The following is a press release from the office of City Councilman Vincent Gentile:
CITY HALL – At yesterday’s Stated Meeting, Councilman Vincent J. Gentile joined his colleagues led by Council Speaker Christine Quinn to authorize a study into the feasibility of burying overhead power lines underground in order to keep New Yorkers safe during severe weather emergencies. Continue reading »
President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie spoke at a press conference in New Jersey earlier this afternoon.
One subject the president touched on in his remarks, which may be of particular interest to our readers in neighboring areas who are still without electricity, was his pledge of continued federal support for local governments and utilities in the region trying to restore electrical service.
Obama stated that the aid could even take the form of “military cargo planes” to “move people and assets” from as far away as California to aid the blacked-out residents of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
Image of Con Edison building courtesy of Stig Nygaard.
The following is a press release from the office of City Councilman Vincent Gentile:
COUNCILMAN GENTILE STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH UWUA LOCAL 1-2; COMMENDS SPEAKER QUINN FOR DEMANDING CONED FIND SOLUTION TO LABOR DISPUTE
BAY RIDGE– Struggling with its first work stoppage in nearly three decades, while desperately trying to keep the electricity grid running during a July heat wave, ConEd has deployed 5,000 of its managers to stand in for the nearly 8,500 unionized workers who were dismissed on July 1 after contract talks broke down.
At least three managers have already been seriously injured trying to do the work of regular field workers while services such as meter readings and customer service walk-in centers have almost all been completely shut down.
Earlier today, Speaker Christine C. Quinn released a letter calling on ConEd to resume negotiations with UWUA Local 1-2 without the lockout. The letter urges ConEd to place the protection of New Yorkers as its highest priority and resolve the dispute without further delay.
“Let me be clear. Your actions do not have my support,” Speaker Quinn writes Continue reading »