Wellington Energy is the company that is installing PG&E’s new wireless ‘smart’ meters in California. A former Wellington Energy employee sent us an e-mail late last year offering to speak with us about his experience installing smart meters in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has requested anonymity. Here is the Stop Smart Meters! interview with the ‘Wellington Whistleblower’ in full:
SSM: Thank you for getting in touch with us. What made you want to come forward?
WW: I’m disgusted by what I’ve seen. PG&E and Wellington need to make the public aware that there are risks with these things. They need to come clean about the emissions of harmful radio waves, potential arcing etc. No one is taking the steps necessary to protect the public. People need to be aware the risks that are being taken with their homes and with their lives.
SSM: How long did you work for Wellington and where were you based?
WW: I worked at the Capitola yard from June until the beginning of September 2010, when they abandoned the yard following community protests. After that, I worked out of the San Jose yard until the end of September when I was laid off. I primarily installed in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
SSM: What is your opinion of PG&E and Wellington Energy?
WW: The only thing they are concerned with is money. Safety was an afterthought.
SSM: What was your experience with the public? Are people happy to have these devices installed on their homes?
WW: Most people who had looked into the issue on their own did not want the meters installed. We were dealing with an increasingly resistant public. Forcing these meters on people makes the job really difficult and stressful. A few of my colleagues reported that the police were called on them multiple times.
SSM: The FCC requires that these devices be installed by trained professional electricians. [1] What kind of training did you receive prior to working as a ‘smart’ meter installer?
WW: We received only two weeks of training before they sent us out to do the installations. Though the procedure is relatively simple, if you get it wrong this can lead to arcing, shorts- even house fires. The blades on the back of the meter have to be aligned properly with the jaws on the socket the meter gets placed in. I kept hearing one of the managers say, “you guys weren’t trained properly.”
SSM: What did he mean?
WW: Many of the installers would come back to the yard and report that they had come across meters that were hanging by an electrical wire, or other clearly unsafe conditions. There was a lot of pressure on workers to install as many meters as possible in a day in order to earn bonuses. One employee went out into the Santa Cruz Mountains and I think he is still out there somewhere he got so disoriented. Needless to say, improper training, and being under incredible pressure, there HAS TO be error, especially with new people working in new territory. I overheard numerous times while at work, “you could have burned that goddamned house down.”
SSM: Did you personally come across safety hazards? What happened when you tried to report them?
WW: The more you called Wellington, the worse it looked on your record- because you’re wasting time. I saw sparks coming from one of the meters on a home. I reported it but am not sure what- if anything- was done.
SSM: Based on your observations while working for Wellington, what are your fears about the risks they are taking with the public’s safety?
WW: First off I can only speak about what I personally observed. I believe- based on what I observed- that there is a chance that due to inadequate training some meters were not installed properly. I do feel that Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Corralitos, to name a few should be informed enough to prepare for what could realistically turn into another San Bruno. (emphasis added)
SSM: Of course at the time of the explosion San Bruno was 100% installed with smart meters. Are you aware that PG&E and the CPUC have not yet responded to questions about what safety precautions they took while installing smart meters adjacent to gas lines? Seems like a fairly reasonable question given that the technology can generate sparks.
WW: It really doesn’t surprise me that they haven’t answered questions regarding the smart meters and San Bruno. When I asked one of my managers who was in charge of training “is it possible in your opinion that a fire could start from an arc from a meter located above a gas meter” (which always has some blow off gas emitting from it) he would not give me a direct answer! He avoided the question like the plague, quoting some plumber he knew and on and on, avoiding an answer. Could the San Bruno fire have been started by an arc from a meter? I’ll let you decide. The definition of an electrical arc is: “a sustained luminous discharge of electricity across a gap in a circuit”. The definition of ignition: the process or means (as an electric spark) of igniting a fuel mixture. Gas is a fuel. I’ll leave it at that. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put it all together.
SSM: Why did you stop working for Wellington?
WW: I was let go because I took too much time with each resident. When you are dealing with people’s lives, I don’t feel that it is proper to hang the door hanger, do your installs, and get out of there. With the reception of these meters I felt people at least needed to be talked to and listened to beforehand. This of course resulted in my dismissal. I talked too much and too long with the customers. As a Wellington employee you must log in to your handheld computer every 15 minutes or it creates a ‘red zone’ in your day’s activities. This is likely to be addressed to you on the phone by your boss the next day as you are trying to get your numbers up that day. A reduction in work force was eventually used as an excuse for my dismissal. Meanwhile a training class for the same position was going on at the same time!
