Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Diane Ellis, Ed. ·
Feb 24, 2011 at 7:07pm
The view from my window this morning:
This shovel ready project required five men: one to dig a hole, and four to watch and offer moral support. The project clocked in at three hours, or 15 man hours. (To be fair, I'm not sure if the man without an orange vest -- top right corner -- was with the crew. But he seemed to enjoy standing there with the men the whole time.)
- Comment (27)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments :
Jul '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
I have witnessed scenes like this for decades. It seems that being a civil servant requires a long lead time to prepare for that well-heeled retirement.
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Your Grace: I have witnessed scenes like this for decades. It seems that being a civil servant requires a long lead time to prepare for that well-heeled retirement. · Feb 24 at 7:13pm
It's especially irritating to see these days, though, because San Francisco is dealing with a multi-million dollar budget deficit and is taking it out on the residents (via higher and more aggressive parking tickets, higher bus fares, and sky high sales taxes) instead of cutting back on redundant employees.
Jan '11
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Diane Ellis, Ed.: The view from my window this morning:
This shovel ready project required five men: one to dig a hole, and four to watch and offer moral support. The project clocked in at three hours, or 15 man hours. (To be fair, I'm not sure if the man without an orange vest -- top right corner -- was with the crew. But he seemed to enjoy standing there with the men the whole time.) ·
We always seem to like to make fun of these people for doing nothing, but you have to admit, the job still gets done. I just can never imagine it happening as I see 80% of the crew idle on the side of the highway. But that's immaterial. They get the job done.
We never seem to notice that part.
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Diane, about a week and a half ago, I was driving from Louisville to Cincinnati, and came upon a construction zone. There were cones blocking the right lane, reducing the interstate to one lane only. This went on for miles, and the resulting bottleneck in traffic cost drivers about 45 extra minutes. At the very top of the hill, we finally saw the "construction" taking place. A large truck with flashing caution lights sat idling behind a single piece of heavy equipment. On that piece of heavy equipment sat a man with a hard hat. He was slumped over, sound asleep. Traffic backed up for miles, an entire lane of I-71 blocked, so he could take a nap. Great gig if you can get it. Shovel ready my fender...
Dec '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
I guess the others were on a break.
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
fullfrontal
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
The project clocked in at three hours, or 15 man hours. (To be fair, I'm not sure if the man without an orange vest -- top right corner -- was with the crew. But he seemed to enjoy standing there with the men the whole time.) ·
We always seem to like to make fun of these people for doing nothing, but you have to admit, the job still gets done. I just can never imagine it happening as I see 80% of the crew idle on the side of the highway. But that's immaterial. They get the job done.
We never seem to notice that part. · Feb 24 at 7:23pm
Sure. But if the job gets done in 15 hours, when it could have been done in 3, that's good reason to be upset.
Folks who work in the private sector, especially in startups, these days are ever conscious of how the company can't afford any shred of fat. That means working long, hard hours in order to prove that you add value to the company so that you keep your job. Public employees never have to learn to fear the axe.
Edited on Feb 24, 2011 at 8:35pmJan '11
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
When I lived in California the transportation department would seemingly always shut down a freeway lane and choke traffic during the heaviest commuting times. As it would turn out, the scene would be just like the picture you've shown with three to four guys watching someone else operate some heavy equipment. To add insult, just as I was to get to the portion of the road that was clear -- but never after that point -- there would be a sign that read "CalTrans: Your tax dollars hard at work". I would almost go berserk.
Jul '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Were they using a jackhammer? In my many years of living in Manhattan, I always marveled over the fact that jackhammers apparently could only be employed between the hours of 5 a.m and 8 a.m. Must have been a union regulation.
May '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Your Grace: I have witnessed scenes like this for decades. It seems that being a civil servant requires a long lead time to prepare for that well-heeled retirement. · Feb 24 at 7:13pm
It's especially irritating to see these days, though, because San Francisco is dealing with a multi-million dollar budget deficit and is taking it out on the residents (via higher and more aggressive parking tickets, higher bus fares, and sky high sales taxes) instead of cutting back on redundant employees. · Feb 24 at 7:20pm
On my side of the bay in Oakland we've got countless, and very nasty, potholes. They get filled every few years or so, but fill-job seems only to hold up for a couple of months at best.
SF's Municipal Railway was infamous a few years back when the story broke of the fortune in overtime pay that was paid to night maintenance people who were busted showing up for work in their PJ's long enough to clock in, go home for some much-needed rest, then return to clock out, at time-and-half or more. This dodge evidently went on for years.
