The Union Rat is visiting PPL's Allentown HQs on N. 9th Street in Allentown as this post is being written. This utility is using out-of-state workers to do window glazing while many local tradesmen are looking for work. You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
If the bid for local glaziers was higher than out-of-town workers, who can blame them?
ReplyDeleteI imagine you could get illegal immigrants to do it for even less. Not everything should be about the lowest bid. A public utility, which earns its money from local residents, should use local resident to do its work.
ReplyDelete=I imagine you could get illegal immigrants to do it for even less. Not everything should be about the lowest bid. A public utility, which earns its money from local residents, should use local resident to do its work.=
ReplyDeleteBy that logic, local residents can charge 10x the going rate, and insist PPL pay it.
Certainly, standards for safety and quality of work must be upheld. But the executives of any company need to consider the bottom line with regards to their shareholders.
11:11, I think it's fair to seek the lowest rate among local residents.
ReplyDeleteLocal workers are PPL customers. Think about it: pay the local workers and they can pay their power bills. It's a cycle.
ReplyDeleteP.P.L. is in business to make a profit for it's stockholders.Not to pay inflated wages to union workers so their dues are stolen by the Democratic Party
ReplyDeleteJust let it glaze over.
ReplyDeleteCan you hire non-unionized local labor in Allentown? I thought there was some kind of moratorium in allentownn that you could only use unionized labor so PPL's choice was to pay the inflated costs of the local guys or important from the outside.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't they take their rat to the executives' homes and terrorize their wives and children - as was done last year to the Verizon guy's family in Forks?
ReplyDeleteUnions ain't what they used to be. They've become just another of today's pathetic victim groups.
The nay-sayers to the Union Rat should adopt the ostrich as their mascot. They live with their heads in the sand. Maybe a goundhog might do. This oversized rat comes out of his hole once a year, makes a prediction, is usually wrong and then goes hides in his hole till things calm down.
ReplyDeleteLocal contractors where not given the chance to bid this work. And enjoy your 40 hour workweek, your lunch break and your healthcare while they last, cause when you get what you are begging for, ou won't have any of these because the "corporate profits and the shareholders need to make money".
ReplyDeleteDo you even think when you type your crap?
"enjoy ... your health care.."
ReplyDeleteyeah, thanks for supporting Obamacare you rat blowing douche bags. And you wonder why your membership is plummeting.
Who says unions supported Obama care? Did u hear it on fox, you misinformed soul.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your 8 bucks an hour 2:07.
ReplyDelete@2:15 You are correct, unions did not support obamacare because they lobbied the government and got their Cadillac health care plans exempted from the ACA
ReplyDelete1:53
ReplyDeleteIf local contractors were not give first bid, there is a complaint. If a competitive bid process was followed, and the local contractors were not the lowest, then they lost out.
Of course, once again, safety and quality standards must be met. Otherwise, best bang for the buck.
And while Unions were instrumental in 40 hr work weeks, that hasn't helped me, and IT professional, that's worked an average of 45hrs/wk for for 18 years. I'm not complaining. As for healthcare, Unions have little to do with my dwindling coverage.
Have no fear. McClure will take care of all this along with his protege BArron.
ReplyDeleteunions supported obama; thus, obamacare. the same unions supported kathleen kane of the virulently anti-union kane trucking. their votes are taken for granted because they're always there. just look at cartwright shunning the two union backed candidates. he's done the political calculation and isn't worried. union households in the u.s. used to be around 40%. the number is now 14% and shrinking. who needs a union when 40 hours and ot are guaranteed by law?
ReplyDeletewhere was the rat manufactured?
was their rat made in shandong china?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/559428347/Customized_Hot_Sale_Inflatable_Rat_For.html?s=p
These union people are ridiculous. I am willing to bet that none of these guys would pay union wages to have their own house built.
ReplyDeleteYeah it even looks like they outsourced their own rat.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletePlace Plywood over the Windows...
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteComing to this late but taxpayers should understand PA’s prevailing wage laws requires school district’s and perhaps municipalities to accept bid for projects over $25,000.00 only from bidders who pay union wages. One may look up the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act of 1961, P,L, 987, NO, 442" for details. Long story short, this law imposes a huge financial burden on school districts/taxpayers especially in the state’s poorest school districts such as Allentown. The ASD is full of old buildings and these have extensive and expensive repairs we can ill afford. The prevailing wage law not only makes new construction expensive it routinely doubles the cost of routine upkeep.
