Aren't unions wonderful? Why, those union goons in New Jersey would rather let their customers freeze in the dark than accept help from real working Americans. Unions gave $400 MILLION to Obama when he was running for president last time and he gave them a TRILLION dollars in funds to shore up their bloated pensions. I wonder what they gave hin this time? @#!% crooks!!

I thought Obama was going to remove the red tape? Hopefully the readers see this article along with your endorsement of Barack Obama.

Pathetic . . .100% pathetic.

Haiti didn't want FEMA trailers either and their arses are still living tents!

So why didn't they just affiliate with the union while up there? Seems a reasonable request. Often when non-union members are needed to fill spots that a union job can't fill, they ask people to work as a temporary member.

And just to go further, since everyone seems to love bashing unions, let me explain. The union is ultimately responsible for assuring the qualified people are on the job. If something isn't done correctly, it will fall back on them.

At one time, I worked union and non-union construction and I've seen the differences in both, though I'm sure it's a little different with a utility company. When I worked union, everyone had the same background and training as me. In non-union I've personally seen many guys (and girls) sign onto a job as a journeyman worker without having the skills and qualifications to do the job.

(Example-I worked a job where a guy was a laborer, a few months later he lied on his application at another job and came in as a millwright journeyman. He had NO experience in this type of work and during shutdowns most companies don't bother to check references on an application.)

This is why, with people coming in from all over the country to help, it's important to make sure that everyone can do their job properly. While I'm sure DU sent well qualified people with the best of intentions, that may not always be the case with some other places.

Unions aren't always the "bad guys" that people make them out to be, and in this instance, I think they are doing the best they can to make sure the job is done safely.

These workers drove that distance into a ravished environement to HELP the people affected by the hurricane. WHY should they even be asked to join the union. Temporary or not, they aren't union for a reason. It is absolutely absurd that anyone would tell these volunteers to leave. They are qualified to do the job, let them do it for the people without power.

Read the letter from the DU GM Gail, they weren't told to leave.

Typical BS from the unions. They do suck. They were needed years ago but now all they do is protect the lazy. Get real.

When in true need of assisance . . . . anyone who does not ask for help is a fool. Anyone who refuses help is an idiot. Asking them to affiliate with the union while up there is not only absurd it is pathetic. Any rationale of claiming that is reasonable is about as resonable as someone asking me to go get my lifeguard certification first before jumping in to save a drowning victim.

But Tony, by using that analogy, you could also look at it this way-If someone were drowning and there are qualified people there trying to save them, shouldn't they be the ones to do it instead of a well-meaning individual who could potentially do more harm than good?

All unions accomplish is keeping the employees in jobs that pay them their dues like they are required to do, no matter what quality of work the person does. Unions also remove the competitive nature of doing a good job to earn a promotion. If you're next in line, no matter if you work hard or not, you get the job unless you refuse it. A person that has been with the company 1year could be a better qualified employee than the person that's been there 2 years, but, they get first dibs on the new job.

And if an employee gets in trouble, the union will only help to the point where they think their efforts are still profitable based on the union dues. Once they see no profit in it, they abandon the union employee and let them fend for themselves against the management that already has a beef with them for being union.

Nothing good comes from a union. They are a money maker and that's all. If an employee is seen as no benefit to the union anymore, paying dues won't get you the help you think you should get. I worked under an employer that was under the teamsters union for 3 years. I never joined the union; but, I still had to follow their rules. All my coworkers that were union never had anything good to say about the representation they got and several dropped out because there was no point in being a member.

So Angie, you are basically making a blanket statement that anyone not affialted with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (union) is unqualified to work as an electrician. That is abslutely insane.

No Angie, but they were told they can't work. Your point that holding a union card makes you qualified to do the job and the folks who aren't holding the same card are just "well-meaning" is just plain ignorance.

there was a need for unions - at one time. now they are a joke. ask Delphi

Wow, you people need to learn reading comprehension. I didn't make a blanket statement about anything. I gave an example of why they are probably asking people to join their union. And no Gail, read it slowly this time, and try to sound out the big words if you get confused. They were not told they couldn't work, only that they must sign up to temporarily join the union to be able to work.

It has nothing to do with DU people not being qualified, I have no doubt whatsoever that they are and admire them to this for their work during the tornadoes last year. It has to do with responsibility.

If Billy Bob, the General Utilities Manager from Nowhere Town, USA decides to let his cousin Fester, (whom he hired last year because his wife insisted), go down to NY/NJ to get him out of his hair for a while the union and the utility companies there are ultimately responsible for making sure Fester knows what he's doing. If Fester hooks up the wrong line or drops a live wire or something and starts a fire, it's on NY/NJ, not Billy Bob, who is just glad to get a vacation from Fester and his alcohol problem.

