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Similar to Biloxi, the city of Slidell, Louisiana, is susceptible to periodic flooding and hurricanes because it is located at the juncture of a floodplain and coastal zone.
Source: The Louisiana State Center
Officials and Union Leaders Exchange Blaim For Major 2005 Los Angeles Power Blackout
LOS ANGELES - Citizens were treated the spectacle of union leaders and city officials wrangling over who should be blamed for the major September 2005 Los Angeles Power Blackout.The power outage affected nearly 2 million people, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. During the peak demand of the day, the black out shut down elevators, ATMs and traffic lights for almost 3 hours during lunchtime throughout most of Los Angeles on Monday September 12, 2005. 756,000 households and businesses were left powerless.
Union officials blamed the city for not wanting to pay higher night wages and cutting corners by doing this work during the day during peak demand. According to the LA Dept of Water and Power, a utility crew cut control lines in the San Fernando Valley, and then improperly reconnected them. The utility crew was trying to install an automated montoring control. Union officials, representing 8,200 utility workers, said this kind of work should be done at night.
"They're cutting corners," said Brian D'Arcy, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18. "They shouldn't have done it in the middle of the day when people are coming back from lunch and turning their computers on."
A city councilman, Dennis Zine, fired back an accusation that the union had thought up this mishap in order to apply pressure on the city during a contract dispute. "There's no question that water and power is in contract negotiations," Zine said at the City Council meeting. "Could this be interpreted as ... 'if we don't get this we're going to shut down the power of Los Angeles?'"
Ron Deaton, general manager of the utility, claimed it was just an honest mistake at a Tuesday City Council meeting.
The union is currently demanding that the City Council approve a proposal that would increase utility workers' pay between 16.25 percent and 30 percent over five years.
Similar to Biloxi, the city of Slidell, Louisiana, is susceptible to periodic flooding and hurricanes because it is located at the juncture of a floodplain and coastal zone.
Source: Louisiana State Center
