State Canal Director has change of heart; Says layoffs WILL hurt operations

ALBANY, NY (04/05/2013)(readMedia)-- In a dramatic turnaround, the head of the state Canal Corporation, now says Gov. Andrew Cuomo's layoffs there will indeed mean a drastic reduction in operations along the canal system along with a corresponding drop in morale.

In an email sent to employees yesterday, Canal Corp. Director Brian U. Stratton said Cuomo's layoffs would force the corporation to resort to a reduced operating schedule last employed in 1991. "Even with this revised schedule, our resources will be strained, and our people challenged, like never before," Stratton said. "I am aware of the state of morale, and the precarious state of our labor force."

Just over a month ago, Stratton said the layoffs would not affect operations or pose a threat to safety. However, CSEA, the union representing the canal workers, immediately rejected Stratton's claim because many of the cuts involved Canal Lock Operators, who perform the vital function of controlling dam movement and regulating water levels. CSEA has learned that due to the governor's cuts the Oswego Canal now has no lock operators.

"Unmanned locks are more than just an inconvenience to boaters or a hit to the wallets of communities along the Mohawk Valley that depend on the canals economically," said CSEA President Danny Donohue. "This could potentially cause a serious safety hazard, particularly at a time when major storms and flooding continue to pose a real threat."

The union leader predicted that the skeleton staff of remaining workers may wind up having to rove between locks to provide necessary coverage, racking up large amounts of overtime and offsetting anticipated cost savings.

CSEA has contended from the start that the layoffs were political retaliation against unionized workers because ongoing labor negotiations have not concluded, a charge bolstered by the fact that management employees and political appointees have been spared. Donohue said Stratton's email provided further evidence that the layoffs were politically motivated, rather than financially necessary.

"For many of our friends and colleagues, yesterday was a heartbreaking end to a career they enjoyed in a place they loved, and to jobs they truly excelled in performing," Stratton wrote. "Certainly, they had done nothing to deserve it."

"It's a sad commentary that Governor Cuomo cares more about making a political point than he does about the well being of these workers and their families, even at the expense of Thruway and Canal operations," Donohue said. "The evidence is beginning to pour in that the governor's vindictive action against innocent employees will have widespread consequences. "

-30-