‘Bent, broke, cracked or missing …’ Snowplow operators may be on the front lines, but they aren’t the only heroes in the annual battle against snow and ice. Behind the scenes, in highway garages all across the state, an army of mechanics and welders are busy doing their jobs so plow operators can do theirs. “It’s a team effort,” said Senior Welder Vinny Brigiotta, about how he and fellow Welder Mike Asel work together with mechanics in the Chautauqua County Highway Department to keep 27 plow trucks out on the road. The plows have taken an extra beating this year because of the severe cold and heavy snow, Brigiotta said. “When you’re pushing a lot of snow and the banks are high, you tend to break stuff a little bit more, it seems,” said Brigiotta. “The mechanics fix all the hydraulic lines Chautauqua County Highway Department Senior Welder Vinny Brigiotta said it is a team effort among he and fellow Welder Mike Asel and the department’s mechanics to keep the county’s 27 plow trucks operating and on the road. This year, heavy equipment took a beating from severe cold and heavy snow. and general maintenance on the trucks and we do all the fabricating on the plow and wing. If something’s bent, broke, cracked or missing, we do whatever needs to be done to take care of it.” — Ed Molitor Patterson plow driver has a No. 1 fan PATTERSON — The first few lines in a local mother’s letter to the editor hint at why the CSEA-represented highway workers in her community hold a special place in her heart. “There is one family here in Patterson that is not tired of the snowstorms,” Georgina Marek-Evans wrote to the editor of the Putnam Examiner newspaper in Putnam County. “Each snowstorm gives our developmentally disabled son the chance to put on his cool fluorescent orange and yellow snow gear so he can go out with his shovel and spend hours ‘plowing’ our driveway.” CSEA members in Patterson have long known about Mark Evans’ love for snowplows. Unit President Gene Brandon usually drives the plow route past the family’s home. For years, he’s given Evans a honk of the horn, a wave and a smile as he passes by the young man, busy in his family’s driveway completing his own snow removal duties. Brandon even recently bought a Patterson Highway Department sweatshirt, emblazoned with the young man’s name, to make him feel like one of the crew. That kindness came to town officials’ attention after Marek-Evans’ letter ran in the local newspaper. Councilman Shawn Rogan invited Marek-Evans and her family to a town board meeting where he presented Brandon with an award. Putnam County Local President Jane Meunier- Town of Patterson Unit President Gene Brandon, right, receives thanks from resident Mark Evans, a familiar presence on Brandon’s snowplow route. Gorman also recognized Brandon, presenting him with the local’s You Make a Difference Award. “If I can make one person’s life happy out of the three or four hundred that I’ve got on my route, I’m good with that,” Brandon said in accepting the honors. Evans was all smiles again after posing for photos with Brandon, as Meunier-Gorman surprised him with a CSEA jacket and shirt and made him an honorary union member. — Jessica Ladlee See more about the underappreciated work force on page 8 April 2015 The Work Force 7
Work_Force_April_2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above