Lee County Organizing Committee

So you think the Labor Movement is dying in the South? Think again!

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Water/Waste Water Plant Operators to become Electricians?

We learned today that Lee County Utilities is planning to give a crash course to all plant operators on how to troubleshoot electrical problems at their plants as well as do “simple” electrical repair work. The thinking is that by having an operator taking care of the simple problems, on-call electrical personnel will not be needed to be called out thus saving the County the overtime they would otherwise incur. On larger problems where the plant is down, operators will have to diagnose the exact problem to fill in the on call electrician when they arrive at the plant to save time. Apparently the Utilities' safety officer will be organizing these training sessions. This seems to be a contradiction having the safety officer, whose goal is for the overall safety of Utilities employees involved in something that could pose a definite risk of injury or death to the operations employee. This Safety Officer should be fighting to keep this from happening!

In your personal life...would you hire somebody who only had a training class with no experience, no certification, and little training to work on the electrical system in your house? Of course not! Why would the county risk life and limb of one of their employees on such a hare-brained idea? Why would the county risk lawsuits from employees' families after they lose their loved one's ability to provide for them due to serious injury or death? From what we see, lower management is against this idea as well, for the very same reasons. County electricians with years of experience and training risk the possibility of injury on a daily basis. All it takes is an unknown situation, opening an electrical cabinet with an arc flash, a moment of loosing concentration and it's all over! Even trained electricians have been injured due to no fault of their own. The County seems to think that operations staff will do whatever they are required to do to keep their jobs...even at the risk described above, and for what? Will they be compensated to assume this risk? You know the answer.

Folks, it goes back to what we have been saying for a long time. The County does not care about you. If you will not do their bidding they will just as soon replace you with another “desperate” soul who will. Being that we are “at will”, we cannot stop a crazy scheme like this. If we organize we can stop it dead in it's tracks. Status Quo will prevent any changes to working conditions. A contract would go even further. We need to act now. Act now before we loose co workers from unnecessary risk and the injuries that will surely arise. Contact us. Let's get moving before someone gets hurt!

It has come to our attention that a co worker or perhaps a group of co workers have taken the initiative to start a petition to take to the Lee County Commission to explain that we all need and deserve a raise for the next budget year. On behalf of the organizing committee we thank these workers and wholly endorse their effort. Please help their effort by clicking on the link, http://chn.ge/1jD5r2C. Help all of us help ourselves as it appears county administration won't speak for us. All of us at Lee County will appreciate your support!

Lee County BoCC: LEE COUNTY WORKERS DESERVE A PAY RAISE! We, the undersigned employees, families and supporters of Lee County, FL workers hereby request the Lee County, FL commissioners give the workers a...