SSM: What do you think is really behind PG&E’s ‘smart’ meter program?
WW: The smart meter has a hell of a lot of potential that they’re not talking about. PG&E claims they’re not going to use that potential, but who can believe them? Believe me they have plans for these things. They could use it for cell phone reception, broadband, tv services etc.
SSM: As you know, people are desperate. They’re suffering headaches, nausea, etc. This has driven some people out of their homes. They’re now calling them ‘smart meter refugees.’ Meanwhile PG&E and the CPUC refuse to remove them even in cases where doctors confirm that health is being jeopardized. Based on your knowledge, can a resident remove the meters themselves? How risky is this?
WW: First of all, about health issues. I was never really concerned about this, because I believed what I was told from Wellington, that the meters only emitted radio waves to send usage to a transponder close by so it could relay it to PG&E…..on a short time basis, rarely more than once a month except in the start up, and then not a lot. My manager reiterated that as well, during one of our conversations.
I was surprised to hear that the meters send signals- what- 15 per minute? We all were told they only transmit a few times a month if that, just enough to send the total usage from that account.
As far as a DIY de-installation, I don’t advise anyone who hasn’t been trained as an electrician to try and remove the meter themselves. However, if you can find a professional electrician to help you, it’s not really that big a deal. There is an aluminum ring that holds the meter in place. The ring comes off easy with a pair of wire cutters. Like a watchband or a locking suitcase- you push it in and it pops off easily. You can pull the ring off and then the meter comes right off. There are 4 pins on the back of the meter, and if you have access to an old analog meter, you could just pop it right on. Of course the pins are now essentially live wires so these would be very dangerous to touch.
SSM: The information that I have seen indicates that the new meters can actually be transmitting constantly [2], so it sounds like your managers were not being straight with you. What about the smart meter attachment on the gas meter? How would one go about removing that?
WW: You can remove a smartmeter from a gas meter by removing the screws that attach the module (meter) it to the gas meter itself. It won’t interrupt the gas service at all. All the module does is track usage, the index (dial apparatus) has a key on the back which slips onto a key in the meter which has a diaphragm regulating gas pressure and turning the gas index key.
SSM: You were working at the Capitola yard in late August 2010 when the protests were going on. What was the response from PG&E?
WW: PG&E sent a senior security executive out to handle the situation. The protests were effective at informing the public about the risks of smart meters- something PG&E desperately wanted to avoid. They didn’t want the situation to escalate so they withdrew from that site, and moved us all to San Jose.
SSM: Thanks for taking the time and being brave enough to speak out. Any last thoughts?
WW: I was never out to hurt people- this was just a job for me. I really feel these days that big brother- in the form of the government and corporations working together- is screwing us big time. I hope we can get regulators to pay attention on this as I believe there is a real chance of more people getting hurt if nothing is done.
Editor’s note: There have been a number of documented cases of ‘smart’ meters starting house fires, interfering with AFCI’s and GFCI’s [3] (devices intended to prevent electrical shocks), and other potentially dangerous interference. It is not outside the realm of possibility that a smart meter played a role in the San Bruno disaster. At the very least, this possibility needs to be investigated and questions answered. And we find it distinctly odd that this has not happened.
Also, it is important to note that Wellington installers are temporary workers, not professionals. They are not required to have prior experience or electrical education. Installers have only brief training and are paid according to the volume of meters they install. Therefore, it is typical not to report electrical irregularities because this might slow them down. In addition, non-professionals may not recognize irregularities as well as professionals and they may be gone to another place and job before the electrical emergency occurs. This lack of training has raised concerns in other states including Maine [4]. In addition, there are documented cases of gas smart meters being installed without adequate safety certification. [5]
How many homes and neighbourhoods have to burn down before regulators get serious and halt further installations? How many people have to suffer sudden health deterioration before we admit there is a problem? How many suffering people does it take to halt a $2.2 billion project? More than a few apparently.
If you work for PG&E or Wellington Energy and you have inside information you’d like to share with the public, please contact us at info[at]stopsmartmeters[dot]org We will absolutely respect your anonymity.
[2] EPRI, 2010. A Perspective on Radio-Frequency Exposure Associated With Residential Automatic Meter Reading Technology, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA.
