Tonight on CBS their Emmy award winning reality show, Undercover Boss continues for an all new Sunday December 21, 2014 season 6 episode 2 called “Mayor of Pittsburgh”. On tonight episode Bill Peduto, the mayor of Pittsburgh, works as a municipal employee in the Steel City. During his shifts, Peduto performs jobs as a refuse worker, a carpenter, a self-sufficiency coordinator and a Public Works employee who cuts down dead trees.
On last episode John Hartmann, the President and CEO of True Value, one of the largest hardware cooperatives in the world, reactivated his undercover skills from his time as an FBI agent when he investigated the state of the True Value company and employees, on the sixth season premiere of UNDERCOVER BOSS, on the CBS Television Network. During his “special assignment,” the boss was shocked by the inappropriate on-the-job pickup artist antics of one of the employees. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the CBS synopsis, “The Mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto, does a stint as a municipal employee, during his shifts, Peduto works as a refuse worker from Environmental Services collecting garbage, a carpenter with the Housing Authority installing doors, a self-sufficiency coordinator helping community members who are breaking out of the chain of poverty and an employee of the Forestry Division of the Department of Public Works operating a chain saw to cut down dead trees.”
The show airs tonight at 8pm on CBS and we will be live blogging all the details. So don’t forget to come back and refresh your screen often for live updates.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
Tonight on #UndercoverBoss, we are with a high-level public servant – Bill Peduto, the mayor of Pittsburgh, PA. He’s going undercover to work alongside city employees that labor every day to keep his city running. In the steel city, we see the Pirates, Penguins and Steelers’ venues and then we head to the office of the 60th Mayor of Pittsburgh. He says his job is to make sure the people of the city receive essential services. He says his responsibilities change every day and range from finance to public safety.
Peduto says he had a great childhood growing up in an Italian family of four boys. His dad was a teacher and his mom was a stay at home mom. Both of his granddads were steel workers, one of whom died on the job. He says in 1979, the steel industry collapsed, unemployment was higher than in Detroit and they lost more people than New Orleans did after Hurricane Katrina. He says no one in his family was ever in politics.
He spent 20 years in city councils and then ran for Mayor to clean up the city. He ran against former mayor Luke Ravenstahl who later withdrew amid allegations of corruption. He won with almost 90% of the voters supporting him. Peduto is not married and has no kids – his career is his life. We see him getting his makeover with gray hair and a bird. He’s posing as a reality show contestant who’s doing different jobs while on camera.
He starts out with a gig at environmental services – in other words – trash. He says he wants to see if the changes he’s brought to the city have actually been implemented. Peduto, posing as Ed, meets his new co-worker Jim, who’s called whispers because his voice is so soft after a bout of throat cancer. Jim says he thinks Ed is a redneck and they head out to pick up trash. Peduto is nervous about a full day of manual labor and says he brought Tylenol.
Jim says Peduto is a little slow and needs to pick up the pace. Jim explains how service ends on one street because the city limits end there. Peduto says this is very inefficient and he needs to work with the neighboring municipality to address this. Jim says there are a couple of dogs he feeds and says he found an abandoned pit bull he took in. He says if he had the money, he’d help a no kill shelter.
Peduto asks about his throat cancer and Jim says he had to survive for him. Peduto gets that since his mom is important to him too. They head off to the landfill to dump their load. Next, Peduto is working with a carpenter who works for the housing authority. He says this is important because it houses people. He’s with Lawrence who fixes doors and cabinets. He says they’re going to build a door for a vacant unit.
He asks Peduto if he’s ever hung a door before – he hasn’t. He says they have to cut a door down to fit and demonstrates what he needs to do. Peduto is pretty much clueless on how to do this. Lawrence is a little impatient and demands he do a better job. Lawrence says he seems to be uncomfortable with the shop and tools. He takes over to finish the last part and Peduto asks if he can at least carry it. He asks how many carpenters are there and Lawrence says he’s the only for 400 housing units.
Peduto asks if he can hire one of the young kids and train them and Lawrence says they’ve suggested it in the past. Peduto thinks this could help a kid who lives in public housing to have a career. He asks Lawrence if he likes his job and he says he wants to build people not just structures and talks about his ministry. He says he needs to get a church and says he and his wife are fostering kids. He tells him that he had a rough life and was addicted to crack cocaine at one point.
He says he got tired of being in pain and causing pain to those who loved him. He says this is what makes his message so effective now is that he can speak from experience. Peduto says he sees that so many city employees are involved in lives well beyond their jobs. Next, Peduto goes to the Forestry Division and says they had to clean house and cut some positions earlier this year. He meets Marty who tells him they have to chop some trees and mow a field.
