Just read the Editorial in the Freeman about 'Stint" work for City of Kingston trash collectors. That is a great concept, eight hours pay for eight hours work, isn't it? The unions have promoted that since time, despite what propaganda specialists and the uneducated people will tell you. The stint subject seems very simple when you look at it on the surface - you work, we pay you. Who could argue with that?
There is a hidden point in all of this that people outside of the parties involved ( and maybe even one in ) may not be aware of to even ask about. How did this happen in the first place? Why stint work for trash collection?
A clause like this in a contract happened for a reason. There was an inconvenience someplace on someone's part and it was brought to the bargaining table. I bet it would have to do with angry businessmen and commuters getting held up behind the &%$#@(& garbage truck and complaining to City Hall. So they made a deal with the workers - you start before dawn, no breaks ,no lunch, work straight through and go home. It made sense. It kept the trash trucks out of everyone's way during prime time. We get the trash picked up, it's out of everybody's way, and they get 8 hours pay for getting it done.
Now after operating like this for years, the Mayor calls them BACK FROM HOME - AFTER WORK - ONCE - and cries because he had to pay them overtime. Of course he cries publicly. He says that now the whole policy is bad. Anyone who knows recent history can see it is just a chance for the Mayor to jab at and try to discredit the CSEA by claiming that they don't want to work a full day.
It has 99% to do with jabbing CSEA and 1% to do with getting the short end of the stint stick once.
I have a great solution for any elected official who thinks that the trash collectors are getting away with murder in this stint arrangement. You should get up at dawn, get on that truck, eat your lunch in it and do it for 8 hours. Then come back and tell us how easy they have it.
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6 comments:
Bullhorner:
You are right on in your assessment with what is going on in Kingston. The Mayor is trying to swing public opinion back in his favor. He has taken a beating since the first of the year.
Let him get on the back of a garbage truck at 6am with the thermometer hovering at 10 below zero, or those loving late fall days when its 40 degrees and pouring rain.
I bet he goes home before his stint is over.
The members of CSEA have nothing to worry about with Bart Robins and Troy Ashdown fighting for them.
My wife has enough trouble getting our kids to school and then to work on time with all the school buses in the way. Add giant trash trucks to the equation and that spells disaster.
Minds smarter than the ones running Kingston now came up with this idea. This is a huge benefit for the city leave it alone.
Labor was wise not to support Sottile. He is not our friend. Lets start shutting him down financially too. Do not make contributions to campaing by buying his boat ride tickets anymore.
Kingston has a few labor unfriendly Democrats in it. Mike Madsen and Ann Marie DiBella.
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