Linemen in Asheville Stage Work Stoppage Over Unpaid Wages Amid Hurricane Recovery Efforts

Linemen in Asheville Stage Work Stoppage Over Pay Dispute

In Asheville, North Carolina, a group of linemen has made quite the statement this week as they gathered in the old Sears parking lot off South Tunnel Road. The mood was serious, but the spirit was resilient, as these hardworking folks banded together to voice their frustrations about not receiving payment after long hours of labor. This work stoppage kicked off at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30, and for good reason.

Long Hours and Unpaid Work

These linemen were contracted by Next Era Communications, a company that has brought crews from across the country to help Western North Carolina rebuild after the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene. With incidents of power outages and extensive damage still fresh in the community’s memory, the pressure was on for these crews to get things up and running again.

Miguel Burgos, the owner of Next Era, shared that his company is working with MasTec, which in turn is contracted by Spectrum. It’s a bit of a layered situation, and unfortunately, the linemen have found themselves in the middle of it. According to Burgos, his crews are yet to receive payment for their work done between October 7-13. He mentioned that they had agreed to a payment term called Net 14, meaning they should have received their funds 15 days after submitting their first invoice. That would have been by October 23, but as of Wednesday morning, the money was still missing.

A Tour of the Struggles

As the story unfolded, Jack Reid, who runs GoJet Recruiting Services and is responsible for gathering these linemen, provided insight into the situation. He shared that there have been around 200 dedicated crews working tirelessly over the weeks, often under tough conditions. Reid recounted some personal challenges, saying, “If you go look in my vehicle, there’s a dog in there and an air mattress in there; that’s where we’re sleeping. We haven’t showered. We’re not eating. Everything that they promised that they said they would come through with, nothing is being met.”

Crews Refuse Per Diem Offer

Even though the crews have completed some work in areas like Asheville, Lenoir, Aiken, and Spartanburg, frustration was mounting. Reid reported that aside from a couple of days of pay in Lenoir, most of the linemen had yet to see anything for their first week of hard work. Matters became more pressing when a message regarding per diem payments was sent out. “The offer is, they will pay us our per diem to date, to today,” Reid communicated to the gathered linemen. The response was clear and unified: a resounding no. The linemen were not willing to return to work for just their per diem.

Hope Amidst the Standoff

Just when it seemed that a resolution was far off, some good news broke in just before 12:30 p.m. Reid shared that his crews had decided to take a break for the remainder of the day but would be back ready to work Thursday, albeit only after the money issue was addressed.

Seeking Answers

In the background, questions about why payments were delayed continued to swirl. Efforts to reach MasTec and Spectrum’s parent company, Charter Communications, went unanswered, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over the situation. As a side note, an error was made in reporting that the workers had been fired; they have not been dismissed, and this clarification was shared shortly after the news broke.

The Community’s Role

This incident serves as a reminder of the dedication of these linemen who travel from afar to help their fellow citizens during critical times. As the community watches and waits for timely resolutions, the focus remains on ensuring that these essential service providers receive their fair compensation for the hard work they’ve put in.

As the story continues to develop, we can only hope for a swift resolution that honors the commitment these linemen have shown to the people of Asheville and the surrounding areas.