Davisburg trucker turned away in NYC after hauling power transformers

the oakland press ^ | november 3, 2012 | dave phillips

[lowbridge]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it seems to be pretty clear that residents of New York City and the surrounding areas could use all the help they can get.

However, a Davisburg man said some people in the area are more interested in “protecting their turf” than in distributing those supplies to the masses.

Mike James, an independent trucker, said he and three other truckers were told to haul a load of transformers to the city to replace equipment anticipated to be lost in the storm.

James, two men from Holly and a Flint man arrived in the city Tuesday night and slept in their trucks before attempting to deliver the 144 transformers to emergency workers.

When they arrived Wednesday, they were turned away by Con Edison employees because they were not union workers.

[GreyFriar]

Remember, Barry is in debt to the unions for his election and doesn’t care about the general population. Remember that his illegal ‘bankruptcy’ help to GM & Chrysler gave ownership of the 2 companies to the UAW, not the bond holders.

Barry will support the unions and everyone else be damned...but he will have nice photo ops mouthing good and helpful words aka lies.

[Proud2BeRight]

Unions would rather see citizens there suffer and even die than to allow Americans who don’t need a socialist thug organization help out. Unions are as vile and despicable as today’s Democrat Party.

[griswold3]

Got two trucks headed to NJ. Hope there’s no problem. I’ll never go to LA no matter what after Katrina. LOVE Mississippi

[jazzlite]

Please tell me folks..How is this different than other kinds of organized crime? People are dying in NYC for lack of heat and energy that those transformers could help to address and these Union thugs are ruling the city and will not allow them to be delivered?!!!!!! Where is responsible government anyway..Tell me if you know..I think it doesn’t exist. If individuals do not do what they can to prepare to help themselves and their neighbors, then little help is to be found. Government takes our money and lives lavishly and they see to it that their cronies live large, too. They could not care a bit about the rest of us when disaster occurs. You are whistling past the graveyard if you think government is going to take care of you. God help those poor people on Statin Island.

[publius911]

The IBEW really should switch PR firms. This stinks.

Let's be clear. This is the UNION.
International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers

[publius911]

Class action suit?

[21twelve]

In many industries in the NE the unions and the Mob are synonymous. Reminds me of that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Eraser” where he gets his mob/union buddy to help get the crooks loading up the laser guns on the ship.

“Yo - nutin’ moves on these docks if youse ain't union.”

[Lera]

Why hasn’t Barry sent in the National Guard to get these union knuckledraggers under control? The military should be escorting these people trying to get New Yawk and New Jersey back on line. The people living up there need help. They don’t give a damn if those helping are union or non-union.

Bloomberg said he does not want the National Guard in his city , he doesn't want anyone with guns other than his police department. You can not send National Guard into a city without the Governor of the State giving the OK and the mayor of the city giving the OK (That is why National Guard and FEMA had to wait outside of La for days because their stupid democrat governor and mayor would not give the OK either)
National Guards do a lot more than just patrol , they bring in heavy equipment and help clear the roads etc pretty quickly . I am guessing that Bloomberg does not want them because he would like to use the FEMA money he gets to pay his union goons to do the work instead .

Elections have consequences and we are getting a birds eye view of what it is like to have a bunch of democrats running things (compassion for the little guy , yeah right ... people in some areas have not had food or water for days but hey they have to make sure they allocate this money to their goons ... really really sad considering they have bad weather heading their way around Tuesday ).
There is NO WAY I would ever live in a city owned and operated by democrats .

[volunbeer]

Unions are all about themselves. Everyone else be damned. Right to work laws are good for everyone except those who have a monopoly and the democratic party.

I suspect the clean up and repair from this storm system will take twice as long and cost three times as much as it should. That really pisses me off since we all pay taxes for it and my kids will have to pay back the borrowed/printed money to pay these goons.

America has lost it’s mind. Between the Chicago teachers (boy, there is a bunch that deserves a raise huh?) and this, I hope enough people wake up to tell the unions where to stick it!

[annieokie]

Well, I am going to look for the union label, and NOT PURCHASE. Down with the Unions and China.

[PghBaldy]

I read fair amount of old newspapers. The unions were awful even during WWII.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[stayathomemom]

This is what will happen in Michigan if Prop 2 passes here. Am I wrong?

[JPG]

Unions are doomed and blatant stupidity like this just speeds up the process. The inconvenienced, the injured and the dead be damned.

[muawiyah]

A little bit more of this sort of thing and Right To Work will be on Cuomo's agenda. Not that he'll like it, but he's a total political junky and he'll go whichever way gets the votes.

Only takes a few days living in a highrise without electricity to turn you into a hard core Republican.

[reed13]

If the governor had any he’d tell the ‘mayor’ to stick it - it’s his national guard to command and NYC is just a part of NY. Mayor has no authority over the NG

[null and void]

I didn’t say label.

[EBH]

Is this just a Union thing? This is like the third time we’ve heard them turn away help....

Plus no gas and free gas...but not for you gas...

And FEMA out of water?

And no National Guard on Coney Island?

Is this all just bad coordination or ...is Sandy-gate unfolding before our very eyes. Is this that Reichstag moment we’ve been looking for?

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

It is time the President put his money (um, OUR money) where is mouth it. He needs to make a very public statement condemning the refusal to accept help from any non-union source.

[MarkL]

Proud union work, all of it. For twice the cost and half the work. And the unions can own the fail too.

IIRC, the NYC unions were also responsible for keeping the snow plows off the streets, causing the city to shut down for a few days last winter.

Mark