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SadistDave -> RE: It's not directly related to Wisconsin... (6/7/2012 1:12:44 AM)
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There are a few slight problems with this fable you've concocted.
The age of the plant is irrelevant to your argument as you tie it's age into a misleading argument about Fukishima (but in fairness it is not irrelevant to the issue), as is the fact that it shares similar design features with the Fukishima plant. The Fukishima plant failed as the result of an earthquake not because of the design characteristics. Well, technically that's a little incorrect. The design critiques of Fukishima were based on the plants inability to withstand seismic activity (earthquakes). However, it functioned quite well until it experienced one and only failed under conditions that were far worse than the predictable worst case scenario. Your comparison is little more than fear-mongering, since there haven't been a whole lot of earthquakes near Pilgrim... ever.
The workers at Pilgrim have been negotiating a contract since theirs expired in May. At present, the union does not have a contract and they have openly been in and out of negotiations for a very long time. They have authorized at least 2 union strikes in the last 6 weeks. They have chosen to not work because they will not accept the terms they are being offered. So, basically, the unions want more than management is willing to offer and have decided to throw a collective temper tantrum (as unions are known to do from time to time...) In point of fact the unions have been striking on and off for quite some time because they refuse to accept the terms that management is offering them and insist on demanding more than management is willing to give them. In essence, the unions are taking advantage of the states pro-union labor laws.
This is part of Entergy's statement about the lockout: "Local 369 has stated flatly that while its members are not on strike, they reserve the right to walk off the job at any time, without any notice, and leave the nuclear power plant critically understaffed and in violation of the plant's operating license. This disregard for public safety is unacceptable. Accordingly, the company's contingency plan is being implemented."
According to this article, the plant currently holds a 20 year license as of a week ago. Your claim that it is unlicensed is factually incorrect. You have either deliberately chosen to misrepresent the truth, or know nothing about what is going on there.
The plant normally employs over 650 people. Only 250 or so have been locked out. There are 400 qualified people working at the plant still manning all of the essential systems. This brings up a little problem with the math. According to the local union goons, there are 380 union workers at the plant which makes up 90% work force. 380 people is no where near 90% of the 650 plant employees. I'm reasonably certain that there are not 270 managers for 380 workers. If there are, then it would appear to a rational person that the union employees weren't doing their jobs properly anyway if they required that much supervision.
This is not the first time non-essential personnel have been sent home. In May 100 people were sent home because they were not needed and those union members decided to picket the plant in protest. They were called back when they were needed.
Even according to the union member interviewed in the news video which accompanies the link, the plant is safe. (He just feels it would be safer with over-paid and apparently under-performing union labor at the helm.) If a qualified, local union employee believes it is safe, then there are apparently qualified people running the plant, which would seem to negate your ill-informed and unfounded concerns that there are no qualified people operating the facility.
In the real world, when you don't pay your bills your power gets cut off. Your belief that people should be allowed to freeload off the work and resources that they do not pay for as "bullshit" and "blackmail tactics" is beyond ridiculous. Their willingness to not shut off power to the elderly and families with toddlers actually says a lot for their character. Your assertion that people should be able to freeload on the grid says a lot for yours.
However, to be perfectly fair here, when I was looking into your fairy story I found one real reason for concern over the Pilgrim plant. The plant has a less than stellar safety record. Pilgrim has had several emergency shut-downs recently on the average of one every 60 days or so... In fact there have been something like 11 towns close to Pilgrim that have proactively tried to have it shut down completely as a safety hazard. The plant was designed to work for 40 years, and it has been re-licensed for an additional 20 years beyond it's design specs because it cannot and will not be replaced. In reality though, the plant will only become more dangerous with age in spite of the best efforts of management AND labor.
Realistically, the plant probably should be closed down. Unfortunately, that cannot happen until there is something to replace it's 680 MW output. That might actually take longer than the plant can continue to safely operate. I suspect that since Pilgrim is the only nuclear power plant in the state, much of the faux concern for safety by the union is nothing more than a desire to stay on the gravy train until the plant fails, at which point they will predictably blame management.
-SD-
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