[3] Advanced Metering Infrastructure; January 2010 Semi-Annual Assessment Report and SmartMeter™Program Quarterly Report (Updated), Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Over 10,000 ‘smart’ meters- like those in this pile in Capitola- are being installed in California everyday. It’s time for a pause, and an answer to the public’s questions.
Sounds like 1970 and cardiac pacemakers versus microwave ovens. What about
implanted medical devices versus smart meters? Insulin pumps, spinal neurostimulators, deep brain stimulators… NIH estimates 25 million Americans have them today.
But Gary, they are not forced to have them. All the things you mention are to support health, not to play Russian roulette with it.
You guys are absolutely rediculous. How can you be so concerned about something as frivolous as a more consistent electricity usage monitoring system when your microwaves, WiFi and cellphones emit way more harmful waves thatn these ever could? Oh that’s right, because they are convenient in your every day lives. Why don’t you guys push the issue of cellphone companies monitoring your usage, bad emissions and knowing everything you say or text which could be used against you in a court of law. Not only that, the police can activate the gps in your phone to locate you if they need to. I’ve witnessed this before. Your efforts are in the wrong place an your ignorance is frightening.
Maybe it’s because cell phones aren’t starting peoples houses on fire dumb ass. I know someone personally whose house has burnt down and the cause….smart meter. And now the hydro people are trying to pay them not to say anything about it.
If you feel so strongly about cell phones and microwaves, why don’t you take the initiative to compose an article about the dangers of them like this person did instead of reaming them out for wanting to bring awareness about something they felt strongly about. Seems to me like your efforts are in the wrong place. If you feel people are ignorant…educate them!
Let’s take a look at “Not Important’s” IP address. Bet it goes back to someone in the smart meter or utility industry. Or a PR company paid by the industry to troll websites and leave comments like the above.
Well, “Not Important” People don’t have their cell phones clamped to their ears for 8 hours (i.e. overnight) and they are getting brain tumours from them. I don’t have a microwave because the science I read told me that it damages proteins. (I am made of protein, so don’t want the risk)
As for OUR ignorance being frightening – well, least said, soonest mended.
Congratulations on such a fine article, Josh. Finding a brave whistleblower is an amazing feat. There are not many brave souls out there with integrity, it is like finding a needle in a haystack. I am proud of this man, He should be congratulated and recognized for his courage. Employees need to stand up and speak out when a company is clearing doing the wrong thing. that has grave consequences for many. We are our brothers keeper.
Could you develop a class-action lawsuit with a class of the people whose homes were burned down, people who suffer headaches as a result of the smart meter, people who worry about safety due to the smart meter, and sue PG&E? Brainstorming on ways to create a voice for the public against corporations.
Please send all information to health minster Mike de John Victoria BC No smart Meaters for BC. do it for our kids….
Sorry thats Mike de Jong
About removing unwanted smart meters.
Most people just have a flimsy aluminum ring and a little metal wire with a tag , those can be removed in a jiffy with diagonal cutters, but some people have a brass ring (what we call in the industry a “naughty boy clamp”) that has a tamper proof lock.
Wellington installers have a key to this lock and so do some (very few ) electricians.
If you don’t have a key to the naughty boy clamp, pour a little liquid nitrogen on the bottom of the ring, or use a plasma cutter.
For safetys sake where rubber gloves covered with leather gloves, or buy a set of “hot gloves” from an electrical supply house, and always wear a face shield or goggles and thick clothing.
Before you do any of this, contact an electrical supply house and buy an analog electric meter from Mexico. Yes GE is still making them contrary to what PG&E says.
If they tell you that you can only buy a digital electric meter, that’s fine, it won’t be a transmitting smart meter, and can still be read by anybody.
If you are told that you can’t buy a meter unless you are an electrician, go somewhere else. In this terrible economy, all electrical supply houses are hurting big time, and I doubt that they will turn down a sale. Besides, one doesn’t have to be a licensed electrician to shop at any store to buy anything electrical or electronic.
If you are in a pinch, just buy 8 inches of number 2 solid wire and insert it (cutting the proper lengths first) into the jaws vertically. This will form a jumper, or use some full sized jumper cables from an auto supply house. If you insert jumpers, cut a piece if wood or thick cardboard the exact same size as the outside diameter of the meter and secure it with the clamp.
Notes : PG&E went about this meter project backwards, they did not install the infrastructure to tranceive the billing data first. In Marin, they have only begun to install the infrastructure that receives the billing data and reports if there is an outage (or removal of a smart meter). And their lists of new meters that are being received are not accurate, so the meter readers are still making their rounds in 90 percent of Marin. Other more urban areas may be different, so if you pull a meter that is constantly sending a signal to the central office, once that meter is pulled offline, the signal goes away, and they might see it as an outage.
