In the middle of one of the most intense heat waves in memory, Con Ed, the electric utility for the five boroughs and Westchester County, has locked out more than 8000 union employees.
The lockout came when management broke off contract negotiations, after the workers wouldn’t agree to steep cuts in their pensions and healthcare coverage.[1] During a heat wave like this, heavy use of air conditioning can put the electric grid under serious strain and cause blackouts. Booting 8000 skilled workers off the job is just asking for trouble.
Con Ed is putting New Yorkers at risk for a blackout, just to slash workers’ benefits. Not cool.
Sending those 8000 workers home makes it harder for Con Ed to keep the system running, just when we need it most. Heat waves like this can be more than uncomfortable — they can be dangerous. In Virginia, power is still out for hundreds of thousands, threatening the health of the ill and the elderly, who often fall victim to the heat in homes without air conditioning. Here in New York, it’s not a natural disaster putting our power at risk, it’s Con Ed’s greed and stupidity.
But while we’re sweating it out, Con Ed is only thinking about the bottom line.
Con Ed has made $5.9 billion since 2008. But instead of paying taxes like you and me, the company received a federal tax refund of $74 million during that time.[2] Con Ed made another $280 million last quarter.[3] But that’s still not enough. They want to cut pensions and healthcare from their skilled workers.
Tell Con Ed: keep New Yorkers cool and end the lockout.
http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6276
WFP – Working Families Party
Sources:
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/nyregion/con-ed-curtails-services-after-talks-break-down.html?_r=1
2. http://www.ctj.org/pdf/notax2012.pdf
3. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120503-726066.html
RALLY – THURSDAY, JULY 5TH AT 8:00 AM, LOCAL 1-2 WILL BE HOLDING A RALLY AT 4 IRVING PLACE IN MANHATTAN (CON-ED CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS) 1 Block from… Union Square..
Download flyer here.