140 People want to improve a Park and the unions want to sue? What a bunch of crap. This is a huge sign as to the sickness we have in Erie County and Western New York. These people want to donate their money and their time and the unions say NO…… Is every job in this area supposed to be theirs and only theirs? Besides, these are not jobs, this is volunteerism, of course the unions have no idea what that is except maybe when the are forced to carry campaign literature for the politicians in their pocket.

This is so reminiscent of when people were talking about prisoners and welfare recipients do clean up work, mowing and minor work in the community. The unions came unglued and started yelling that this will take union jobs. Well it’s time to grow up and face the fact that we are a financially stressed area and we can no longer afford the lucrative union contracts, benefits and pensions. And not every job in this area is union controlled as they would like.

Collins Tells Union ‘Sue Me’

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WBEN’s Alan Harris reports
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Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Erie County Executive Chris Collins is challenging the county’s blue collar union to follow through with a threat to try and stop volunteer workers from cleaning up Chestnut Ridge Park, and saving the county labor costs. Collins was a guest Sunday on the “Hardline with Hardwick” show on WBEN.

He was asked about volunteerism in the county. He responded by saying that 140 volunteers from Mentholatum Corporation in Orchard Park want to go into Chestnut Ridge Park and put up a $20-thousand dollar swing set on their own nickel.

But Collins says that John Orlando of the AFSCME Union says that would take away work from his union members and they would sue if Collins allows it. Collins says he’s inclined to let them go ahead and sue and to let the volunteers help clean up the parks.