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CNB ARCHIVES Sept. 2009: Council Candidate Wil Levins..."Where are the good faith negotiations?"

6a00d8341bf7d953ef01bb07cd860f970d-800wiCNBNEWS ARCHIVES PUBLISHED Friday, September 18, 2009

 

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Wil Levins Independent Candidate for Gloucester City Council, Second Ward feels the present mayor and council are not dealing fairly with the employees of Gloucester City many of who are working without a union contract. His statement reads as follows, 

Gloucester City is a skilled labor community. It is blue collar and hard working. It has been a friend to organized labor as so many of our residents are union members themselves, working in the skilled trades.

With this in mind, we should never fail to recognize our most visible union members. Our Police, Fire and Public Works Departments workers are all members of organized labor and deserve our support.

Over the past three years our City’s leadership has neglected to recognize this and has failed to negotiate with our City’s unions in an open and constructive manner. I understand full well that times are tough and that Gloucester City is in a budget crisis however that does not excuse the fact that our governing body has failed to meet with our union leaders regularly and bargain fairly at the negotiations table. Our Police Department, for example, has been without a contract since 2007 and is currently in arbitration! That does not speak to an open dialogue.

When you hear from one person or one group about labor unrest and neglect it could almost be dismissed as a negotiations tactic. When you hear the same complaints from all of our City’s unions and their members, then we must begin to openly question our Administration’s dealings.

Why did our City’s leaders fail to open a reasonable dialogue that would have saved both the Policeman’s Union and our City’s Administration tens of thousands of dollars in arbitration costs? What specifically was gained in turning a def ear and blind eye to the growing unrest within our City’s Police, Fire and Public Works Departments? Why have so many grievances been filed accusing administration officials of unfair labor practices and violations of worker’s rights? Why is our City embroiled in so many lawsuits from its own employees? How can our City spend millions of taxpayer dollars on property purchases and pet projects but dismiss the obligations it has to its own employees? Where are the labor friendly good faith negotiations that were expressed in the fall campaign of 2006?

Ladies and gentleman, I am not and will not ever attempt to try and negotiate for our unions. However, as a proud member of the United Steelworkers Union, I cannot sit quietly by and watch as our unionized brothers and sisters are minimized and neglected. I encourage our residents to ask these questions of our elected officials and to thank our Police, Fire and Public Works employees for their service to our City.

I believe our residents need an Independent Watchdog on City Council to ask these questions, share these views and deliver this information to our community. I hope you will consider my campaign on November 3rd.

www.willevins.com

 

Comments

 

1
dave townsend said...

Will, I agree so much...especially with regards to a focus on pet projects and buying properties. A happy workforce is a better focused workforce. We need to have our police, and more of them. We do not need the city to be in the development business directly or in the landlord business at all. The Highland Park apartments were a nuisance as well, and we took them to court and shut them down. That's how the Chatham Square Apartments should have been dealt with. The house next to me was condemned and demolished within a three week period...that's how we should have dealt with the former Dooley's Pub (Now the new TD Bank that's under construction). I cannot figure out why the city purchased that property as opposed to just letting it go to tax sale like the lot next to me. An expanded police force will maintain and improve the quality of life. City owned properties should be made available dirt cheap, but, with strict adherence to zoning and building codes. 

Dave Townsend
North King Neighborhood

 
 
2
silentee said...

The unions are what helped to bring America to where we are right now. Too expensive to make or build anything here because of the unions. 70.00 and hour to put a bolt into a part of a car made here is just a bit over the top. Drawing 85 percent of your pay while collecting unemployment while laid off? If it has the union label I will not buy it.

 
 
3
pro union said...

yeah thats real good logic silentee...why dont you just buy your clothes from some child slave sweat shop

 
 
4
HsWkr said in reply to pro union...

How do you define GREED?????

 
 
5
silentee said...

