After Hurricane Sandy, UN Left Staff In Water-Logged Chairs in Basement, No Printers, While Raiding Press Office Overground

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 1 -- In a sign of UN management's dysfunction, and staff resiliency, after Hurricane Sandy work continued without proper ventilation or even chairs in the UN's third sub basement (3B) by the Logistics Unit of the Office of Information and Communications Technology.

  As recounted by staff in e-mails exclusively obtained by Inner City Press, OICT higher-up did not provide them with toner or a printer, but told them to return to water-logged chairs in 3B.

  After the UN's insurance company seized damaged goods to assess the UN's claims, the Logistics Unit organized its own fundraiser for such basics as chairs and toner.

  Meanwhile from the floor of a Staff Union meeting, above ground, a resolution expressing “no confidence” in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was passed. Ban now is in San Marino then Andorra, then finally to a meeting of the UN system's Chief Executives Board.

While the gap between these high-fliers and the staff doing their own fundraisers to continue to do the UN's work, water-logged and underground, be discussed there?

  There is a final sub-irony: while the UN as a post-hoc pretext for its March 18 raid on Inner City Press' office used the concept of safety, and allowed the taking of photographs which were then given to BuzzFeed and published on March 22, it was on the same March 18 that the e-mail below was sent out.

One difference: while the UN allowed the taking and then anonymous distribution to BuzzFeed of photographs of Inner City Press' office, desk and bookshelf -- and has refused to say who it let in, and who distributed -- Inner City Press is NOT here publishing the damning 3B photographs.

But here is the e-mail:

Subject: Fund Raiser for Logistics Unit
Date: 18/03/2013 12:02 PM

Dear All! Welcome to our first fund raiser for the Logistics Unit!!

When Sandy hit at the end of October 2012 we lost all of our desks, working tables, shelves, supplies, tools, power, air, LAN, etc., etc. Well, you get the idea...

However, we had to stay and do our work since it was SOOOOO IMPORTANT that all the losses be properly recorded lest the Organization not get reimbursed by the evil insurance companies, bla bla bla.

So, our job was done to the complete satisfaction of all concerned; in fact, we were asked for far more than what we were responsible for because, and I quote, "...You can be trusted to do things right... ...You guys care... You know what you are doing...", and other such BS.

Meanwhile, we got tired of the lack of power and air and phones so we managed to get space in a copier room in 2B. Of course, being a copier room, it was small, had no air and was/is used by many to print their documents. So we had to go back to 3B.

In the last 4 weeks; however, and through the help of individuals, (very few), in a private capacity, the Logistics Unit room in 3B has reached several milestones:

1. The air conditioning sausage has been extended so now we actually have air inside the room. Imagine that.

2. We have ONE electrical circuit, (15 amps I was told), that is used to power everything. We have daily contests to see what we will power that particular day without blowing out the fuse.

3. We have LAN and telephones!!! Woohoo!!!

4. We have 4 small tables that we use as desks and had, until last Friday, chairs to sit on.

BUT THOSE CHAIRS ARE GONE!!! They have been taken by the evil insurance companies!! (No kidding).

Before you ask, yes, we did request, (through the proper channels and procedures), 4 USED desks, 6 USED chairs and 6 USED work tables so that we could actually work like human beings; however, FMS said NO. Why? I'm glad you asked. Apparently it has something to do with us, (Logistics), not having a "Project Manager", (whatever THAT is), and/or no one wanting to be liable if we get sick or who knows...

Bottom line: NO CHAIRS. Oh, yes, the same people that took our chairs gave us a set that is in even worse condition than the stuff they took. I dare any of you to sit on them day in and day out.

Which is why we are having this fund raiser. Wait you say! Why not ask OICT?? Well, maybe because we asked for toner, (really, toner, for the loaner printers), 4 weeks ago and we are still waiting. We requested for our use a Managed Printer, (or whatever that nonsense is called), 2 weeks ago and we are still waiting. So what did we do? One of our guys found a discarded scanner; brought it back to life, connected it to "our" LAN and to a little network printer and voila! We now have a scanner and a network printer.

