Published: July 09, 2009 02:10 pm      

Saber rattling but little progress | It's time Penelec, its union get serious

We are hearing a lot of posturing from both the company and the workers involved in the Penelec strike.

What we’re not seeing is much progress toward a settlement of their differences that might get workers back where they belong – on the job.

Both sides are getting lots of exercise from pointing fingers.

The company has issued two releases alleging vandalism of its equipment since the strike began on May 21. Neither release came right out and accused striking workers of sabotage, but the insinuations were clear.

Such claims are very serious. We would expect Penelec to take proper legal action against any vandals – striking employees or otherwise. We would hope the workers wouldn’t stoop to such childish – not to mention illegal – tactics. And we would expect the company to report such incidents only as often as it would if there were no strike going on.

We find no meat in the complaint by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 459 about the company using out-of-town workers to cover shifts left empty while workers walk the picket line.

Penelec spokesman Scott Surgeoner said about 20 outside workers are being used, while union business manager Don Hoak said he believes the number is much higher.

So what?

We would expect any company – that is not prohibited from doing so by contract language – to bring in a sufficient temporary work force to meet the needs of its customers. This is especially im-portant for a utility provider, which can’t simply close up shop until the labor differences can be worked out.

While we recognize that there is disagreement between the company and the union over the topic of wages, we are baffled that Penelec’s workers believe they have a right to pick and choose which days and what times of day they’ll be called to work – especially as we’re in the midst of a tough economic recession.

Hoak said the company wants to institute “an 1890 work schedule.” That, to us, would mean long, grueling hours for low wages with little regard for worker safety.

What Hoak really means is that Penelec’s union workers “teach Sunday school, they’re softball coaches. They couldn’t do any of that” if the company were able to get tighter control of work schedules.

First, we doubt that even tighter scheduling control by a company would preclude workers from doing at least some of the things they enjoy – even if they had to make choices and set priorities.

People in the real world do that all the time.

Second, we think these striking workers should spend a little time with some of the hundreds of local people who have lost their jobs in the past year. We’re guessing that more than a few of those displaced workers would gladly take an evening shift or work some weekends – if that’s what a job required – as an alternative to unemployment.

Ultimately, we see no differences here that can’t be bridged through focused and frequent negotiations.

The workers have the right to seek concessions and perks.

The company has the right to protect its interests and likewise seek concessions.

But from what we can tell, there is little negotiating going on. Instead, both sides seem willing to talk through the press and not face to face.

A mediator sat in on one bargaining session. But only one – and no headway was achieved.

We would expect that Penelec officials and their striking employees will get back to the bargaining table and hammer out a deal, setting the animosity aside long enough to find common ground.