Hey pro union Check the labels on your own clothes then get back to me. The unions are the ones that watched all of the jobs go over seas while the union big wigs still get to live it up on your dues and get politicians installed that will keep on taking your dues. BAAAAAAAA

 
 
6
pro union said in reply to HsWkr...

definition of greed.........the number one priority of employers whose employees are not unionized

 
 
7
pro union said in reply to silentee...

hey silentee
checked my labels........they all say union made...any other questions????

 
 
8
LIFELONG RESIDENT said in reply to silentee...

YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE UNION. WHY IS IT OK FOR A PRO ATHELETE TO MAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PLAY A SPORT BUT WHEN A WORKING MAN OR WOMAN WANTS TO MAKE A DECENT LIVING ITS NOT OK. WE UNION MEMBERS FIGHT FOR ALL WORKERS AND THE REASON THAT WE GET THE CONTRACTS THAT WE DO IS BECAUSE WE STAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT FOR IT. DONT HATE ME BECUSE I MAKE A BETTER LIVING THAN YOU JOIN THE FIGHT, BECOME INVOLVED AND MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY. JUST ONE MORE THOUGHT, IF IT WASN'T FOR UNIONS THE PIGS ON WALL STREET WOULD ONLY PAY YOU PENNYS JUST LIKE THEY DO IN CHINA AND MEXICO. 

 
 
9
HsWkr said in reply to pro union...

Gloucester City is our #1 employer.
Describe their greed.

 
 
10
silentee said...

Liflong Trust me you don't make a better living than me. That's what unions do also is create class envy. If you we're smart enough you would know how the market works on Wall street and you would be making some easy money. Go Union!

 
 
11
pro union said in reply to silentee...

LOL.........you have the audacity to point out to lifelong the phrase about if he was smart enough....but yet your own stupidity misspelled lifelong and you used the word we're in the wrong context. guess you didnt have union protected teachers where you went to school

 
 
12
LIFELONG RESIDENT said in reply to silentee...

I DON'T WANT TO CREATE CLASS ENVY, I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING. OH, BY THE WAY I AM PRETTY SMART AND I DO USE THE MARKET TO CEATE EASY MONEY BUT, THE GREED OF WALL STREET HAS RUINED OUR ECONOMY AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE LOST MONEY BECAUSE OF IT. I WONDER WHAT TYPE OF A LIVING YOU MAKE, ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE THAT WILL PAY AN ENORMOUS FEE TO GO WATCH A PRO BALL GAME. OR DO YOU JUST LIKE TO BASH UNIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A STANDARD OF LIVING THAT YOU DON'T AGREE WITH. BY THE WAY, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I DEMAND I HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING IS THE FACT THAT I MAY NOT COME HOME AT NIGHT, AND AT LEAST I KNOW THAT MY FAMILY WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF BY MY LOCAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT UNIONISM THEN LETS KEEP GOING, OTHERWISE JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR FACTS STRAGHT. JUST A LITTLE FACT ON THE UNION AUTO WORKERS YOU WROTE ABOUT IN YOUR FIRST BLOG. THE REASON THAT THEY WERE PAID 85% OF THERE WAGES WAS BECAUSE THE ROBOTS THAT REPLACED THEM WERE UN-RELIABLE AT THE TIME AND THEY NEEDED A WORK FORCE ON STAND-BY IN CASE THEY BROKE DOWN, BOTH SIDES AGREED TO IT, SO AGAIN GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.

 
 
13
silentee said...

So the fact that robots can do a better and more efficient job begets an over paid mooch? Also to pro leech Liflong was a play on words "lie flung". If you would like to have a go at shutting my mouth Liflong just let me know when and where internet tough guy.

