New York Power Firm Workers About To Strike, Con Ed Assures Subscribers Of Steady Electric Supply

July 1, 2008 10:22 a.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - The 9,000 employees of New York's power provider, Consolidated Edison, are on the verge of a strike. As the union workers prepare for a job walk-off on Wednesday, they warned Big Apple residents to be prepared for the worst, including power cut-offs in the middle of a heat wave season.

The contract of the Utility Workers Union of North America Local 1-2 with Con Edison ended Sunday morning and both parties discontinued negotiations over deadlock negotiations for pay raises and benefits. Because of the situation, New York Gov. David Paterson asked the union and the electric firm to take a three-day break to cool off from the heated negotiations.

Con Ed has offered the union a minimum 0.5 percent annual salary increase for the next four years, proposed health care reductions, a shift to a 401 (k)-style pension plan for new hires and a clause that would recover employees' compensation payments from pensions.

The utility firm's managers said they are ready to assume control of the company's switches if the union would strike. A group assigned to man the controls is ready to work 12-hour shifts to ensure that its 3 million subscribers will enjoy power service delivery.

"The lights will not go out because of a strike. We will continue to provide service... We will respond to emergencies as they arise," Con Ed spokesman Michael Clendernin assured the New York Daily News.

Negotiations resume 9 a.m. on Tuesday at the state Labor Department office. Union spokesman Joe Flaherty said the union prepared a detailed counter proposal.