RHODE ISLAND
Workers hopping mad at utility monopoly
By Mike Shaw
Providence, R.I.
The recent monopolization of gas utilities in Rhode Island
has workers in the state hopping mad.
Texas-based natural gas giant Southern Union has
conglomerated formerly independent gas companies in Providence,
Bristol, Warren and Blackstone Valley, all in Rhode Island, and
Fall River and North Attleboro in Massachusetts, into one
subsidiary--New England Gas.
Shortly after acquiring Providence Gas on Jan. 21, New
England Gas locked out 238 maintenance and construction workers
from United Steelworkers Local 12431 after the union turned
down a contract offer containing a tiny wage increase.
The bosses brought in scabs from Missouri and temporary
workers. Strong pickets protesting the lockout, enjoying great
community support, have been going on daily at three different
Providence Gas locations.
New England Gas was not satisfied with only trying to break
the union. It has audaciously proposed a 13.9-percent gas rate
hike for broad sections of the state under the rationale of
"one state, one rate."
This proposal comes after Valley Gas customers were already
burdened with a 30-percent rate hike last year.
Some 70 infuriated gas customers, locked- out union workers
and single mothers denounced the proposed rate hike at a Feb. 7
public hearing held by the Public Utilities Commission at
Pawtucket City Hall.
"This increase is an outrage," said Pawtucket resident Lisa
Gonzalez, mother of two. "It disgusts me to think that a
[Southern Union] CEO's salary of over $3 million is more
important than the household needs of a family with small
children."
Maggie Rogers of the Campaign to End Childhood Poverty
declared, "I feel you cannot hear it enough how egregious these
recurrent rate hikes really are. It feels like 'one state, one
rape.' I'd like to have you once turn down a rate
increase."
Steelworkers member and 20-year Providence Gas Co. worker
John Shadoian of North Providence used the public forum to
rebut the company's published remarks about an alleged
7-percent wage increase offer. He testified that they had
actually only offered a "pittance" of two 0.5-percent increases
over six months.
Charley Desmarais of Woonsocket called New England Gas "a
dictatorship that won't negotiate with their employees."
John Gallagher, also of Woosocket, asked whether the hike
was needed to pay the scab workers the company hired.
Gas company worker Rodney Larocque cited the impoverished
conditions he witnessed in numerous homes whose gas he was
assigned to shut off.
"We don't think they should get anything," stated Henry
Shelton of the George Wiley Center. He questioned the soundness
of Southern Union's finances, comparing them to another
notorious Texas-based utility giant--now defunct Enron. Shelton
also criticized the rising number of utility shutoffs for
nonpayment.
'Don't pay your gas bill!'
On Feb. 13, 50 locked-out gas company employees and their
allies rallied outside the State House. Inside, at a House
Finance Committee hearing, a bill requiring workers to have two
years' experience before performing utility shutoffs was being
introduced.
The bill was created due to pressure from the union workers
about safety concerns. It would end New England Gas bosses'
practice of hiring temporary workers to do shutoffs after only
16 hours of training.
To further support the locked-out union workers, Rhode
Island Jobs with Justice, a labor solidarity coalition, has
started a "Don't pay your gas bill" campaign.
The flyer reads in part: "Let's stand together and defend
Rhode Island against corporate greed."
The campaign leaflet outlines three steps:
* Don't pay your gas bill.
Save your money and wait until the workers win a contract. The
gas company can't shut off your gas for another two months
until winter is over, according to state law.
* Call the boss, Thomas Robillard, at (401) 272-5040
and tell him you're not paying your bill until he negotiates a
fair contract with the union because our safety is not
negotiable.
* Join the workers on the picket lines downtown on
Weybosset St., Dexter St. and Allens Ave. Bring coffee and food
if you can. They are picketing from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Reprinted from the Feb. 28, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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