It is your money.
Scott Armstrong
Where did they buy that rat? Was it made locally? Local hands? Local materials? Did they pay a higher price to buy it in Allentown? Love to know! Bernie, please find out!
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong , sorry Allentown is just about complete with all Capitol improvements. Again u show your ignorance on a subject.
ReplyDelete8:11 coward,
ReplyDeleteASD is never complete on capital improvements. However imagine the savings on the recently completed "capital improvements" that involved one new elementary school, two additions to the senior highs and various other very costly projects. Without the prevailing wage laws the cost of these projects could have been reduced substantially. In plain English that means more money in the classrooms for learning.
The ASD has various ongoing capital improvement projects. Why don't you do some research before posting. Then can can avoid repeating the error of being being the one who is truly ignorant.
Scott Armstrong
8:11
ReplyDeleteI suggest you read the Act. All "public work" over 25,000 is prevailing wage.
Definitions:
(5) "Public work" means construction, reconstruction, demolition, alteration and/or repair work
other than maintenance work, done under contract and paid for in whole or in part out of the funds of a
public body where the estimated cost of the total project is in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars
($25,000), but shall not include work performed under a rehabilitation or manpower training program.
Stay strong Scott. You are so right on this one.
ReplyDeleteIs only a union guy able to caulk a window? Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYeah, just think, soon we will all get paid 8 bucks an hour. Then Scott will e happy happy
ReplyDeleteIf PPL was a private business, would what has happened be any different?
ReplyDeleteBecause don't most local, private businesses earn their living of off local customers?
I don't see why if the business is private or a public utility or even a school, that they would have to be forced to use an union. Don't we live in a free, capitalistic society?
So why should anyone be forced to do anything? Is it because we don't have a choice on who we can purchase our electric from? Now that I can understand. But I hope and hope that the public schools are not forced to use unions. I hope they have to put these things out to bid and obtain at least several comparable bids and then go with the most cost effective.
But like one of the bloggers wrote earlier, I would really like to know how many union folk use union people do perform work on their own homes.
Maybe we can send the building to Malaysia to have it fixed at $8 a day.
ReplyDeleteThats what its all aobut. Right my fellow teabaggers. Love it or Leave it! Make War not Peace! If God wanted us to have health benefits we would have been born with them.
F,n A!
God, AKA Obama, DOES want you to have health benefits. and he wants me to pay for them
ReplyDeleteScott breaks his back every day landscaping,often for min. wage.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about using a Union, it's about LOCAL LABOR. Should I say that again for you? Oh that's right your daddy had one of those evil union jobs when you where growing up, and because of that he could afford to send you to college, and you became important and not like "those union scumbags" and turned your back on people gettin paid an honest days pay for an honest days work.
ReplyDeleteWell college boy, soon your job will be outsourced to others and we will see you standing with a rat or looking to the government to take care of your entitled ass.
Enjoy the race to the bottom.
Funny how some people ask questions or make statements and all the union thugs can do is insult them (aka teabaggers) instead of real debate. Typical of people who hang out with rats.
ReplyDeleteLove how these shlubs driving broken down Toyota Corollas and eating slop at Golden Corral are so concerned about the stockholders of PPL and the version of capitalism sold to them by fat-headed Fox News personalities. It's all so perfect how they have been convinced they have a shot at becoming a Saucon Valley member by giving up any decent retirement or healthcare benefits. Keep giving up what these union people have fought for over the last 100 years. Keep it up. We're laughing at you from above.
ReplyDeleteFunny how some people ask questions or make statements and all the union thugs can do is insult them (aka teabaggers) instead of real debate. Typical of people who hang out with rats.
ReplyDeleteI have a post graduate degree and am well compensated and am not a union member. What would you like to discuss?
Commercial window replacement is very complicated and specialized. It is a night/day difference to replacing vinyl windows in a suburban home.
ReplyDeleteOnly union workers are skilled to do this job. Non-union workers are probably hispanic, black and poor white guys. Local 252 should be on this job.
PPL spokesman George Lewis said in
ReplyDeleteresponse to the protest:
“In this case, the folks we hired were awarded the contract based on a competitive bid. We determined them to be the most qualified.”