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Kenneth: Were they using a jackhammer? In my many years of living in Manhattan, I always marveled over the fact that jackhammers apparently could only be employed between the hours of 5 a.m and 8 a.m. Must have been a union regulation. · Feb 24 at 7:56pm
They were using a sledgehammer. Not the most efficient tool for tearing up a sidewalk, but much quieter.
Jul '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Kenneth: Were they using a jackhammer? In my many years of living in Manhattan, I always marveled over the fact that jackhammers apparently could only be employed between the hours of 5 a.m and 8 a.m. Must have been a union regulation. · Feb 24 at 7:56pm
They were using a sledgehammer. Not the most efficient tool for tearing up a sidewalk, but much quieter. · Feb 24 at 8:17pm
Maybe they should have used a Nerfhammer.
Oct '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Sorry, new view on and old saw.. As the joke went, if you see 8 folks at a railroad crossing, who is doing the work ... The ONE guy with the shovel.
Once spent a couple of summers driving end dumps ( Dump Trucks to the uninformed). One of several which were prevailing wage projects.
Recall sitting in the truck in 100 degree temps. waiting to be called to work. Got paid for setting on my behind for doing nothing for days on end.
Still gripes me to this day, but thats just me...
Hats off to anyone that wishes to drive trucks. The off highway stuff will shake your insides to death.
In short, How many bosses does it take in the union world to get a job done...
Nov '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Classic scene.
Sadly, when profit isn't the goal, neither is efficiency.
I couldn't do it. I'd rather be the one operating the shovel.
Jan '11
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Your Grace: I have witnessed scenes like this for decades. It seems that being a civil servant requires a long lead time to prepare for that well-heeled retirement. · Feb 24 at 7:13pm
It's especially irritating to see these days, though, because San Francisco is dealing with a multi-million dollar budget deficit and is taking it out on the residents (via higher and more aggressive parking tickets, higher bus fares, and sky high sales taxes) instead of cutting back on redundant employees. · Feb 24 at 7:20pm
You live in SF (I'm going to assume it's voluntary)! Just defenestrated my sympathy.
Feb '11
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
This reminds me of 2 old union jokes.
1) How many union workers does it take to screw in a light blub?
15! Ya got an [expletive] problem with that!
2)Union Boss reading bedtime story to his kids: "Once upon a [expletive] time and a half"
Edited on Feb 25, 2011 at 8:19amFeb '11
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
I just wanted to write and apolgize for the (on the down low) curse words in the comment above. I'm new here and would be pissed to get banned on my first comment.
When I learned those jokes as a young bartender they just don't seem to be as funny without using the curse word.
Edited on Feb 24, 2011 at 10:36pmJul '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Murphy Bush: I just wanted to write and apolgize for the (on the down low) curse words in the comment above. I'm new here and would be pissed to get banned on my first comment.
When I learned those jokes as a young bartender they just don't seem to be as funny without using the curse word. · Feb 24 at 10:35pm
Edited on Feb 24 at 10:36 pm
You get a pass because of your dog avatar.
Nov '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
The other 4 guys were actually operating the complex barricade system. Pretty silly looking. I'm sure there is an S.O.P. requirement on that...gotta be.
Hmm...efficiency just went up 400%. Here, we thought they were lazy and they were actually setting a new record.
May '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
Kenneth
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Kenneth: Were they using a jackhammer? In my many years of living in Manhattan, I always marveled over the fact that jackhammers apparently could only be employed between the hours of 5 a.m and 8 a.m. Must have been a union regulation. · Feb 24 at 7:56pm
They were using a sledgehammer. Not the most efficient tool for tearing up a sidewalk, but much quieter. · Feb 24 at 8:17pm
Maybe they should have used a Nerfhammer. · Feb 24 at 8:24pm
You sure it wasn't a Krauthammer?
Jun '10
Re: Public Employee Union Members Hard at Work
This is maddening, but not surprising.
A friend had a summer job as a teen on a mosquito spraying truck here in NJ & they worked in the Meadowlands. The crew actually brought coolers of beer and hibachi grills and had all day picnics out in the reeds & were completely undisturbed and not the slightest bit worried about a supervisor catching them. (He'd probably just order a medium well done cheeseburger & a Bud if he did come across the gang.) This kid's grandfather was the past president of the civil service union in Jersey City & the family considered union membership sacred. To them it was all about protecting the working man, widows & orphans. They sounded like Upton Sinclair clones. That is until Jim's summer with the mosquito truck guys.......the realization that their family's hard work in a wide variety of challenging careers was subsidizing well-paid daily Bar-b-ques ing the Meadowlands while the mosquito problem never abated made them question the sorry and corrupt evolution of unions over time.