lockout newsletter
TRANSCRIPT
7/31/2019 Lockout Newsletter
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Number 1
KNOCKOUTTHE LOCKOUTR a N K & F i L E N E w s L E T T E R
hy Con Ed workers must lead a struggle not only for ourselves and other
ions, but for all poor and working class people.
he Lockout Knockout interviews JJ, a member of Local 1-2
The DeaTh of The a merican
Worker, Thanks To con eD
Which W ay forWarD?
As Con Ed workers, we maintain one
he most important electrical grids on the
net. This city can’t run without us. When
come together, we are powerful.
But at the same time, our power as
ity workers is limited. Why? Because
we stop working, peoples’ lives are put
risk. When utility workers, teachers,
lthcare workers, or transit workers go
on strike, the disruption inconveniences
ny potential allies, who start looking for meone to blame. If a blackout happened
morrow, Bill O’Reily would get on Fox
ws and blame “greedy” Con Ed workers
causing it. And even if we get a good
tract, the boss can turn around and take
cost of our wages and benefits out of the
tomer’s paycheck. It’s easy for the boss
to hike utility rates, because everyone needs
the monopoly he controls. With this power, he
can make it seem like a win for us comes at the
public’s expense.
We are caught in a trap: in order to win
a strike or lockout, we need the support of
working class communities, but by disrupting
service, we risk alienating the very people we
need to win over.
Some workers avoid this problem. They
think it’s enough to bring other unions toour pickets and rallies, and place ads in the
Daily News telling the public our demands
are reasonable. But without thousands of
everyday people marching with us in the
streets, unions alone cannot win this battle.
Without the support of poor and working class
communities across the city, Local 1-2 will be
making for 4 years. We have a guy who
from the South, his name is Craig Ivey
president of the company. He has a hist
busting unions. The last time we negoticontract, one of the contention points w
pension system we had. As of now we h
guaranteed pensions once you reach a c
point, but the company wants to do away
that. They do not want anyone to have a pen
He used to work for Dominion I believ
call him Poison Ivey. A lot of us saw it com
December Con Ed issued a revised set of ru
their management employees. They threw
bunch of changes. Anyone who is not 50 ye
from January 1st was changed to a cash b
pension plan. They revised health system pension. This is a calculated move.
KNOCKOUT: How come the unions d
But the union officials were unprepared. They
did not line up a support group that could have
come to our aid in a massive show of support
for our unions. Now slowly, we can see differ-
ent politicians stepping forward, and making
strong statements against Con Ed. Christine
Quinn wrote a letter to our CEO, she said she
did not support management’s actions. The
union needs to get a coalition of unions behind
us. Saturday’s massive demonstration will
start of something.
KNOCKOUT: Why do you think this is aunion busting lockout by Con Ed?
JJ: This is a calculated move in the
smashed just like the unions in Wisconsin.
To get this kind of mass public suppo
will have to do more than tell people our dem
are reasonable. Poor and working class p
will not march with Con Ed workers s
because they believe our struggle is just.
also need to know that a victory for Coworkers will serve their interests too.
As unionized utility workers, we are
of the most skilled workers in the entire
Students, prisoners, unemployed people
non-unionized workers are often jealous
jobs we have. Many believe unionized w
have it easy, and have forgotten about eve
else. They think the unions have done n
in the past thirty years to help the rest
The following is an interview conducted
an editor of the Lockout Knockout with
a member of Local 1-2. While the editors
’t agree with all of JJ’s opinions, we be-
e his insights have much to offer the rank
d file in the fight against Con Ed.
KNOCKOUT: What do Local 1-2
rkers need to do to defeat Con Ed Man-
ment?
JJ: I believe we need to unify all the or-
ized labor unions in the city, like 1199,WU, the police, the firemen. These are a
of people, and they all support our cause.
7/31/2019 Lockout Newsletter
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neW iDeas from The r ank anD fileOn Tuesday, July 10th, an independent worker-community meeting took pl
at 4 Irving Place, to debate and vote on strategies that the rank and file of Local
should pursue to win this fight. Here are all the suggestions gathered that day, and
proportion of votes they recieved.
orking class, as millions have been forced
live without healthcare, decent education,
sufficient pay to put food on the table. And
e truth is, some unionized workers do look
wn on the rest of the working class. Some
ew women on welfare as lazy parasites,
ack people as criminals, Latinos as people
ho steal American jobs, and so on.
