UWUA Local 1-2 on the picket line at 4 Irving Place. Click on the photo to view photo album.
Con Edison’s actions early Sunday morning were nothing short of reprehensible. The company displayed unbridled contempt, not only for its workers, but for its loyal customers. Instead of continuing to bargain in good faith with Utility Workers Local 1-2, Con Edison chose to fire its union workers and is now endangering the safety and well-being of millions of New Yorkers.
The Utility Workers had a choice of whether to continue bargaining in good faith, or to strike, and they chose to negotiate. Con Edison had the choice to continue bargaining in good faith or to lock out its workers. Con Ed chose a lock-out.
It’s clear Con Edison made this reckless choice, sacrificing the well-being of its customers and workers, for the sole purpose of attempting to intimidate and ultimately break the Utility Workers Union.
Working families are unified in their support of Con Edison workers because of Con Edison’s deeply misguided notion that it could intimidate not only Local 1-2 member but the entire labor movement in New York. It’s just the opposite. The Utility Workers will have the resources of the New York State AFL-CIO and working families in New York at its disposal for as long as necessary.
Not only has Con Edison put the safety and well-being of millions of New Yorkers at risk, it is also now on the verge of costing New York’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund approximately $3.4 million a week.
Because Con Edison locked out its workforce, those workers will be eligible to file for Unemployment Insurance benefits seven days after the lockout began. As a result, 8,500 workers will be eligible for up to $405 a week for at least the next 26 weeks.
Con Edison has single-handedly added to the economic difficulties facing our state and placed an unnecessary strain on the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, hurting other employers throughout the state who contribute to the fund.
We urge Con Edison to put its customers and workers first and to immediately begin negotiating in good faith with Local 1-2. If not, they better know that the 2.5 million union members of this state are in this battle for the long haul.
Click Here to Sign Our Pledge to Stand with the UWUA Local 1-2 Workers on Strike.
Source: New York State AFL-CIO
Con Ed cuts health coverage for 8500 workers
Yesterday, a Con Ed manager filling in for locked out workers was badly burned by a fire in a manhole yesterday. He was the second Con Ed manager hospitalized since the company locked out workers on Sunday.
Neither had to happen. But managers aren’t trained to do the skilled maintenance of the power grid. Con Ed’s lockout of nearly 8500 workers is a recipe for disaster — and if it causes a blackout during this brutal heat wave, it’ll hurt a lot more people.
While Con Ed tries to keep the power on with a skeleton crew of poorly trained managers and retirees, the system is under tremendous strain from the hundreds of thousands of air conditioners and fans trying to beat this week’s heat wave.
Even so, the company isn’t doing much to resolve the conflict. In fact, Con Ed just cut off health coverage for the 8500 locked out workers. It’s an aggressive move that hardly shows good faith.
Source: WFP – Working Families Party
Show your support and join a Picket Line in Westchester or New York City.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120702/LABOR_UNIONS/120709993