Linemans union needed, and I don't mean IBEW!!

[slaplineman]

ill tell you one thing i would much rather have my union, the wages and life that it built for me than not have it at all !!!!!!

[OLE' SORE KNEES]

ill tell you one thing i would much rather have my union, the wages and life that it built for me than not have it at all !!!!!!

Amen Brother, I have bitched and complained before myself about things,but have been provided a good living putting my kids thru college,toys for them and me too,etc,
I am thankful for the Union,had it not been there. Power companies and contracters would have run over us .

[Boomer gone soft]

Chicago,

Lowenstein isn't exactly a middle of the road author. He is quite to the right and is a huge fan of Warren Buffet.

He isn't exactly interested in the welfare of the middle class.

He is pro-big business.

I doubt many of his statements of "fact" and don't see any parallels between the the examples he gives of the construction unions and what is and has been happening with the IBEW.

April 16, 2006
Off the Shelf
The Spectacle of Labor at the Trough
By ROGER LOWENSTEIN
ONE of the most revealing, and funniest, scenes in this exposé of union corruption concerns the Mason Tenders District Council of New York, which represents workers in some of the grittiest jobs in construction. The members make good money — $30 to $43 an hour, plus benefits. But in one job site after another in the 1980's, they were replaced by cheap unorganized labor. Where was the union?

At least until recently, says Robert Fitch in "Solidarity for Sale: How Corruption Destroyed the Labor Movement and Undermined America's Promise" (PublicAffairs, $28.50), it was controlled by crime families like the Genoveses and Gambinos. The "mobbed up" bosses were extorting payoffs from building companies in return for letting them hire nonunion labor.

Here's the funny part. The racket was so good, Mr. Fitch recounts, that some of the union bosses set up their own construction companies. Check out the conversation that occurred in Little Italy in 1989 (and captured on an F.B.I. wiretap) between an earnest, ordinary laborer identified as Carl, who tried to help the cause by reporting a nonunion company to labor officials, and his union field representative, one Al Soussi:

Carl: I give him the name of the company. He goes, "No, it's not union, but we're gonna get it unionized in a couple of days."

Al: What was the name of the company?

Carl: D-E-P, something like that.

Al: D-E-P's my company, [expletive]. What're you crazy?

Carl: No.

Al: Yeah, that's my company. I got the shake on 'em. What're you interferin' it?

Carl: No, I called —

Al: (Yelling) Yeah, yeah, you called the delegate on me!

Carl: How do I know?

Al: (Shouting) Why didn't you keep your [expletive] mouth shut?

According to Mr. Fitch, the American labor movement is shot through with rackets, corruption and union officials who are brazenly enriching themselves while utterly ignoring the plight of their members. In addition to numerous examples of mob infiltration, Mr. Fitch also cites a laundry list of cases of garden-variety theft. At District Council 37, a New York City local representing low-paid city employees, one official, Albert A. Diop, billed the union for his maid service and limousine. "Everyone takes a little from the kitty," Mr. Diop had offered, in 1983, as a defense for a fellow union executive, some years before his own conviction for stealing.

A particularly heartless example, from the late 1960's, involved the giveaway of Thanksgiving turkeys to hard-pressed union families. The birds had been pumped full of water to increase their weight, and dozens of union chiefs had bought them (with union funds) at inflated prices, then pocketed kickbacks. Such shenanigans seem to have been regularly exposed, but as the author documents, corrupt behavior has been notoriously hard to eradicate. In particular, the struggle to truly reform the Teamsters persisted long after Jimmy Hoffa.

The saddest feature of this saga of sweetheart contracts, rigged elections, pension raids and protection deals is the yawning gap it all exposes between union executives and the rank and file. One executive, whose salary came from dues paid by "low-wage baggers and checkers," pocketed $547,000 a year in compensation.

Mr. Fitch recounts many such examples. We have come to expect shameless avarice from corporate executives, but it would appear that labor bosses are no better.

