Well the Hallslug is on the move again. As was expected, most of the electricians who submitted safety statements as requested by Bayview Electric Management were laid off Thursday 4-24-08.

A classic move of divide and conquer since only a third of the crew stood up and did the right thing.

A little background information about the incident.

A few weeks ago a carpenter named Brandon working for Jasman Construction in Detroit at the Motor City Casino Convention Center did something on the job I have never seen before in my 21 years as an IBEW Electrician.

He was trying to move a load of drywall on the second floor of the convention center when he approached an electrician working in an elevated scissor lift. After exchanging a few words, Brandon scaled the side of the elevated rig without a safety harness, then proceeded to assault the operator of the rig by pushing him away from the controls. He then moved the rig while elevated so he could get his drywall through the area.

All because he couldn’t wait a few minutes while the electrician finished working on energized circuits. I still find it hard to believe that this behavior was tolerated on the project. Brandon was not removed from the project.

The matter was handled poorly by many.

Most companies today love to preach about safety and how much they care about their workers. In reality they are mostly concerned about their insurance rates for workmans comp.

The choice at Bayview Electric seems to be, “If your concerned about safety then here is your layoff.”