 
 
14
LIFELONG RESIDENT said in reply to silentee...

IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE AN INTELLIGENT CONVERSATION ABOUT UNIONISM. MAYBE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. AGAIN YOU JUST BELITTLE AND UNION BASH WITHOUT ANYTHING TO BACK IT UP. I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ROBOTS DOING A BETTER JOB, I SAID THAT THE WORKERS WERE ON CALL IN CASE THE ROBOTS BROKE DOWN BECAUSE THEY WERE UNRELIABLE. I GUESS THE WORKERS SHOULD OF SAT AROUND AND JUST WAITED FOR A CALL WITHOUT ANY PAY AT ALL. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW I CAN BACK MYSELF UP JUST FINE I DON'T NEED THE INTRNET,BUT I GUESS YOU DO BECAUSE YOU DON'T SIGN YOUR NAME. BUT YOU CAN NAME A TIME AND PLACE AND I WOULD LOVE TO COME AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT UNIONISM WITH YOU AND SHOW YOU WHAT WE ARE MADE OF. 

 
 
15
Unionized player$ and agent$ have ruined $port$ said...

It's OK for an athlete to make millions of dollars because
a) he is a member of a player's union in each major sport
b) that player is an elite athlete playing in the top major league of his sport
c) his agent negotiates with management to get him the highest salary 
There are very few professional athletes in this country compared to thousands and tens of thousands of workers in their fields of employment.
Don't compare professional unionized athletes to the regular working man. That comparison stopped a long time ago with the death of the reserve clause (in baseball), collective bargaining and free agency. 
Look what has happened to ticket prices. Same games, not played any differently, but boy, have the prices changed!
But people continue to go to all the games, even in this bad economy.

 
 
16
Tom Wagard said...

"LIFELONG RESIDENT", You fling around alot of insults and pro-union propaganda, maybe you could take a second to tap your CAPS LOCK key? 

Is that really how you want to resolve an argument? By meeting them and punching them in the face? You seriously just challenged someone to a fight over the internet? What kinda dumb turd are you?

Maybe no one is taking you seriously because your rambling on, barely making complete sentences, typing in all caps, and challenging people to fights...

Grow up.

 
 
17
LIFELONG RESIDENT said in reply to Tom Wagard...

I BELEIVE THAT SILENTEE OFFERED TO FIGHT ME NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I JUST OFFERED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON UNIONISM. EXCUSE ME FOR NOT BEING A GREAT TYPIST BUT I DONT SIT BEHIND A COMPUTER ALL DAY. BY THE WAY HE ALSO STARTED ALL OF THE INSULTS WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. ITS ALSO NOT PROPAGANDA WHEN ITS THE TRUTH. I AM PRO UNION AND ALWAYS WILL BE BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN OFFERING SOMEONE A DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING, BUT I GUESS YOU ARE A UNION BASHER ALSO.

 
 
18
LIFELONG RESIDENT said in reply to Unionized player$ and agent$ have ruined $port$...

I DONT BELEIVE I SAID ANYTHIG ABOUT UNION ATHELETES DONT DESERVE THERE SALERIES, I JUST STATED THAT PEOPLE DONT HAVE A PROBLEM PAYING LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO WATCH THEM BUT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A PERSON MAKING A DECENT WAGE SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THERE FAMILIES.

 
 
19
silentee said...

Here is my email lieflung. [email protected] if you would like to continue this conversation please feel free to email me. Also for the rest of you that may get ideas of sending threats or anything other than an email with an opposing view to my own. I am quite the geek and I can trace back any email to it's original sender.

 
 
20
Ticketron said...

If it weren't for unionized athletes and their greedy representation (agents), the common working man, including union workers, wouldn't have to shell out $70.00 to sit in the top row at the Linc (the worst seats) or even higher at the Flyers games, for example. 
Even with television money in the NFL, MLB, and NBA, ticket prices for the best seats are prohibitive. Add the high cost of refreshments and souvenirs, it is becoming more and more difficult to take a family to an otherwise enjoyable sporting event. 
And what would cause all these high prices across the board? 
Unionized athletes and their representation.
I was along-time season ticket holder to 3 Philly teams so I know a little about the high cost of fun. However in recent years I slowly gave it all up and realized a large savings. It was fun, though.

 
 

- See more at: http://www.gloucestercitynews.net/clearysnotebook/2009/09/where-are-the-good-faith-negotiations.html#more

 

Comments