The author, who nourishes a nostalgia for the labor movement's early days, says the leadership of the last 50 years tolerated and encouraged a racketlike labor structure.

Ever since the merger of two labor groups created the A.F.L.-C.I.O. in the 1950's, he contends, unions have been more concerned with protecting turfs and keeping out rivals than expanding their base.

"Under the U.S. fiefdom model, the point is to find a rich territory and occupy it," he writes. "Little incentive exists for the occupiers to extend the benefits of the union to low-paid outsiders."

Mr. Fitch clearly prefers the European model, in which trade unions have used the political process to win widespread social benefits. By contrast, he says, American unions have been mostly out for themselves. Though the A.F.L.-C.I.O. has contributed millions to the Democratic Party, the marriage has hardly borne the political fruit — national health care, for instance — that workers might want. A result has been steady shrinkage. Today, only 8 percent of private-sector workers carry union cards.

Mr. Fitch plays down the familiar explanation for the decline of unions — that in a global economy in which American workers compete against Indians and Chinese, Haitians and Hondurans, unions have lost their bargaining power. Rather, he says, union corruption "explains why the American labor movement fares so poorly in the vital tasks unions are designed to perform."

I have two problems with this. Mr. Fitch admiringly cites the rise of the welfare state in Europe, with its laws mandating minimum vacation time and shortened workweeks. He does not cite the cost that Europe has paid in higher unemployment, lower growth and social stagnation. Does he really think that Americans — even American workers — envy the French?

Second, although Mr. Fitch repeatedly asserts that corruption matters, he doesn't convince us that even honest unions could reverse the tide of shrinking membership. As he seems to concede toward the end, the choice facing unions today is either higher wages or more members — not both.

Finally, though Mr. Fitch's passion for his subject is admirable, the examples flow too fast, the chronology is lost in a jumble of forward- and backward-glancing flashes, and the prose is simply overripe. In one pagelong sequence, Mr. Fitch compares American labor bosses to Russian czars, Somali warlords, Afghan warlords and Gothic invaders in "the seventh-century Merovingian state." Just what I had been thinking.

LATER, he frets that while there are "dozens of books in print about Egypt's pyramids," there is not a single one about the temples that used to serve as union meeting halls in the United States. He doesn't really want to compare the bricklayers union to the pharaohs, does he?

No matter. For anyone who still clings to an idealistic vision of the labor movement, or is interested in some novel prescriptions for reform, I would skip the pyramids and try this book.

[Boomer gone soft]

A lineman's only union is a pipe dream that is dead on arrival.

1. This lineman's only union would not/could not have the clout of the IBEW. The IBEW has been around since 1891 and is THE recognized authority for labor in the electrical industry not only by management, utilities, and the government, but also by AFL-CIO, and all of those people who would have to agree to de-certify the IBEW (generation, sub-techs, meter-readers, etc.)

2. Given the hostility toward labor in American politics since Reagan, the IBEW has done one hell of good job for us not only in our individual localities, but in DC.

3. Rather than pissing and moaning and dreaming of a new union, we, as linemen, need to get involved and active with the one we have.....VOTE, SHOW-UP, VOLUNTEER, MAKE MEETINGS, MAKE PHONE CALLS, EDUCATE OURSELVES.

4. The IBEW is not "them". It's us. We need to own our part of the problem.

[Pootnaigle]

Bout all I can or will say about how things are right now is this........ Picture yourself working non union..... would your wages be higher?....... your benefits?.. working conditions?...... your retirement? Corporate America is who we work for my friend and make no misteak aout it They are not honorable people. What unions have gained in the past the members have sacrificed for........ when was the last time YOU made even a small sacrifice and attended a meeting? Or cast a knowledgable vote for your unions leadership? You have to not only vent your frustrations in front of that leadership but you hafta sit right in front of em EVERY month letting em Know you aint pleased with the way things are going. If that Union hall was filled every month with people demanding explanations Then leadership would be forced to do a better job of representation. In short we have only ourselves to blame. Being a union member is a HARD CORE kinda thing YOU hafta be in it for the betterment of every union member, and you hafta be at each and every meeting taking the leadership to task . Paying your dues and assesssments is not enough.
Ive personally seen an unjustly terminated employee get not only his job back but the backpay he missed due to the efforts of a union.