So, if you find it in your heart please contribute generously so we can go to the nearest Salvation Army thrift shop and get what we need.

Incidentally, the attached photos are real...

See above. And, watch this site.

After Sandy, UN Left in Cold, Three Hour Dispute of Power Cut Off Questioned

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 8 -- Impacts on the UN of its "flawed" response to Hurricane Sandy are not confined to the water-logged third sub-basement, from which many staff offices have had to be evacuated.

  On Thursday morning, the UN Security Council moved its consultations from their normal room into the big Chamber -- explicitly due to a lack of heat, Council sources exclusively told Inner City Press.

   Beyond the Budget Committee session Monday which slammed the Department of Management chief Yukio Takasu and Security chief Gregory Starr, on issues ranging from lack of communications to member states to ineffective use of $50 million spent on a data backup center in New Jersey, other questions have arisen.

   Sources exclusive tell Inner City Press of a three hour delay on the Monday of Super Storm Sandy in which "no one could decide who has the authority to turn off electrical power at the UN." Some say this was the clearest, though still little known, impact of absence of leadership.

   The Security locker room in 3B, which Inner City Press asked about, is being moved across First Avenue into the DC2 building. Other 3B staff were told to only pick up items of sentimental value, and to disinfect their clothes. But will there be any OSHA certified inspection?

   Meanwhile UN staff in publishing are telling the Fifth (Budget) Committee their fears that management will use the water damage to equipment in their unit as an excuse for further outsourcing (similar to the way claims processing for the UN Medical Insurance Plan is not being bid out.)

  The publishing issues may be raised by the Group of 77 and China. Watch this site.

After Sandy, Diplomats Work from UN Not Dark Missions, Chinese Generator, Windex Underground

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 2 -- Hurricane Sandy's impact on the UN, downplayed in a "rosy" November 1 press conference by UN officials, was not limited to the UN Secretariat's downed e-mail and website and corridors in its "3B" third sub basement "like the movie Titanic" -- countries' missions were also impacted.

  Among the Permanent Five members of the Security Council, only China had its Mission's power cut off. It is located on 35th Street, four blocks into the blackout zone.

  Inner City Press has been told that a generator turned on and stayed on, unlike at nearly NYU and Bellevue Hospitals. But with Con Ed still off, some UN thinkers are looking at the Host Country Agreement.

  Despite lack of electricity and even running water in Chinatown where he lives, a worker at the Vienna Cafe has remained upbeat, even as the volume of coffee cups and left over sushi and pastries as risen with increased use of the Cafe.

   Another sample Security Council member, South Africa, still has the power in its 38th Street Mission off. Permanent Representative Baso Sangqu and his political coordinator took off Thursday evening leading a Council mini trip to Timor Leste.

  But its other diplomats remained working in New York, visible in the UN's Vienna Cafe, having a wide range of meetings. The same could be said of Indonesia, with its building on the same 38th Street block as South Africa's mission.

  Just as neither rain nor snow nor "gloom of night" were said to stop deliverers of mail, countries' diplomacy continues, even when the UN Secretariat leaves its web site down for days.

  Another country's Permanent Representative told how his wife took visitors to Union Square and found "food being handed out, no power... like a war zone."

   Diplomats in and beyond the Security Council complained to Inner City Press on Friday about the UN's response to Hurricane Sandy, and about public statements since that some call "misleading."

  For its part, despite a statement November 1 at 2 pm that the UN's website would be "back up" that day, Inner City Press noted this was not the case at 5 pm that day, see Twitter photo here. At 5 pm on November 2, the UN website was still "unavailable... undergoing urgent maintenance."

   A long-time Permanent Representative told Inner City Press the UN Secretariat "asked for money to be Number One in preparedness and business continuity, but look at this -- email down, member states weren't kept informed." We will have more on this on Monday, if not before.

   Staff members complained to Inner City Press they are being "forced" back to work in the nether regions of the UN, given "only Windex and a dust mask." One asked, "Will they even have an OSHA certified inspection? Is it safe?"

    Inner City Press at Friday's noon briefing, the first in a week, asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey about the inspection, and safety. He said he would look into any inspection. We'll see. Watch this site.