Dismissed crew worked hard for irrigation
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As of April 11, 2014, 14 men of the valley are out of work. For four years they have employed by Flathead Irrigation Project; this morning they turned in pickups and equipment, and are done. The gentleman’s comment from Moiese was interesting last week in the Journal, “some employees might lose their jobs;” some might have trouble with Government retirement, and not be rehired.” That totally misses the point; these men were not rehired because they are not a member of an Indian Tribe. The BIA only hired Tribal members. Think of the repercussion if things went the other way, the Project only will hire White Americans. In 1984 irrigators were asked to support turning the project over to the BIA, in 1984, all employees were rolled into the BIA management, no loss of benefits, all employees came on board. We were told the BIA could run it cheaper, they could use military surplus, get equipment for the freight home. We supported this. The BIA took over and for 24 years did less maintenance on this project, for more O&M cost. Whatever your MOS was is what you did, shovels were for wage grade.
The last four years, I can say that this was one of the finest crews I’ve ever worked with. Operators jumped off machines and grabbed shovels or what ever needed to complete a job, I’ve seen the assistant maintenance forman grab a chain saw, lay on his stomach, and one handed, saw a 3.5 ft tree out of the K canal headworks; with over 2,000 cfs running in the Jocko river, I’ve seen these men wade through two and a half to three feet of snow, cutting trees off canals on those steep canal prisms; seen men seven days a week out checking flows to protect the integrity of this irrigation system, sometimes at 9 p.m. or as late as 1 a.m.; I could go on.
I’m sad today, because a lot of these men have bought homes, their wives have had babies, a few have bought a decent car or pickup, started living the American dream, they thought they had a future. We forget how hard it is when you’re young and starting out, paycheck to paycheck, now, throw on top of that, no job. They have lost vestment of four years of State retirement. Think of the stress in these homes right now.
These men are workers; they are going to find a job, that’s who they are. I ask you to call Senator Tester and Walsh, Representative Daines, Governor Bullock, county officials, and call the BIA and let them know how wrong they are.
This is the United States of America. Support these men.
Tim Orr is a St. Ignatius farmer, irrigator, tribal member, and former Flathead Irrigation employee.
