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  • IBEW on Strike

    HECO, HELCO, and MECO as of 3:30 today. Story here. Not sure if that's a permanent link, but I guess we can fix it later if necessary.

    So who's without power as of now?
    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
    GrouchyTeacher.com

  • #2
    Re: IBEW on Strike

    Unions...gotta love'um and hate'um.

    At least people don't have to worry about freezing to death in Hawaii. Hopefully these 6,500 homes will learn the value of disaster preparedness.
    "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
    "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
    "
    Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: IBEW on Strike

      Originally posted by MyopicJoe View Post
      Unions...gotta love'um and hate'um.
      .
      My sentiments exactly. I'm former SEIU union shop steward. My pet peeve was "favortisim" shown by management in the shop for "playing ball." But having been in management, in some occassions, the unions are out of control. Matapule has played on both sides of the street.
      Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

      People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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      • #4
        Re: IBEW on Strike

        Originally posted by MyopicJoe View Post
        Unions...gotta love'um and hate'um.
        Who's gonna "love" IBEW for striking in the midst of a major power outtage and stormy weather conditions? And to do so under the present economic conditions, with everyone struggling to pay their bills, including that of HECO's?

        The IBEW is taking the right moment to really put the screws on HECO management. But its the consumers without power who will be suffering. I hope those strikers who peruse the Star-Advertiser message boards have a thick skin, cause they and their union are going to get skewered.
        This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: IBEW on Strike

          Originally posted by matapule View Post
          I'm former SEIU union shop steward. My pet peeve was "favortisim" shown by management in the shop for "playing ball." But having been in management, in some occassions, the unions are out of control. Matapule has played on both sides of the street.
          Cool. It's good to have people with real experience (especially on both sides), instead of just opinion.

          Unions served an important purpose when they first started; a very powerful social tool. Unfortunately, power attracts unscrupulous people and any tool can be misused.
          "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
          "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
          "
          Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: IBEW on Strike

            Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
            Who's gonna "love" IBEW for striking in the midst of a major power outtage and stormy weather conditions? And to do so under the present economic conditions, with everyone struggling to pay their bills, including that of HECO's?
            Yeah, this could totally backfire on them. If this becomes long and drawn out, I wonder which side will be despised more. I guess whichever side is worse at PR spin.
            "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
            "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
            "
            Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: IBEW on Strike

              An unforeseen shocker of an announcement? Not necessarily.

              Ian Lind posted an entry in his blog last month questioning why the media had not fully cover what, to him, was a shocking outcome in a labor-management dispute. I was also shocked. I was astonished by that February 19 announcement and could not understand why the media was not providing more information in what could be (and now is) a serious situation.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: IBEW on Strike

                It's after 11pm and I just got home from playing a show. The TV news says those 6,500 homes in Ewa definitely won't get power back on tonight.
                .
                .

                That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: IBEW on Strike

                  Originally posted by Honoruru View Post
                  An unforeseen shocker of an announcement? Not necessarily.

                  Ian Lind posted an entry in his blog last month questioning why the media had not fully cover what, to him, was a shocking outcome in a labor-management dispute. I was also shocked.
                  That makes three of us. I had no clue the IBEW turned down the new contract until today’s strike announcement. I follow the news pretty regularly for a working stiff. Media coverage has been sliding down a steep slope since the merger of the KGMB and KHNL’s news operations, and the “Star-Advertiser” consolidation of the two dailies. Just when you think it’s safe to stop reading Ian because he has become over-obsessed with his pets, he points out crucial information. Go figure.

                  We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans.

                  — U.S. President Bill Clinton
                  USA TODAY, page 2A
                  11 March 1993

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: IBEW on Strike

                    Originally posted by MyopicJoe View Post
                    Yeah, this could totally backfire on them. If this becomes long and drawn out, I wonder which side will be despised more. I guess whichever side is worse at PR spin.
                    At this point, it's not hard to see who is losing the PR battle.

                    KHON is now running a poll, asking the question, "What do you think about HECO workers walking off the job?" As of now, public opinion is running against the union, 75.5% to 24.5%.

                    KHON even caught these statements from striking workers:

                    Asked the effect of their walkout under these circumstances, here's what electric workers told KHON2 on their way out.

                    "Lotta people out of power out Ewa. It's raining. Perfect,” said a HECO worker who did not want to be identified. When asked why it was perfect, he said “bargaining.”

