Every Long Islander has had to sacrifice because of Hurricane Sandy. But few have given as much as the hard-working, dedicated electrical workers who are restoring power to Long Island’s homes, businesses, hospitals and transit.
Responding to crises is something that the lineman, cable splicers, substation workers, customer reps and others do on a frequent basis -- not just when their neighbors face what may be the largest natural crisis in our lifetimes, but any time the power goes down.
All employees of National Grid, whether they work in power generation, gas department, a shared organization or directly for LIPA in the transmission and distribution area, are professionals who have always pulled together and coordinated their efforts to help in a time of need.
Right now, thousands of skilled members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1049 are working 16-hour shifts, back-to-back-to-back, in some of the harshest and dangerous conditions they have ever faced. The families of these tireless workers also must sacrifice too -- vacations have been cancelled, personal needs postponed, and moms and dads are home only a few hours a day.
In fact, many of our workers are themselves victims of Sandy and have been flooded out, had trees come down and, ironically, are themselves in the dark. After hours in the field, often through the night, workers are coming home to a quick meal, taking care of their home and family and a few hours of rest before going back in the field on little sleep.
We don’t know how this situation will ultimately conclude. But we do know that for the electrical workers doing restoration work, there will be no let up until the job is done -- until everyone’s lights come back on. So, next time you pass a crew or speak to a customer representative, a simple “Thank You” would be most deserved.
Don Daley
Business Manager
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Local 1049
- Thanks to Lynn Bishop for posting.
