BigT

I understand and appreciate the concerns of the employees when they say they fear for their jobs and their livelihood.  What LFG posted above should address those concerns just as much as a union does or can.  Unfortunately the protection offered within those rules does not react as quickly as would a union presence on a job.  It takes at least two sides to make improvements and the old adage frequently comes to mind, It's not what you say it's how you say it.  Good working relationships are built over time and require solid communications from all involved.  I've never seen a business succeed, long term where management didn't listen to worker concerns.  That doesn't mean that the worker is always right, but management must allow workers a voice and at least respond where it is within reason.
People's concern that the fine issued wasn't enough is valid on the surface and can't be discounted in the larger picture.  What many seem to be overlooking is the significant possibility of much larger settlements still on the table for the family of Mr. Pierce.  We may or may not know what those are based on the terms of any settlement.  Using a little experience as a guide I believe the settlement will be quite significant and paid by an insurer if the company has one or from the corporate treasury if they are self insured.
My hope is like LFG's, that this will result in improvements in landfill operations across the country, not just a bump in the road for the industry to move past and continue to do what has become somewhat of a standard practice.

At least 25 years ago when I think BFI owned the landfill I knew a few operators who wanted to unionize.  One of them even went to a nationwide company competition but that didn't stop them from being let go.  
Rather than getting the Union to fight the individuals moved on to other jobs.
 

At least 25 years ago when I think BFI owned the landfill I knew a few operators who wanted to unionize.  One of them even went to a nationwide company competition but that didn't stop them from being let go.  
Rather than getting the Union to fight the individuals moved on to other jobs.
 

True, but even a waterfall started with a single drop of water.   In most cases eliminating one or two people swings the pendulum the other way.  I had a location where the work rules were costing significant dollars and during the negotiation of a new contract the union would not allow them to change.  After months of negotiation we made the decision to shut down a multi-million dollar facility and move the work to another existing site 40 miles away.  Same union, different local, and members who would work with management for the good of the business.
The employees couldn't believe that their stubbornness could result in 30+ lost jobs, but it did.  Every employee there was making in excess of $60K annually and had a benefit package that was well beyond the industry standard.  Unions have good as well as bad, but they are not a cure all.  Good, flexible employees and responsive management make a far better working environment than adversarial  workplaces. 

This is my fear of a union. I wouldn't want that as an operator, and I definitely don't want that as a manager. Typically when a union gets a foot in the door down here, that's where it starts. A disgruntled employee.
That's why I run my landfill the way I do. My men respect me, and I respect them. I was an operator once, too, and I treat them the way I would want to be treated. I take ownership of my operation, and my men take ownership of their jobs. We don't want an outside group to be the mediator.
I would imagine the operators there are the same way. If they are like a typical landfill, they have all been working there for years. I see much less turnover in the waste industry than I did in construction. Most operators I know at my landfill and others have been there 10+ years. Chances are the operators were there before the current owners were. That's why I don't understand the silence...

I've worked in both union and non-union businesses and in union and non-union positions within them, and have had safety committees in every one of them.  I can't say a union environment today is universally better for employees with all of the laws and agencies involved and available to protect workers.  What I do see is people who fear for their jobs find comfort in expecting union protection to keep their jobs.  The other side of that is I see unions protecting employees who should not be working at the expense of better workers.  It's a two way street and I personally was better served working in a non-union position, where others may not have been.

I hope you knew the difference between a cow & a bull in your younger years!!!

The chicken version of ear tags for cattle.  To most people a cow is just a cow.  To a farmer they know which cow is which.  Having spent much of my youth working on dairy farms I was always amazed at how farmers knew which cow went into which stall to be milked and when one was out of place.  Obviously I was too dumb and naive to pay enough attention to this because to me a cow is still just a cow.
 
Maybe that's why I'm not a farmer, or even a gardener.

At least it won't be like waiting on a giraffe.   

Thanks for posting about 'Shorpy". Once i got on it i did remember someone else on here a while ago was showing some old pictures from the site. I had forgotten all about it.

For old pictures from across the US, do a web search for "Shorpy", which is an archives of pictures submitted by viewers.  There have been pictures from DuBois on the site that I've never seen elsewhere.

I was reading the old 1887 Courier at the library recently-----it was a weekly paper.   I will make a point to put a picture of the paper articles on here, when I can get back to it.   I had an extra hour yesterday because sports practices were cancelled,
 
Those fair grounds & race track we had were pretty special, it seems.....

Same thing happened near my house a few years ago during a big storm.
The eagles rebuilt it bigger and better within a few weeks. Started out with a pair probably ten years ago and last Summer we had twelve soaring and circling over the house a few times.
They sure keep the rabbits and stray cats in check!

Thanks for starting this topic, maybe just maybe people will stay on topic,

Thanks for starting this topic, maybe just maybe people will stay on topic,

I come to the landfill to take a break It started as a hobby, and it's still a hobby, but chick and egg sales almost break even with the cost of feed, so it's a self sustaining hobby

here is the best way for Meatloaf
 

I think that "one guy" was a vet from Reynoldsville. He would load his riding mower and equipment and truck on over to the cemetery. Also, he was looking for donations to help with the effort. What a beautiful job this has turned in to.

GOD to ST. FRANCIS:
Frank,  ....  You know all about gardens and nature. What in
the world is going on down there on the planet?  What
happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff
I started eons ago?   I had a perfect no-maintenance garden
plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand
drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the
long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and
flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of
colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.
 
St. FRANCIS:
   It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites.
They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to
great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
 
GOD:
   Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't
attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod
worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these
Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
 
ST. FRANCIS:
   Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it
and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing
grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
 
GOD:
   The spring rains and warm weather probably make
grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS:
   Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they
cut it-sometimes twice a week.
 
GOD:
   They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS:
   Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
 
GOD:
   They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
 
ST. FRANCIS:
   No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
 
GOD:
   Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so
it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off
and pay to throw it away?
 
ST. FRANCIS:
   Yes, Sir.
 
GOD:
   These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer
when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat.
That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS:
   You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass
stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay
more money to water it, so they can continue to mow
it and pay to get rid of it.
 
GOD:
   What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees.
That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.
The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty
and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to
the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture
in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a
natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANCIS:
   You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have
drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they
rake them into great piles and pay to have them
hauled away.
 
GOD:
   No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and
tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
 
ST. FRANCIS:
   After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy
something which they call mulch. They haul it home
and spread it around in place of the leaves.
 
GOD:
   And where do they get this mulch?
 
ST. FRANCIS:
   They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
 
GOD:
   Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore.
St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie
have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE:
   'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about.... 
 
GOD:
   Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story
from St. Francis.
 

I went back through the seed list from the BUDS and we grew Keystone Resistant Giants.  If you have a lot of peppers but they are small then just cut out the top of the plant.  You will get fewer but they will be larger.
 
A lot of the size has to do with watering too so if they seem dry, water them well.  You may see larger fruits.

What a complete waste of chocolate!! If it's dark chocolate, proceed with polishing.

On August 21st the Penn State students came to help at the cemetery for Penn State Community Outreach Day. We certainly appreciated all they did to help. They added mulch to the entrance, painted the circle and railing around the Childs' Mausoleum and swept the sidewalk along Main Street. We wish them all good luck in their future careers.

I had to bump this thread because when I still think of her loss, it makes me pause and feels more relevant to me than the multi-week threads discussing John Duggar and the Sunday Biker Gang Shooting.  Its just my honest opinion, thats all.

Keep that bear up in the Valley please.

I think it is on Rte 6 east of Smethport on the right before Port Allegheny. It is on top of one of the hills.