http://badgerblogalliance.blogspot.com/200...refighters.html

 

Volunteer firefighters who built sandbag barricades to protect Baraboo from record flooding earlier this month wrongfully did the work of city workers, a union representative argues in a complaint.

 

A grievance filed with the city says Department of Public Works employees are qualified to perform the work done by volunteer firefighters and should've been called on first.

 

Union workers are demanding pay for overtime they lost out on as a result of volunteers from the Baraboo Fire Department filling sandbags June 7 through June 12. They are arguing the city violated their union contract.

Chalk up another reason why I dislike unions and why they are losing ground in America. I hope even their members are embarrassed by this.

Chalk up another reason why I dislike unions and why they are losing ground in America. I hope even their members are embarrassed by this.

 

 

Don't hold your breath on that one.

Embarassed?? You mean ecstatic? I'd love to be paid overtime for work I never did.

Well, what did the contract say?

Well, what did the contract say?

Probably what every union contract states regarding outsourcing work. It has to be offered to them first before sending it to someone else.

 

The union is correct in this case.

Edited July 8, 200817 yr by santo=dorf

Probably what every union contract states regarding outsourcing work. It has to be offered to them first before sending it to someone else.

The union is correct in this case.

 

 

Technically, sure. But you'd have to be a huge jackass to sue because some volunteers sandbagged to help out the community. IMO, anyway.

Technically, sure. But you'd have to be a huge jackass to sue because some volunteers sandbagged to help out the community. IMO, anyway.

 

you think that there would be some kind of 'in case of total emergency volunteers can be used' or something in the contract.

you think that there would be some kind of 'in case of total emergency volunteers can be used' or something in the contract.

You would think that they were ALREADY working to save the city, and couldn't clone themselves to get OT.

Technically, sure. But you'd have to be a huge jackass to sue because some volunteers sandbagged to help out the community. IMO, anyway.

 

That is pretty much how I feel. What kind of D-bag sues the because people were trying to save your town for free? You have a nutshell right there of everything wrong with 21st century America.

You have a nutshell right there of everything wrong with 21st century America.

Amen.

You may or may not have meant it this way, but I took it to mean that not just unions would be guilty of this. I know you are very active in your community, the schools, YMCA, running a community message board, etc. All this our grandparents would have thought of as "community service". Now community service is what a celebrity in California gets for killing his wife. It happened quietly, but we did ourselves a disservice when we made community service a punishment.

 

Following that reasoning, is it any wonder that some workers feel that someone was stealing their bread by performing something like this?

Amen.

You may or may not have meant it this way, but I took it to mean that not just unions would be guilty of this. I know you are very active in your community, the schools, YMCA, running a community message board, etc. All this our grandparents would have thought of as "community service". Now community service is what a celebrity in California gets for killing his wife. It happened quietly, but we did ourselves a disservice when we made community service a punishment.

 

Following that reasoning, is it any wonder that some workers feel that someone was stealing their bread by performing something like this?

 

My generation and even the previous one to a great extent is a HUGE "ME" generation. It pains me to see people who give of themselves selflessly get kicked in the face for it. It discourages one of the things that really pushed our country to being one of the greatest in the world. Not being forced to give to those less fortunate, but WANTING to give. I don't think of it as anything special, just something that we all think about, and contribute what we can. Some people can give money, some can give time, others can give both.

My generation and even the previous one to a great extent is a HUGE "ME" generation. It pains me to see people who give of themselves selflessly get kicked in the face for it. It discourages one of the things that really pushed our country to being one of the greatest in the world. Not being forced to give to those less fortunate, but WANTING to give. I don't think of it as anything special, just something that we all think about, and contribute what we can. Some people can give money, some can give time, others can give both.

 

Most organizations that rely on volunteers and contributions talk about time, talent, and treasure. Everybody has something they can give. I give a little credience to the idea that earning a living in 2008 iss harder then 1950. It takes two wage earners in many families and they are working longer hours.

That is pretty much how I feel. What kind of D-bag sues the because people were trying to save your town for free? You have a nutshell right there of everything wrong with 21st century America.

They're not suing, they're just filing a grievance per the contract.

 

Why bother to write up a contract and face the possibily of a strike if you are not going to abide by it?

 

What if they ended up donating some of that money?

They're not suing, they're just filing a grievance per the contract.

 

Why bother to write up a contract and face the possibily of a strike if you are not going to abide by it?

 

What if they ended up donating some of that money?

So they are going to take money from the town, that was just devastated by the flood, and donate it. To the town that was just devastated by the flood?

There is a time to file the grievence and a time not to. Overtime for a Fall Festival and putting up the holiday decorations? File away. Overtime to fill sandbags and help the town? STFU or better yet thank the firefighters for helping save the town.

Probably what every union contract states regarding outsourcing work. It has to be offered to them first before sending it to someone else.

 

The union is correct in this case.

 

 

Outsourced to?......... Another UNION!

They're not suing, they're just filing a grievance per the contract.

 

Why bother to write up a contract and face the possibily of a strike if you are not going to abide by it?

 

What if they ended up donating some of that money?

 

Why bother doing any good if some self-serving group is going to screw you over in the end anyway? I wonder how they would have reacted if the same people had stood by and watched as the walls were breached and the town flooded.

So they are going to take money from the town, that was just devastated by the flood, and donate it. To the town that was just devastated by the flood?

Well maybe if enough people whine about the govenent screwing up, they'll have change of heart. Perhaps they have their own "brothers" that suffered from the flood.

 

Why bother doing any good if some self-serving group is going to screw you over in the end anyway? I wonder how they would have reacted if the same people had stood by and watched as the walls were breached and the town flooded.

The union wanted the work. If they couldn't handle it after accepting the work, that's tough. Like the contract usually say, it's their work unless they refuse it.

Well maybe if enough people whine about the govenent screwing up, they'll have change of heart. Perhaps they have their own "brothers" that suffered from the flood.

 

 

The union wanted the work. If they couldn't handle it after accepting the work, that's tough. Like the contract usually say, it's their work unless they refuse it.

 

I'm sure the town would have been OK with being destroyed as long as the contract was honored... And people wonder why the union is falling into history with the typewriter and telegraph...

If the contract was honored either the trained workers would be doing the work, or the volunteers would be doing the work.

I wonder what qualifications you need to fill and pack sandbags? 2 arms? Some legs? Breathing? I wonder how many hours they had to apprentice before they could become union sandbaggers?

I feel like i'm on the Pinkerton National Detective Agency message board.

If the contract was honored either the trained workers would be doing the work, or the volunteers would be doing the work.

 

Sorry if my town is in danger, I am not leaving the lawyers time to go back and read contract language to decide what to do. I am gathering up as many people as possible and sending them out to save the town, contract be damned. If the local union officials have a problem with that, they need to reexamine what they represent.

I would think they have a disaster plan in place before this event. So it would not take lawyers at that moment to review the contracts. Having said that, the disaster plan should be as Mike posted, gather as many people as possible and get working.