Passenger Trains > NJT Damage SlideShow Link

Going to take quite a while to put all this back together.... spring?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89454930%40N07/sets/72157631895879101/show/

hazegray Wrote:
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> Going to take quite a while to put all this back
> together.... spring?
>


That's the understatement of the year. What a mess.

hazegray Wrote:
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> Going to take quite a while to put all this back
> together.... spring?
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/89454930%40N07/sets/7
> 2157631895879101/show/

Based on the rate NJ Transit is working on restoring the Lackawanna Cutoff, I estimate they can rebuild the coastline by mid-century with a little luck. ;)

hsr_fan Wrote:
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> hazegray Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Going to take quite a while to put all this
> back
> > together.... spring?
> >
> >
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/89454930%40N07/sets/7
>
> > 2157631895879101/show/
>
> Based on the rate NJ Transit is working on
> restoring the Lackawanna Cutoff, I estimate they
> can rebuild the coastline by mid-century with a
> little luck. ;)


Nah, it will go much quicker because they won't be using their own money!

Oh my gosh. That's really, really bad.

What if this kind of storm occurs every 4 or 5 years? How much wreaking and rebuilding can the economy withstand? And, what about the social and psychological implications? Our trends toward ever more complex energy, transportation, food distribution, and communication systems don't seem so advantageous in an environment in which these kinds of storms become more frequent.

PHall Wrote:
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> Nah, it will go much quicker because they won't be using their own money!


Well, it won't go much quicker if they take this approach. I got this e-mail from a friend who retired and lives on the Western shore of the Chesapeake Bay and has headed the volunteer rescue squad in his county, a small (16,000), poor rural farming/fishing community:

"People out here in the boonies are friendly and used to giving to their neighbors a hand in time of need. So, when Sandy just gave Virginia a glancing blow, a bunch of Matthews/Gloucester volunteer firemen, who are professionals (firemen) in the cities south of here, and a number of Dominion Power linemen volunteered to take some of their personal vacation days and go north to assist recovery efforts in New York area. After a couple of days delay, they were all informed that their services were not desired as they were all non-union."

In my opinion, a very short sighted approach.

hazegray Wrote:
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> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Nah, it will go much quicker because they won't
> be using their own money!
>
>
> Well, it won't go much quicker if they take this
> approach. I got this e-mail from a friend who
> retired and lives on the Western shore of the
> Chesapeake Bay and has headed the volunteer rescue
> squad in his county, a small (16,000), poor rural
> farming/fishing community:
>
> "People out here in the boonies are friendly and
> used to giving to their neighbors a hand in time
> of need. So, when Sandy just gave Virginia a
> glancing blow, a bunch of Matthews/Gloucester
> volunteer firemen, who are professionals (firemen)
> in the cities south of here, and a number of
> Dominion Power linemen volunteered to take some of
> their personal vacation days and go north to
> assist recovery efforts in New York area. After a
> couple of days delay, they were all informed that
> their services were not desired as they were all
> non-union."
>
> In my opinion, a very short sighted approach.

That report is not true, at least as far as union affiliation is concerned. Numerous non-union linemen are working side-by-side with union linemen in the restoration effort. In fact, some of the area utilities are non-union.

A version of this story circulated on Friday. One Alabama company mentioned as being turned away is working. Both the primary linemen union (IBEW) and the major power companies deny any knowledge of the incident.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/union_official_denies_non-unio.html

If in fact these guys showed up unannounced, on "vacation", and with no equipment like bucket trucks and tools, I'd send them home. Besides the fact that they would be of no help, there is a small matter of liability.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/12 08:05 by prr60.

The Philadelphia Inquirer had a similar story this AM! Therefore it must be so! (LOL)

prr60 Wrote:
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> That report is not true, at least as far as union affiliation is concerned.

With due respect, this particuar report IS true, because I got it from a friend of long standing who is an associate of some of those involved, and this was the reason they were given. While there may certainly be other "versions" of similar stories which are untrue, this one is corrrect.
Again, only in my opinion, one actual incident like this is one too many...

> Numerous non-union
> linemen are working side-by-side with union
> linemen in the restoration effort. In fact, some
> of the area utilities are non-union.
>
> A version of this story circulated on Friday. One
> Alabama company mentioned as being turned away is
> working. Both the primary linemen union (IBEW)
> and the major power companies deny any knowledge
> of the incident.
>

hazegray Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> prr60 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That report is not true, at least as far as
> union affiliation is concerned.
>
> With due respect, this particuar report IS true,
> because I got it from a friend of long standing
> who is an associate of some of those involved, and
> this was the reason they were given. While there
> may certainly be other "versions" of similar
> stories which are untrue, this one is corrrect.
> Again, only in my opinion, one actual incident
> like this is one too many...
>

I’m not questioning that you related the story accurately, or that your friend told you the story he or she heard. What I’m saying is that the story itself is false, at least as far as union affiliation for power restoration being an issue.

Based on the premise that these guys simply drove north on their own to help restore power, I don’t doubt that they were turned away. Being union or non-union would not have been the issue. They would have been turned away because you can’t simply drive up to a utility service center in your personal vehicle and announce you are here to restore power. If they are linemen and these guys wanted to help, they would go to their employer and volunteer to go north with whatever crews were being sent to wherever that company was sending crews. Those crews come with trucks and equipment and supervision to ensure safety.

Restoring power is not a job performed by people coming in off the street no matter what their ID card may say. It is complex, dangerous work. PSE&G and JCP&L need real line crews, not walk-ons. If they really wanted to do something on their own time to help, I’m sure the Red Cross or the Salvation Army could have found useful things for them to do.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/12 10:30 by prr60.

JCP&L executives were on the radio waves explaining that they were accepting any help that they could get after this rumor started to circulate.

JCP&L mentioned that it may have been some (very few) local municipalities, which have their OWN power companies, that turned away such non-union workers. But as has been mentioned here - show up with equipment and JCP&L (as well as I believe PSEG) were having union and non-union workers working side by side.

Evidence - linemen and workers with bucket trucks stringing together power in front of my home today. Still no electric though as there's issues with the substation now......