I doubt that PG&E will call a customer for info about an outage, it’s usually the other way around, but if they do call, just tell them that you are doing some construction that necessatated moving the meter main, and that everything is under control.
Keep in mind that PG&E owns the meter only, and the meter main enclosure , the weatherhead, the riser and wires in the riser, or wires in an underground feed and the pipes are private property, and of course any wiring and appliances on the property including load centers are private.
Also, tampering with a corporate owned electric billing meter is a FELONY !
Although tampering with a corporate meter is a felony, there are many cases when the meter must be pulled out of it’s socket.
The main one would be an emergency, but the most common one would be to replace or relocate the meter main enclosure to due to upgrading the main service or the need to move the privately owned meter enclosure to another location because of remodeling or additions.
Only the meter is PG&E’s property, all the rest of the entire electrical system is owned by the customer, and PG&E can’t dictate to anyone what to do with their private property. That includes the riser, weather head, meter socket and housing, all load centers, all wiring , appliances and devices in any building. Those are all private property and not maintained by PG&E. I have personally removed, relocated and replaced hundreds of electrical meters in my 30 year career as a licensed electrician.
In the distant future, the power agencies hope to implement a Home Area Network (HAN) inside of private buildings. They claim that this will improve efficiency of the power grid. WRONG AGAIN PG&E !
If people are dumb enough to believe the authorities then they will see the results.
Instead of the Federal government giving stimulus money to the appliance manufacturers (like they gave Whirlpool $50 million) to install new circuits capable of being remotely controlled by the new smart meters, instead they should be spending our federal tax money on making appliances more efficient ! If an appliance is made to be more efficient, there will be no need for external controls from the power agency.
Like I said, all appliances, devices, wiring and load centers are private property, and no power agency has the authority to dictate what one does with their own property.
These HAN networks will use ZigBee automation systems to control what goes on inside your buildings, and can be easily overridden or eliminated entirely.
Maybe I will have to start a new division of my electrical business to disable all external controls of appliances and devices. I know how to do it.
Building automation systems have been in use for decades, and we are constantly working to make all building systems more efficient. It is up to the property owners, managers, engineers and manufacturers to improve efficiency of operations.
WE don’t need any power agency to do it for us. Sooo, PG&E, stick your HANs where the sun doesn’t shine, and take a long walk off of a short pier !
Thanks for all your great information Redi Kw! Yes, I think you should add the service to your business to disable “smart” appliances. Your business will certainly pick up in the next few years!
Austin, Texas already has these internal networks installed, at least for central air and heat. I think they are voluntary for homeowners, but have been forced on apartment dwellers. Austin owns its own utility and they have had smart meters since 2009. If the people of Austin had had any idea what these meters were about, they would have filled the streets in protest.
For those customers that have already had a new smart meter installed but do not want it, I was just down at my electrical supply house in San Rafael. They have at least 10 analog meters in stock right now.
The cost is $73 plus tax. They do not look identical to the old meters with the dials, instead they have a display that looks like an odometer. It’s actually easier to read and plugs right in to a standard meter socket.
It’s very easy to pull out the PG&E meter and replace it with an analog one, you don’t have to be a certified electrician to do it, Wellington installers are not electricians, so it’s fine to do it yourself or pay an electrician to travel to the supply house, procure the meter, deliver it to the site and install it. I would charge about 2 hours to do this if there were no unforseen problems or additions of more work.
If you do it yourself, write down the final display for total Kwh used before you pull it, because the battery that holds the memory only lasts a few days. You will need to furnish this reading to your meter reader if asked because your own new meter will start at zero.
Even though all electric customers in PG&E have already been charged for the new meters, they still are property of PG&E and must be returned to them . It would be nice if PG&E gave you a $500 credit for returning the smart meter, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask for it, but I seriously doubt that they will cut loose with any credits.
Another option would be to tell PG&E that a carpenter accidently dropped a board on the meter and broke it doing a job at your house. You had to have the power back on immediately so you had another meter installed. Say that you chucked the broken smart meter in the dumpster with the rest of the construction debris, and if they want it back, it’s down at the landfill somewhere. They can’t double charge you for the meter. But instead give the meter to someone who can dissect it and see what is going on with the electronics. Maybe turn it over to Wikileaks.
Let’s keep it simple.