Long story short, NJ turned down much needed help from well qualified workers smply because they did not wear they same color shirt as they do. It is union control and manipulatin at it's best. Regardless of their rationale, the citizens up there are the ones who caught the short end of the stick and the union is 150% to blame. It is plain irgnorance and stupidity no matter how you slice it.

Unions are big up there. Because up there, the actually make stuff.

Unions are detrimental to our society and work force, they mosly protect the sorry worker and pentalize the one that does more work than the union thinks they should, what do you think took down the automobile industry? Some of the people that comment on these articles need to stay indoors away from the rest of the people, so we can feel safe to go out, knowing we're not going to meet any of these idiots on the road.

...says the person that says pentalize. Please forfeit your car and license. Thank you.

Local Union Member #558 IBEW....and I can assure you, unions aren't for the lazy!! Funny how everyone from Hartselle, Joe Wheeler and Huntsville was able to go ahead and work, but DU couldn't! Really? Ya'll are a bunch of RATS!!!!!! Might as well let the Mexicans go up there and work for lower pay and no insurance....oh, and take these other RATS with them! If you want to work for less pay, no insurance, and harder, you go right ahead!! UNION MAN AND PROUD OF IT!!!!! LU558 ;)

I am a member of a union and I will say this "There is a time and a place for everything". This is an emergency situation and everyone who is qualified to do the work should be working. To use the union term "qualified" in order to put up "fences" to keep workers out is arrogant grandstanding. The citizens/victims of Sandy need to be informed that workers, who drove all the way from Alabama, tried to help but were turned away. I also heard that Obama suspended usual "rules" in order to "speed up" relief supplies...how insane is that? Get rid of those "rules" and let Government SPEED UP!

Mike . . . . best post of all. All comments should end after yours.

Joe Wheeler and Huntsville Utilities pushed forward and found a place to work and be useful since they made the long drive to the NY / NJ area. I am disappointed that more effort wasn't made to find a place to be helpful. I believe Mr. Harbin knows that to be the case. We may have a case of the tail wagging the dog; meaning the labor force actually made the decision to return home against the wishes of management.

Please watch the local news and listen to what the Manager of DU had to say!!!! Had NOTHING to do with UNIONS....didn't need their help....WHNT 19 @ 6:30........They were not turned around because they were non union.....

Nobody cares about facts Herman. They have their beliefs.

These workers were not turned away this sounds more like some attorney for the DU wanted someone to sign some kind of documents ie red tape and when no one had time to console the DU then the DU RECALLED THEM.

READ PEOPLE and interpt what you read.

@ William.....YOU ARE SOOOOOOOO RIGHT......NOBODY CARES ABOUT FACTS!!!!!! WELL, THEN SHUT THE HE!! UP! IF THE NEXT MAN WANTS TO WORK FOR 15/HR WHILE I MAKE 45/HR...THEN THAT'S HIS IGNORANCE!!!!

I'm from Jersey, and I am not happy about this. You are good people who want to come to help us and the lousy liberal union thugs are stopping you from helping is a disgrace.

I don't know why the governor allowed this to happen. Thank you for trying to help us. Despite what it looks like there are some good Americans in Jersey just not a lot.

...

Arthur, you need to let others in your area know about this problem. I'm sure the DU 6 aren't the only ones who have been unable to help due to the red tape. What a shame for those still in need of help. So much for the time and money spent to send folks there to help.....all for naught.

Will continue to keep those in need in our thoughts and prayers.

....read the DU news release on the crew recall attached to this article. if DU wasn't going to be assured the guys were going to be able to help, why stay there?

wow..do some of you people not know how to read? Other non union help is helping right now, this has nothing to do with union and non union it has to do with Decatur Utilities.

There's probably more to this story that what's in the article above.

Robert and William share the award for making me laugh on this crisp Saturday morning. Because......the best humor is rooted in truth. LOL!

"A Decatur Utilities crew sent to help repair damage from superstorm Sandy has been recalled because crew members didn’t receive assurances they could work without union affiliation."

Do not understand why anyone would say the union red tape didn't have anything to do with why the crew members came home. In the words of Jimmy in his previous comment "wow..do some of you people not know how to read?" Obviously, he knows how to read but is unable to comprehend what he reads.....LOL

They gave him something, as a member of the Teamters i will not vote for him.The union has good and bad but I am Proud to be a union member