                    “Water and electricity don't work together, and the weather is working in our favor so hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” said another HECO worker.

                    "We're heading home. 'm gonna go buy me a generator because there will be a power outage tonight,” he said. “No one is maintaining the plant, no one is maintaining anything.”
                    That's the truth, folks. The strike didn't start yesterday because of IBEW's claim that HECO CEO Richard Rosenblum wasn't at the table. (He was off-island, and the union knew it.) This whole thing was timed to coincide with the weather and the major outtage already affecting the Ewa side.

                    Even calls for the governor to declare a state of emergency to provide for public safety have been rebuffed by IBEW.

                    Immediately after the strike this afternoon, Ewa area lawmakers Senator Will Espero and Representative Kymberly Pine asked the governor's office to see whether the downed power poles could be considered a natural disaster or emergency.

                    "Maybe the governor can intervene and see if that patchwork of repair and maintenance can be done by the union workers still acknowledging their right to strike and their strike statewide,” said Espero.

                    Union sources say they would contest calling the Ewa situation a natural disaster.

                    The governor said he has spoken with leaders of HECO and the union, asking that they set aside their positions during the emergency and restore electric services, then resume negotiations.
                    KITV, KHON, Hawaii News Now, Star-Advertiser,.... all of their message boards are brimming with anti-union sentiment.

                    If this strike extends through the weekend, I can't wait to hear all the angry call-ins to the Perry & Price show on Monday.
                    This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: IBEW on Strike

                      there are two sides to every story.

                      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41922122

                      By Keoki Kerr KITV4 News
                      KITV-TV KITV-TV
                      updated 3/5/2011 6:15:06 AM ET 2011-03-05T11:15:06

                      The head of the electrical workers union told KITV 4 News the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260 decided to strike because, during a negotiating session Friday afternoon, Hawaiian Electric managers said they had to run the latest proposals past the company president and they wanted to break for the weekend.

                      Lance Miyake, business manager and financial secretary of IBEW, said Hawaiian Electric President Dick Rosenblum has attended just one of about 40 negotiating sessions the company has held with the union over the last six months. HECO officials said Rosenblum was on the Big Island visiting Hawaii Electric Light Company Friday and unable to attend negotiations or a late-afternoon company news conference once the strike got underway.

                      Miyake accuses Hawaiian Electric of unfairly delaying negotiations by continually asking for more time to run offers by the president who's not at negotiations, a charge the company denies. A HECO spokesman said that's a "one-sided characterization" of the negotiations and Rosenblum had been substantively involved in negotiations. But the spokesman could not confirm how many times Rosenblum had personally attended bargaining sessions.

                      The union said management tried to split the membership, cutting pension benefits for employees 45 and under but keeping pensions the same for those 45 and older, one of several "takeaways" the company proposed to the union.

                      "One of things on the table we asked them to consider was a one-year contract, no raise and no takeaways. So it's not about money. They said 'no,'" Miyake said.

                      Miyake said union members feel it's unfair for unionized workers to face cuts in benefits when managers and non-union employees are getting raises.

                      "It's pretty upsetting that they're asking them to take a cut, and they getting bonuses, they're getting stock options. The stockholders are getting their dividends. And it's like everybody's getting something except the guys who are doing the work?" Miyake said.

                      Miyake said Rosenblum's pay package, including bonuses and stock options, amounts to nearly $2 million a year.

                      He said he knows the public will be upset that workers walked off the job when thousands of Oahu residents are out of power.

                      "People are angry, but who are the ones that fixed the things that is broken? It's our guys and they were working. They only stopped because they (management) stopped negotiating," said Miyake.

                      At a news conference late Friday afternoon, Hawaiian Electric Executive Vice President Robbie Alm said,"I don't believe on either side there's been game-playing around the schedule. I don't believe that. I think we've been trying to formulate decent counter-proposals for each other."

                      Alm declined to go into specific sticking points, saying the company did not want to negotiate in the media. Miyake said Alm was not present at any negotiations.

                      "Our contract ended on Halloween," Miyake said. "This is March. I mean, if it's not delaying tactics, I don't know what it is. If they wanted one settlement, it should have been settled."

                      Hawaiian Electric is using its non-union supervisory personnel and contractors hired from Hawaii and the mainland to fix outages in Ewa Beach, Waipahu and elsewhere.

