9-3-01, Voice in the Crowd, 665 words
Union was casualty in Water War
By Pete Chaney
IPS Features
It’s the foot soldier that suffers the casualty on the battlefield. It’s not the generals and the politicians who plot the maneuver. They sit back, sip their martinis and congratulate or alibi the latest victory or loss. They don’t lose blood.
Chattanooga had its own combat two years ago with the water war. The city made a bid to take over the New Jersey based water company, the local branch being the Tennessee American Water Company. Battle lines were drawn. Recruits were enlisted.
Mayor Jon Kinsey was confident it was good for the city of Chattanooga to have its own water supplying facility. Most cities do. He reasoned that instead of profits flowing uphill to New Jersey the revenue would remain in Chattanooga.
He had volunteers. Most of City Council joined him. Many business, civic and plain folks signed on.
Strategy from the city was eminent domain, as a means to acquire the water facility. They agreed to pay a fair price as adjudged independently.
The water folks opened their pocket book. Before it was over, they admittedly shelled out over $5-million to retain the water rights. High price public relations firms and high dollar legal teams were hired. They even paid top money for people to ride around neighborhoods and put up signs supporting the TWAC leadership no one had ever heard of before the fight.
It got nasty. Rumors were spread that the mayor and people on the inside were in it to make a profit. Individuals were subjected to harassing phone calls for siding with the city.
Right at the center of the fight were the workers, the men and women who belonged to the union. Both sides courted UWUA Local 121.
The mayor promised no one would lose jobs. No one would lose accrued benefits. He and his staff met personally with them.
Then the president of the water works came down to talk to the union. Promises were made. There would be no layoffs. If they went with the city and left the water conglomerate, they would suffer from loss retirement benefits and the perks they enjoyed. The scare factors of change were used repeatedly.
Friends of the union workers pointed out they would be better off working for the city. Their employers would be the people of Chattanooga. Their bosses would be the political faces who run the city. They would have recourse through public opinion and the ballot box if city hall didn’t live up to promises. What could they do with leaders of a company in New Jersey running a nationwide water conglomerate?
Despite a determined effort by the mayor, his support began to wash away. Some council members who supported him began to waver or do an about face.
As Shakespeare says, we stay with the evil we know . . . rather than try change. The union stuck with the water leadership.
The city won with perks on water and income. The water company won with a secure base in Chattanooga.
Losers were the union workers, naturally.
The company began hiring lower paid contract labor for jobs that had been handled by experienced, trained workers. Offices have been closed and employees cut back. All the while, the company continued to hire new vice presidents and give themselves bonuses.
The clout the union had is gone. In fact, the New Jersey boys would probably love to see the union strike or do something to give them an excuse to hire scabs permanently.
Many union members look back and consider they could have been better off working with the city. Now an overseas group looms ready to acquire the New Jersey company. Bankers in Germany or Switzerland or Hong Kong, instead of city officials they elected, will employ workers.
All the company cares about is the bottom line: money.
It’s no different from any other battle. No matter who wins, the foot soldier is the one who suffers.
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