Smart Meters = No need for meter readers.
Analog = Someone must come out to your house every month to read the meter.
My opinion is that We are in a recession and need people working. Dumping all those jobs are a bad thing in economic times such as these.
The Biggest reason I am against the SM’s Is that a SM will NOT tell you if there is a anything wrong with the equipment. i.e. Someone backed into a gas meter and the piping is bent, a faint smell of gas, an electric panel that has improper closure, A rat that fried itself on exposed wiring, …etc.
SM’s CANNOT take the place of a human that can see problems and report them. A human with Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Brain, is still superior to all this wireless nonsense.
I sent (Sept. 20, 2011) a registered legal letter to SCE… NOT to install a smartmeter at my residence. I received a signed conformation that they got the letter. A day later at 4:30 am, up for the bathroom, I noticed by the blinking clock that power had been interrupted, thought nothing of it. On my way out the door for work I noticed my analog meter had been magically turned into a SMARTMETER! I was FURIOUS! I called SCE and ran up the chain of command to the “smartmeter team” member “KEVIN 1371”. He assured me that they would request a delayed install for my site… I told him that would not CUT IT! It was ALREADY INSTALLED! And they had better get someone out within the next day or so to swap it back. No need to go into the details, let’s just say that I covered the bases of my objections to the smartmeter. They gave me the run around but I kept pushing through till they appeared to cave. Time will tell, I may have to join a class action against them. The midnight install by itself was a severe safety hazard to my family! If a house fire would have started while we were sleeping, it could have been catastrophic!. Be vigilant people… STAND UP TO TYRANNY!
Call SCE @ 1-800-810-2369 tell them : I don’t want a smart meter on my home.
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Well, B.C. Hydro is a corporation, a monopoly, a business. They are selling a smart meter . Now in my opinion, we should not have to buy merchandise, that we as the public do not approve of. Especially something, that has not been cleared for safety or related health problems Not to mention invasion of privacy. In my world they are no more than high pressure salesmen who have to recover the money already spent
We are fast loosing our freedom called “Democracy”. unless our voices are heard.
Let’s not forget, POWER IS IN NUMBERS. AND WE ARE THAT POWER!!!!!
Sorina,
I have some video clips from TV stations interviewing B.C. Hydro employees, and they are real assholes at B.C. Hydro.
In one interview, a B.C. Hydro employee claimed that they were losing $100 million per year due to theft by the proliferating marijuana industry. And he went on to say that the smart meters will somehow be able to detect this theft, which is pure BS.
First off, why stereotype all of a certain type of industry as thieves ? Second, how are smart meters going to detect any theft by any industry or individual ?
People who steal electricity divert it BEFORE it gets to the meter, so smart meters won’t do a thing to detect or prevent theft of electricity in Canada or anywhere else in the world.
Another funny science fiction thing I saw from a Canadian video was they held up a hair dryer next to a little HAN display monitor. They turned the hair dryer on and the display read $1.67 per hour to operate this device. It was a total joke, a staged video, but they made a big mistake with the display. And a hair dryer does not have a monitoring chip in it anyway.
So, both sides are coming up with BS videos.
You are right to fight this program, and I think stressing on the unnecessary financial burden forced on the ratepayers is your best defence. The smart meters do not prevent theft, save energy or do one thing to upgrade your electrical power grid, the sole purpose is to automate meter reading and eliminate jobs. That is it !
Redi kilowatt the problem is the people were not educated with the “Smart Meter”. Had they known,there would not have been 1.7 million, but most likely a few hundred thousand. They have been taken advantage of. As for the “Hydro” employees, maybe
even they don’t know exactly what is going on. All they have to worry about is the next paycheque . would Hydro actually inform them of these hazards? I don’t think so.
As for whistle blowers? Come out of the closet and protect that what is most precious to us all, I admire you. Another job can always be found, but the harm from the smart meters once on your home, cannot be corrected. 24/7 electromagnetic pulses right inside our homes proved by Scientists, Electrical Engineers and now Doctors and Politicians, should be a wake-up call. Hydro has crossed all boundaries, and where is the law? Hydro has some 20.0000 violations
found out in the U.S. recently with the electrical grid. So get on to your computers and do some home work. Once convinced, tell all your neighbors and friends. Protect that
what is most precious to us. “FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY”
Dear Readers,
We are getting the Same Bull Excrement from the Five Overseas Owned Electricity Companies here in Victoria Australia, who are PowerCor and CitiPower Australia Ltd and four others. PowerCor are owned by a Chinese Company named. ” Spark Infrastructure Cheung Cong Power Asset Holdings.” Spark is correct. ” These Broken Down Arse Holes ! are trying to have us Aussies over a Barrel, and the Chief Executive Officer of PowerCor here in Victoria Australia and the other four Overseas Owned Victorian Electric Power Companies are most unhappy with me and thousands of us Aussies, simply for FIGHTING FOR OUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS………FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THOUGHT AND WORSHIP. We simply wrote Mr Shane Breheny polite, but very strong letters all registered mail and told him that we have locked our Electric Meter Boxes which we own and not Lying PowerCor Australia Pty Ltd.
