wheeler Electric Co-op organizations.
In the case of Joe Wheeler: they ARE a union shop, so that wasn’t even an issue. Their crews were actually sent up ahead of the storm - rode it out in Maryland - and have been working much of the week. The are now coming home as their assignments have been completed.
The Huntsville Crews were en route on Monday, and their bosses were working to try and get them a destination while they were still on the road. They were ‘turned down’ initially from one location simply because that area had plenty of help already. They are now in the Long Island area and expecting to work today. It seems their biggest problem was in trying to find an under-manned area, but they claim to have had no union issues.
The radio station has not (yet) heard from the Decatur (AL) Utilities bosses, but that’s 2 of the 3 groups that were supposedly involved here, and neither of those crews are reporting any union-related rejections.
In fact, one of the directors on the phone indicated that they were working through trade associations - not unions representatives - to get their assignments. But it would seem that the original WAFF report is falling apart.
Good report, ac .. thanks
I should also mention that the Seaside Heights NJ area called out in the original WAFF story was specifically mentioned by the Huntsville Utilities Director: that was their originally assigned destination, but it is the area they were turned away from as a result of having too many crews already on site by the time they arrived - not because of union issues.
Final debate LIVE THREAD re 7 of 10 x a jillion .. LOL
I just caught from the same radio station that “Decatur Utilities crews were turned away” (”independent 3rd party confirmation”), though I have no further specifics at all on that at this point. It seems odd, given that the Huntsville team is working up there today, but we’ll need more info.
I heard someone spouting a company line. Rather hear from the people on the ground. And Dale Jackson is a self absorbed moron.
I spoke to a Decatur Utilities rep by phone last night and he did confirm that their services were being denied in the state of NJ.
Cool - okay, that’s two confirmations: thanks.
Oh come on: whether he is or not, this story isn't about him. That wasn't a 'company line' - if they had been turned back, those guys would have been annoyed since they would have to pay for the expenses and overtime - for nothing. But their story was "our crews are working" - that's hardly a 'spin'.
I give Dale credit for doing the extra legwork to check; not take the story at face value (which is what Fox News did, btw).
WAFF has now updated their own story in a manner that now agrees with what Dale found out: Joe Wheeler and Huntsville crews not impacted; Decatur Utilities were turned away.
Thanks...that was quite spectacular. Sorry I missed the debate thread(s) too.
I counted 17 posts. LOL
,,,,,,, more proof that unions are anti-social and anti- American . They will destroy there own power and communication lines during a strike to force a resolution in their favor ,,, so why would anyone be surprised of this action ??
I DESPISE THEM !!!! Union thugs can burn in HELL !!!
I posted a vanity thread on the 30th... with these comments!
How much extra will it cost to feed the Union Thugs? IMHO, the first action of the newly elected Romney will be to get started on tearing down that wall!
When they started the construction on the I-95 bridge connecting VA/MD, the unions forced VA to use the same pay scales.
If this stands for reconstruction, the costs will be tenfold what is actually needed!
This SHOULD be the death knell for his politcal career. But will it be?
Wow, I posted a story before Drudge picked it up? That is amazingly cool.
I remember posting a picture of Putin on horseback shirtless, and Obama on his bike with his cute little helmet and the next morning it was the big pictures on Drudge. It made me wonder if he reads FR.
A number of you have claimed the New Jersey / Alabama power crew story is false. It’s quite true: http://t.co/KvuaeV48
...and if you check post 52, we had that update yesterday.
However, the newest story (that you linked) itself casts some doubt on the story involving Decatur’s crew (the only one of the three in this area that apparently union issues of anykind). I actually am siding with the Decatur guys’ story, based on the confirmations we had (also above, other posts).
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