question for local 104 members

[nor-easter]

is it true or how can a 104 contractor bid a job and then sub contract part of it to a non union scab shop example north east line const and jcr doing work for nstar is the hall empty also what about the rumor of north east leaving 104 and going to 369 uwua

[KingRat]

how can 104 members work for non-union scab shop when things are slow in the northeast?

[Stinger]

I would ask our BA for the best and informative answer which I am quite
sure he will answer you in a satifactory manner. As far as North East Line is concerned, thats news to me. As far as i know NE is one the contractors 104 supplies hands too. It is owned by one of the McDough brothers. They have a good rep. As far as JCR goes, we would love to have JCR as one of our contractors. Despite what you may hear in the rumor mill, JCR has a good rep with NG, NSTAR, and PSNH. Even though they may be non-union, I still consider them brothers in the trade.
For those IBEW union brothers out there, if you have not taken COMET training, it will surely change your mind in the way we need to treat our non-union brothers to get them to come over to the union, berating them and their abilities is not one of them. There are as many good non-union hand as there are union hands. coming from the other side of the fence, I wish someone from the union had told me about the pay and benifits of the union when i was a young non-union lineman instead of berating us. I would have been in the union years ago instead of being non-union and getting screwed on a daily basis.
Things are not slow in the Northeast, fact is we do not have enough hands to fill all our calls. So if any of you non-union brothers want to come on over, talk to any 104 hand and we will gladly tell you the financial benifits of being union and help you with paper work. After all, we are in it for the money too besides job satisfaction. We all have families to take care of. Union pay and benifits definetly helps.
As to why the non-union shops are hired by a union contractor, is not my place to say, that is a business decision by the company owner that has to answer to the hall for their reasons.
As far as the 104 hands go we live up to a days pay for a days work with safe quality production. We owe that to ourseleves, the union, and our employer.

[topgroove]

hey stinger... you mentioned you'ld love to have JCR as a contractor. Did you know JCR did storm restoration while NSTAR employee's were on strike?

[Stinger]

Ya, I know that, i was diappointed but I stick to my original post. I'll tell you something, our hands took lay-offs a week before the strike and stayed out a week after the strike, you know what our just reward was? Getting the finger from some of their crews because they don't like contractors, union or non union even though 104 supported their strike. I guess that was more disappointing than JCR crossing the line. But like i said earlier, after being non-union for so many years, I just can not understand why the non-union brother lineman wants to remain non-union. So you have to pay dues and assesment, chump change compared to the wages, rewards and benifieits of being union. With the declining number of replacements for us older guys and the nation wide shortage of lineman both construction and utility, if we were all unioized, it would be a hell of workforce to be reckoned with. So with that I say UNION AND PROUD OF IT!!!!

[loodvig]

You got the finger after you supported the strike? Now THAT would piss me off!
I too have worked both sides. The people I worked for payed the going rate but no bennies. I also agree there's good people on both sides.

[topgroove]

I have a ton of respect for local 104. those a$$holes that gave you guys the finger were ignorant. they do not represent the rest of us.

[edski104]

i have to say that the kid is right. everytime we support n-star,or edison,as it used to be called before the new age, the 104 hands would get the loving finger as a reward for backing up the uwua so that they could get the members a decent contract. i remember,maybe 10 years ago,we talked about what would happen if edison went out,would we support it,of course we would, but we would be ****ed if we'd sit down with their e-board and have a nice gentle dinner. and this isn't in just one yard. this is in framingham,mass ave,summerville,and a few others. AND some of the guys wanted a strike so they could go to 104's hall,sign the books and go to work on mass elec. property. so i have seen that **** too.

[tob298]

To the 104 guys out there-I just want to say thank you for what you guys did during our strike. I know Nstar wanted you guys to work on our system when we were on strike but you guys stood there and said no and it cost your guys money-that is what a union brother does for another brother no matter what union he is in. I was there when one of your guys (last name is Place I think-there are some many of them around) tried to get the On-Target scabs to join 104(no luck)but he was there every day trying to get them come onboard. If you guys do get the finger from us-I am sorry for it-they just don't know what you guys did for us-Thanks again

[edski104]

that was jeff.

[tiler]

That is local 104's goal- all those in the electrical industry who are not organized we look to show we can work together. JCR, USA,ON TARGET, CHIMBRO, KUNTZ BROTHERS,IC REED and all others in the line industry. We will continue to get our message out and hope for the best, OUR BROTHERS FROM LOCAL 369 HAVE BEEN GOOD TO US OVER THE YEARS AND IF THEY DECIDE TO STRIKE AGAIGN WE WILL STAND BEHIND THEM... The ones who give us the finger on a regular basis will come to realize we are your friends not enemy's. Also Northest line is a local 104 contractor and is owned by 3 very respected 104 members...

[blik43]

The officers and members have worked for a long time to bring our non-union brothers in and we have seen in resent months some encouraging results. The men we have taken in are excellent hands and seem happy to be here. We still have a long way to go but it's not going to stop. Our newest brothers will continue to talk to the workers that remain and they'll come. The door is always open. Without the men to make these companies's money, they’ll come too. Or they'll do like the scumbag companies that push untrained linemen to do work their not ready to do. That **** will catch up with them.

[edski104]

these guys are both right; 104 will welcome all new members,and contractors, hell,the more the merrier,isn't it? the goal in the IBEW contitution is to organize the unorganized. thats what we need to do. as for n-star. alot of them have quit or retired and come over to the hall and signed up. i know a lot hold dual cards. but every lineman in the trade deserves the respect he's earned,if he's company,outside in the union or non-union,this is a hard f**king job.we all know it. so lets all agree to at least respect each other. done.