As the city heads into a week of expected high temperatures that could strain the electricity grid, managers at the Consolidated Edison Company began settling into new roles on Sunday, doing the jobs of more than 8,000 unionized workers who were sent home after an early morning breakdown in contract negotiations prompted the company’s first labor lockout in decades.þþThe workers, members of the utility’s largest union, were locked out after their contract expired at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, and talks broke down less than two hours later. About 5,000 managers, including some former union members, will step in to keep the utility running, Con Ed said. But union leaders warned that those managers, who they said included retired supervisors called back to work, might not have the numbers or the training to keep up if the hot weather and the increased demand for air-conditioning created major power failures.þþ“This was an irresponsible move on Con Ed’s part,” said Harry Farrell, the president of the union, Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America. “What they said last night to the people of New York was, ‘Drop dead.’ ”þþAsked if he believed the management stand-ins could handle a crisis, he said, “They’re asking retired supervisors to climb poles and work in manholes and stuff — I just don’t see it happening.”þþA spokesman for Con Ed, Allan Drury, said that the managers involved were “trained and experienced” and that the utility was focusing on essential operations to ease strain on the system.þþEach side blames the other for the standoff. The contract dispute centers on pension benefits, and the two sides remained far from agreement as the contract expired. Con Ed said it wanted to continue with the current contract if the union promised not to strike without seven days’ notice; the union rejected that offer but said it was willing to keep its workers on the job without a contract and continue the talks.þþIf the union changes its position on extending the contract, Con Ed would welcome the workers back, Mr. Drury said, while Mr. Farrell, the union president, said he was ready to talk to Con Ed “any time, any place.”þþA lockout is a defensive measure against the threat of a strike, which could be called at any moment. At the end of last week, Con Ed was demanding that workers hand over the keys to company vehicles and the identification cards that allow workers to gain access to equipment yards and other company facilities.þþMr. Drury said the lockout was the first in recent memory, and certainly the first at Con Ed since the last strike, in the summer of 1983, when Local 1-2, which then had 16,500 members working at the utility, went on strike.þþThe 1983 strike lasted nine weeks, after which the union won wage increases and improved benefits. There was one major incident that affected service. þþUnion leaders on Sunday were pondering their next move. Mr. Farrell said a meeting to discuss strategy was planned for Monday.þþCity and state officials were monitoring the situation behind the scenes. Mr. Farrell said that the governor’s office had been in contact and that he expected the governor to put pressure on Con Ed; the company said only that it was in constant contact with state officials. A spokesman for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said that the Mayor’s Office and the city’s Office of Emergency Management were also in constant contact with Con Ed.þþDuring the lockout, the utility is suspending meter reading, closing walk-in centers and slowing work on large projects. The first priority will be responding to emergencies, according to a notice on Con Ed’s Web site. Con Ed urged customers to report any problems by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633) or visiting its Web site, coned.com, which provides information on how the changes will affect consumers.þþAt noon on Sunday, Con Ed’s Web site showed that 59 customers were without power; there are virtually always a few power failures within the utility’s service area, which extends across New York City and Westchester County.þþTo avoid being billed for estimated electricity and gas use while meter readings are suspended, customers can report their readings by phone or on the Web site on the date of their usual reading. Customers who use walk-in centers can pay their bills online, by phone or at authorized payment locations, which can be found on the Web site by clicking on “Ways to Pay My Bill” in the Customer Central section.
Source: NY Times