                      "Clearly it's going to be slower. We have fewer crews to deploy," Alm said. "I do want to ask the public for its patience. We are not obviously at full staff and are having to prioritize the work."

                      Alm could not say how many strike replacement workers the company had brought in from the mainland.

                      About 54 percent of Hawaiian Electric's workforce, roughly 1,300 employees on five islands, are unionized. The other 46 percent, approximately 1,100, are non-union employees.

                      If the union wanted to speed up negotiations, the strike could be having an effect.

                      The union said before the strike began at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Hawaiian Electric managers claimed they wouldn't be able to sit back down at the bargaining table until Monday.

                      But once the strike began, Alm told reporters that management would like to go back to the bargaining table as quickly as possible, like this weekend or even Friday night.

                      "We're actually hopeful that, while there's nothing currently scheduled, that in fact we can get back talking with them as quickly as possible this weekend, next week. I mean, we'd like to be back at the bargaining table tonight," Alm said.

                      But as of 7:30 p.m., Miyake said he hadn't heard any calls from management to reschedule talks.

                      Just before 10 p.m. Friday, a Hawaiian Electric spokesman said management had "reached out" to Miyake personally and offered to meet the union at any time.

                      But it was unclear late Friday night if any negotiations had been scheduled.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: IBEW on Strike

                        Originally posted by Honoruru View Post
                        I was astonished by that February 19 announcement and could not understand why the media was not providing more information in what could be (and now is) a serious situation.
                        That's pretty interesting. Hmm.


                        It looks like HECO has enough non-union folks to work on the problem.
                        "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
                        "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
                        "
                        Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: IBEW on Strike

                          Originally posted by 808shooter View Post
                          there are two sides to every story.
                          Unfortunately, none of anything that you quoted addresses the issue of the timing of IBEW's strike. None of what your posted justified the necessity of the workers walking off their jobs with thousands of homes on Oahu still without power.

                          Hospital nurses sometimes go on strike. But I've never heard about nurses walking off their jobs in the middle of a surgery just because a strike deadline happened to coincide in the midst of a patient's operation.

                          I repeat, for the benefit of those who didn't get the point the first time around. People are not outraged over the labor issues that have HECO management at odds with the union. They are upset over the timing of the strike. The union and its members are getting ripped to shreds on the blogosphere, and most deservedly so.
                          This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: IBEW on Strike

                            Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
                            The strike didn't start yesterday because of IBEW's claim that HECO CEO Richard Rosenblum wasn't at the table. (He was off-island, and the union knew it.)
                            It seems you have contradicted yourself, Frankie. If Rosenblum was off island, then he wasn’t at the table. Duh! He chose to be unavailable when the single most important thing he could’ve done was cancel all appointments and sit down with the union. And look at the fruits of his careless and irresponsible actions. As 808shooter’s story points out, “Rosenblum has attended just one of about 40 negotiating sessions the company has held with the union over the last six months.” Sounds pretty damn selfish to me. And I haven’t heard any direct rebuttals from HECO on that point.

                            We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans.

                            — U.S. President Bill Clinton
                            USA TODAY, page 2A
                            11 March 1993

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: IBEW on Strike

                              Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
                              Unfortunately, none of anything that you quoted addresses the issue of the timing of IBEW's strike. None of what your posted justified the necessity of the workers walking off their jobs with thousands of homes on Oahu still without power.

                              Hospital nurses sometimes go on strike. But I've never heard about nurses walking off their jobs in the middle of a surgery just because a strike deadline happened to coincide in the midst of a patient's operation.

                              I repeat, for the benefit of those who didn't get the point the first time around. People are not outraged over the labor issues that have HECO management at odds with the union. They are upset over the timing of the strike. The union and its members are getting ripped to shreds on the blogosphere, and most deservedly so.
                              If their contract ended on Halloween, that makes four full months that have past without a new contract.

                              That fact coupled with the fact that the president has attended 1 of 40 negotiating sessions tells me that the timing of the strike was needed to wake management up.

                              I recall when ex-BOH president Mike Oneill cut his pay to a dollar per year. That is a leader putting his money where his mouth is.

                              2 mil comp for the president of HECO with management raises while asking for cuts in front line staff isn't a very effective leader in my eyes.

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