We bought very strong Industrial Padlocks and only unpadlock our Electric Meter boxes for our Meter Reader Man to read, then we repadlock them after he has taken his readings. I told this Mr Shane Breheny The C.E.O in the same registered letter that I would join the Common Class Action to SUE if he forced a Dopey Microwave Smart Meter on my property. I also stated that I had informed our Local Police that I wanted them to come and arrest any Smart Meter Installer Man I caught damaging my Industrial Lock and Electric Meter Box. These Local Police said that they would not only arrest such a transgressor/s but would lock lock them up. They also stated that for anyone to tamper with my or anybody’s Lock or Meter Box on my or anybody else’s’ Private Property would be Breaking and Entering which is UNLAWFUL and carries with it severe penalties. Therefore dear readers, simply buy a stout Industrial padlock and a hasp and staple to suit your Electric Meter Box, be it a metal or wooden box, then fit the hasp and staple and then the padlock. Next put your Legal Antitrespassing notices on your Electric Meter Box and the other one on your front fence or gate or letter box. Affix these notices firmly and then photograph them both for legal reasons. If you can’t be home for the Meter Reader Man, do as I do, take down three Electric Meter Readings yourself. One for two days before the Meter Reader is due at your place, the next for one day before, the next early in the morning before you go to work. Simply write these readings on a piece of paper, sign it, date it and stick it to your Electric Meter Box for your Meter Reader Man to read.
Presto all fixed !
Signed,
Richard Leschen.
Where can people get Legal Anti-trespassing notices?
Hello Cedar! You can get all the information through http://www.citizensforsafetechnology.com. You may also pick up a sign which states “NO TRESPASSING” in any large store. I just placed one on my home in bright red. You still will have to watch, because they do break down signs and force themselves on to your property. Watch for Hoodies and runners . These guys get paid $ 20.– per installation. They also carry a backpack in which the
Smart meters are hidden. They install them in minutes time. I witnessed this in my own back yard,looking across the street. These contraptions are dangerous. the reason that they have installed already 1.7 million in B.C.,
is because the people are or were not informed. This I consider to be taking advantage of,especially the elderly.
Check this out people! This can help! EMF filter http://youtu.be/5hJYPULYrB8
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I worked for Wellington Energy when they first rolled out the gas meter retrofit program. PG&E routinely uses contractors for its work for jobs that have safety and environmental issues as a means to ‘insulate’ themselves from liability. For them to follow Federal and CALOSHA rules would be too costly, but by creating an environment amongst contractors to compete to get this work, and tacitly encourage cutting corners as a direct result of the process. That union local doesn’t insure that lunches and breaks are provided, and don’t care. If you complain, then YOUR the troublemaker instead of the union enforcing the contract! They are more crooked than an old mans’ back!
You are right; PG&E contractors routinely kill line workers by exerting fiscal pressure on them, and deaths and injuries are a result. If it didn’t cost them money or further ruin their already useless reputation, they wouldn’t care if people were loosing limbs routinely. PG&E is self-insured, and VERY political. Of course, the ‘rules’ are not applied with any equality or consistency. Proof of that is they routinely ‘blacklist’ people (with the help of the union), and get away with it. So if you follow all the necessary precautions, you’re too slow, if you attempt to cut corners, you’re unsafe. The worst part of that is the IBEW local is in PG&E’s hip pocket, and feins standing for the workers, when it protects the contractors and PG&E instead of insuring safety, routinely throwing its’ dues-paying rank-and-file under the bus.
…I forgot, it gets better. I predicted correctly tiered rates for gas and electric. Worse still, even though PG&E eliminated all its’ meter readers and the costs associated with that function, they went to the CPUC BEFORE this program was even NEAR completion and asked for a rate increase because the program was costing them more than anticipated!!