SEIU Snow Job!
It appears the SEIU has once again utilized the old “Persuasion of Power” trick, this time at the expense of New York City taxpayers. It was reported by government employees that the Sanitation Department’s Slow Snow Cleanup was a Budget Protest and that big labor bosses instructed union membership to slack off on the job in order to teach New York City politicians a lesson, because of proposed layoffs and cutbacks (See Big Labor’s Snowmageddon Snit Fit). The SEIU loves to utilize thuggery to achieve its goals — whether in slowdowns against government entities or by staging corporate campaigns against private sector employers. The objective in both instances is the same: “intimidate and humiliate until they capitulate.”
These “Gasping Dinosaurs” are desperate to retain membership. The recent economic downturn has exposed the inherent costs of public unions, and their destructive nature on the economy and government budgets. The SEIU’s latest shenanigans provide a glimpse as to their willingness to be destructive and disruptive to the welfare of the public. Imagine how bad it would be if the government is allowed to continue to push for more unionized mass transit, a stated goal of the Obama administration (See Disorganizing Labor).
Private employers have been exposed to these type tactics for many years, similar to those described in The Devil at My Doorstep. Government entities have largely escaped these tactics since Kennedy’s 1962 Executive Order permitting the organization of public employees, as corrupt political alliances and paybacks have allowed forced unionization of public employees and “cush” jobs for big labor bosses at the expense of the taxpayer (See New York City’s No-Show SEIU Snow Jobs). Now, however, the consequences of this Executive Order are being brought to light by a struggling economy and the thuggery of big labor bosses.
It will be interesting to see what transpires this time as another major blizzard has New York City directly in its sites.
About the author: David A. Bego is the President and CEO of EMS, an industry leader in the field of environmental workplace maintenance, employing nearly 5000 workers in thirty-three states. Bego is the author of “The Devil at My Doorstep,” based on his experiences fighting back against one of the most powerful unions in existence today.