Locked-out Con Ed workers to call on Feds for help

Consolidated Edison workers gather in front of a Con Ed building in New York, Monday, July 2, 2012. Unionized workers with Consolidated Edison in New York City will be picketing as their leadership plots their next move following failed contract talks and a lockout. / AP Photo/Seth Wenig

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - Unionized workers with Consolidated Edison in New York City picketed outside their company headquarters Monday as their leadership plots their next move following failed contract talks and a lockout.

According to CBS New York, about 200 union workers gathered in Union Sqare, some wearing T-shirts with the phrase, "If we go out, the lights go out."

A union spokesman said Harry Farrell, president of Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers of America, on Monday will call for federal mediators to intervene to get talks started again.

Con Ed locks out union workers as talks break down

Both sides said there are many issues on which they have not reached agreement.

"If it got to this point I can't see it being over in a couple of days," union worker Jim Barone, who has been on the job for 10 years, told CBS New York. "It's not a good feeling but it's the position we're in. You have to do what you have to do and make the best of it."

Union spokesman John Melia said Monday there was nothing new to report. He planned to issue a statement later in the day.

"We've been trying to get them back to the table since yesterday," company spokesman Mike Clendenin said Monday on "Good Morning New York."

Negotiations stopped just before 2 a.m. Sunday, a couple of hours after the existing contract expired. The impasse came as New York braced for more high temperatures that will increase demand for air conditioning among the utility's 3.2 million customers.

There were about 200 outages overnight, nearly all of which were resolved by morning, Con Ed spokesman Chris Olert said Monday. He said management personnel were standing by, ready to address any problems.

Con Ed closed walk-in centers, suspended meter readings and limited work on major construction projects in New York after the talks broke down.

On Sunday morning, police set up barricades in front of Con Ed's headquarters near Manhattan's Union Square.

"This is crazy! There's a heat wave," said David Palomino, a facility mechanic who rushed to headquarters after finishing his early shift to find out what was coming next. He was one of few workers there; a union official said more picketing was planned for Monday.

"The fight has escalated" between the two sides, Palomino said, explaining that workers fear losing chunks of their pensions and benefits.

Temperatures were in the 90s Sunday and were expected to be in the high 80s and low 90s throughout the week.

Frank Allen is making sure the heat doesn't blow his power at home in upper Manhattan. "I turn off the air conditioner when I leave home," said Allen, 61, who was shopping in the Union Square neighborhood.

"It's not too good when the wires go out, and there's no one to fix them, Allen said. "The workers should get whatever they deserve -- just do it for us, Con Ed."

He has cats at home, but he's not worried leaving them without air conditioning. "They find their way to some cool corner."

And when he goes to work, heat is far from a problem: Allen works in a 33-degree space, in the refrigeration unit of the Fresh Direct food delivery company in Queens' Long Island City.

"In a heat wave, I wear long johns."

At an electronics and air conditioning retailer across the street from Con Ed, manager Ramon Nieves said there have been multiple power outages in recent years in his Queens neighborhood.

"I'm mad at Con Ed -- what are they thinking?" he said. "A lot of people could get sick in this heat."

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[myabc123]

Verizon CWA member in solidarity with you here, guys. Familiar story here. A prosperous company wants to take away pensions and other important benefits from the union members while the upper management feeds at the trough without limits. In my company's case 5 execs have pulled down 350 million dollars over the past 5 years but then cry poor when it's time to compensate their workers fairly. Where is the justification for sending American jobs to India or stealing pension funds when you're doing well financially? The middle class must stand together to stop this or else we're all in for a "Walmart" future."

[aggietx2]

I see the union trolls have nothing better to do today. Figures.

[Nocults]

Apparently, the pimps for the 1% have had their say.

[izziets]

Just for comparison, Kevin Burke, the CEO of Con Edison made roughly $11 million dollars in compensation in 2011.

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=504973&ticker=ED:US&previousCapId=263295&previousTitle=CONSOLIDATED%20EDISON%20INC

He apparently made $7.3 million in 2008 and in 2007, Burke's compensation package totaled about $5.5 million. Those are some pretty hefty raises since the economic collapse. I'm sure the ordinary workers at Con Ed didn't see a 100% increase in their compensation in the last 5 years. Funny how hard times is always used as an excuse to cut ordinary workers pay & benefits, but the executives continue to get record compensation no matter what the economic conditions.

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/watts_wrong_with_this_picture.html

[Nocults]

Union busting executives get their quarterly bonuses, so it's all good for the customers of Con Ed.

[retiredgustav]

I worked for a large utility company (I'm retired now) that tried to bust my union 20 years ago. After laying off about half the workers, an ice storm hit the service area and the entire grid came crashing down on them. They tried to repair it with contractors, the majority of which were ill trained, but it still took them 2 weeks to get it done.
The Public Utility Commission started to ask questions and found the company had an inadequate workforce. The CEO ended up being fired and the company rehired all of the workers they laid off.