[tolex42]

I am amused by the "Labor Relations experts" who complain here about the IBEW, their Local Union and their contract. I met a lot of those guys who do all their bitching behind line truck, in a barroom or anonymously online.

I would ask, have you ever volunteered to be on the negotiating committee. Probably you don't have the fortitude to sit across the table and look the boss' in the eyes and tell them how you really feel. If you think your union is letting you down, why don't you go to negotiating table next time. You're probably one of those guys who when the boss walks into the room you jump up and say "can I get you a cup of coffee boss".

The IBEW is made up of members from the rank-and-file. The Local Union officers are elected out of the workforce. Every IBEW Local Union officer I've ever met is trying to do their best to represent their brothers and sisters. It's a very difficult job. Stop bitching and complaining and jump in to help make your union stronger.

[madcowboy33]

A Union is only as good as its members. Guys are riding on the coattails of the hard work our forefathers did and have gotten fat, dumb, and happy. They have a boat, pick-up and a 12 pack in the fridge and don't think they need to get up and go to a meeting, work to get our labor candidate elected, attend steward training or research an issue to help the Union win better benefits.

The company isn't going to give you anything and less likely to give up any of their power willingly. If you can't take it, you won't get it and if you can't keep it you won't hang on to what you have. They are coming after our pensions, retiree medical, paid holidays and vacations and anything else they think they can get. Go work non-Union for a company like Red Simpson and see what you get.

Getting awful tired of people blaming others for their lack of motivation. You can manage the situation or let the situation manage you. How about helping the Union by pitching in and working to make things better instead of bad-mouthing our brothers like a bunch of ignorant do-nothings?

Work safe and work Union, its the only thing between us and the rest of the working poor in the world.

Could'nt have said it better BROTHER!!!!!!!

[madcowboy33]

in the hell are you trying to say that because hes a rat he aint worth a crap.you might want to reconcider your thaughts if you were not in this line of work who do you think would be re-energizing your neighborhood next storm just count the RAT s.o.bs. working there ass off while some not all of you union s.o.bs. suk up the GOV. money!

I am going to say it RATS AIN'T WORTH A F$CK . You came to our storms and the work was shoddy and ya didnt really know what the hell you was doin. Are you a 6 month journeyman, Oh! wait you probably dont have a certificate!!! LINE MECHANIC

[Boomer gone soft]

I am amused by the "Labor Relations experts" who complain here about the IBEW, their Local Union and their contract. I met a lot of those guys who do all their bitching behind line truck, in a barroom or anonymously online.

I would ask, have you ever volunteered to be on the negotiating committee. Probably you don't have the fortitude to sit across the table and look the boss' in the eyes and tell them how you really feel. If you think your union is letting you down, why don't you go to negotiating table next time. You're probably one of those guys who when the boss walks into the room you jump up and say "can I get you a cup of coffee boss".

The IBEW is made up of members from the rank-and-file. The Local Union officers are elected out of the workforce. Every IBEW Local Union officer I've ever met is trying to do their best to represent their brothers and sisters. It's a very difficult job. Stop bitching and complaining and jump in to help make your union stronger.

Exactly right.

Opera non verba--DEEDS NOT WORDS.

Quit the bitching and get active.

[vannhammer]

Getting real tired of all the complaining about issues that have been resolved. We need to be looking to our future and not dwelling on the past. We are the experts in our trade. Let us never forget that. If changes are needed, what have YOU done to make that change???

If Henry Miller met you today ... would he be proud that you were his brother?