These divisions won’t be healed by
r old strategy, where we only pursue our
wn interests, only build alliances withher unions, and tell poor and working
ass communities to support us without
pporting them in turn. A new strategy needs
be developed. Are we ready to unite with
legal” workers by opposing ICE raids? Are
e ready to unite with poor Black workers
demanding more decent-paying jobs, and
ore hiring of formerly incarcerated people?
re we ready to unite with poor communities,
demanding a freeze in utility rates? Are
e ready to build rank and file committees
ross multiple industries, regardless of unionfiliation, to launch strikes, sit-downs and
ycotts in common struggle?
As long as the boss exists, he will try
keep working class people at odds and
vided. Ultimately, the only way to escape
s trap for good is to go all-out: to run
ese services ourselves, for free. This would
monstrate our power and win us millions
allies, by showing the public that our
ellbeing can ensure their wellbeing too.
So far, most trade unions have ignored,
even opposed, the struggles of poor
d working class people outside their
embership. Until this changes, unity will
main a dream, and the unions themselves
ll continue to be isolated and defeated. This
the reality of the situation, and we must do
hatever it takes to turn it around. l
merican Worker, conTinueD
Which W ay , conTinueD
Email Us at: [email protected]
LOCKOUT KNOCKOUT is aN iNdEpENdENt RaNk & filE pUbliCatioN pRodUCEd aNd
distRibUtEd bY CoN Ed woRkERs aNd thEiR sUppoRtERs. if YoU havE iNfoRmatioN, opiNioNs,
oR stRatEgiC idEas that othER RaNk aNd filERs shoUld hEaR, CoNtRibUtE thEm hERE!
rganize against this?
JJ: I am not a union activist. The only
ing I can tell you is, the union had arike authorization vote. Before we went into
egotiation, the union handed out a ballot, we
uthorized the right to strike if they felt they
anted to strike. The vote was in huge favor
f a strike. Since last November/ December,
we did not like the contract, we threatened
ith the strike. We should have been a lot
ore prepared for any outcome.
votEs foR stRatEgiEs sUggEstEd bY thE RaNk aNd filE
KNOCKOUT: What do you think the
impact of Saturday’s mass rally will be?
JJ: It depends on who shows up. We can
put a big exclamation point on our cause if we
get other organized labor in the city. If family
members are there it will be huge. If our
rally on Saturday is limited to 3-4 thousand,
then company will not look at it as a show
of strength or support for the union. I believe
we need to have the attention of others than
the Con Ed management: elected officials,
the mayor and the public. The news needs to
cover it so people listen.
KNOCKOUT: What should be done
after Saturday’s rally?
JJ: More rallies like the one in front of
Burke’s apartment. The union was prepared.
They had flers which outlined what is going
on, his salary which is huge which people do
not know about. The union took initiative to
have full ad in the Daily News. When peoplewere looking at the flyer, they thought Burke
was crazy and it was wrong. This needs to go
to general population, and people who pay
the electrical bills. There is a number which
regulates the business. People are people
being put on hold and getting bad service
right now. The reason they are not being
taken care of is that we have been locked out–
we’ve been thrown out.
KNOCKOUT: What do you want t
to other local 1-2 members?
JJ: They have to get involved. I
taken the bull by the horns. I have never
involved before. I have been at compan
20 some years. Everyone is affected.
outcome of this is everyone’s resopnsb
Take flyers and get out into the streets. M
sure people are aware of the truth. P
do not know the truth. People know
they hear from management and NY1.
saying that company made a great off
union, and it is not true. The offers have
of givebacks. We need to get involved.
KNOCKOUT: Why aren’t people g
more involved and active like you?
JJ: Complacency. They think the
guy is doing the work for them. They
it is a matter of time before it is settl
disagree. If we do not take action we wout here for a long time. Con Ed has m
They can bring outside contracters. The
afford this. The regular worker can hold
few months. But they will feel the pain
need to prevent things from getting to
point. If we get desperate we will no
anything good out of this. l