He asks Marty about his past and he tells him when he was 20 he almost died after a brutal assault and couldn’t afford to go back to school. He says after he gets financially stable, he wants his kids to go to Catholic school like he did. He says his priority is making a future for his kids. Marty tells him he’ll be in Pittsburgh until he dies and says he loves the city. They go to cut a dead tree and he asks Peduto if he has any chainsaw experience. He has none.
He shows him how to crank it but Peduto struggles. Marty says he thought him being from the back country (his redneck cover) that he’d be better with a saw. Peduto tries to cut the tree and Marty has to coach him. Marty says it’s hard sometimes because they have old saw blades and the city has no money for them. Marty asks him some questions then and says he thinks something is off about Peduto. Marty says there is a lot of political stuff that goes on in Pittsburgh.
He talks about green lots that he used to work on and says that stuff got cut out with the new Mayor. Peduto says Marty was hired by the former Mayor who tells him he lost out on a lot of overtime because of the new administration. Peduto says he wonders if Marty knows who he actually is and is just prodding it. Marty says he knows he’s really Bill Peduto. He’s shocked to be recognized.
He’s #busted. He says he’s seen him at a ton of meetings and would know him anywhere. Peduto gives in and then they talk frankly. He says his hours have changed and Peduto says he sees now that changing back to the 6 to 2 shift could help workers. Peduto says Marty is the kind of guy they need in city government and thanks Marty. He tells the Mayor it takes a lot of guts to come down and work with him.
Peduto next goes to work with the self-sufficiency coordinator in public housing. She helps people break the chains of poverty but Peduto admits he has no clue how this is done. He meets Kelly and she invites him into her office. She says they have a lot of hardworking people that just need an extra push and that’s what she does. They go to meet someone and are invited in. Kelly explains to Peduto that they have an escrow account and set aside money for then to help them meet goals.
Peduto says he can see that Nicole and Kelly have a real bond. Nicole says she has a son and she just wants to work hard and get a job. She tells him that Kelly is always there for her. Peduto is impressed. Kelly says she’s sure she can help her and says she shares goals with Nicole – she says they help people buy homes. She says she herself can’t afford a home because she has her son in a good private school that costs $10k a year. She says she has to work two jobs to do it.
She tells Peduto she would really like to go to law school but can’t swing it. They go next to see another woman who can’t get a job because she doesn’t have her GED. She says the woman was working on it with an instructor but got down when her mom died. They go in to talk to Onessa and she introduces him as “Ed.” She says Ed is going to try and do the home visit. She says she’s alone but introduces her son Jamont. Peduto says Onessa is lucky to have Kelly and she says she is and that Kelly has really helped her.
Peduto says Kelly is helping people and shows the proof of government workers. Peduto tells Onessa that once she gets her GED, she’s going to have a great foundation and says her mom would be so proud of her. Peduto says what he saw today is that he dealt with people today and saw the problems that are causing poverty. He says he ran for Mayor to help people. Peduto and Kelly go on to visit another person on a home visit.
Next, Peduto gets dressed to meet with the workers and reveal himself as the Undercover Boss. Unlike other CEOs that appear on the show, he has no money of his own to help the people he met with and can’t use taxpayer money. He says he called friends and associates to raise the money to reward them. He sits down with Kelly and she recognizes him as Mayor and says she voted for him.
They are all shocked when he says who he is and he says he’s on Undercover Boss. He asks Marty when he figured out it was him and he says when he was trying to cut down the tree. Peduto asks him about the chainsaws and says they are going to get him the equipment he needs. Then he talks about the hours and says he’s going to try and get the hours changed back.
Peduto also says he knows he lost money when the shifts changed and says he got contributions of $15k that he’ll get over the next two years. He then tells Marty that the country program will help him pay for college and he found donors to pay the rest. Marty is in tears and thanks him profusely. He says he never thought he would have the money to finish college. He says his opinion of the Mayor has changed drastically and says he’s proud to call him his friend.
He tells Kelly she’s being promoted and with it is getting a $20k pay raise. She’s overwhelmed. He next talks to her about her dream of law school and says he found $15k to help her get back in law school. She tells him that is life changing. He next talks about the private school her son is in and says he found him a scholarship. She’s completely floored and says she just got a text on the way over saying tuition is due. She says she feels like she’s dreaming and says it will change her life.
He also says she’s getting $20k for a down payment on a house. She cries and then he cries too. He then meets with Jim and says he’s working on the route inefficiency issues. Then he tells him he’s got a check for $5k to help his aunt with her no kill shelter. He says he’s also giving him $10k to help with his mom’s needs. Jim cries and says that will take some burden off her. He says he doesn’t know what to say and thanks Peduto.
Jim says he almost lost his house because of the cost of his cancer and says he’s meeting with a guy tomorrow. He says he’s about $6k short and Peduto says he’s found him $20k to get him out of foreclosure and pay down his mortgage. He thanks him and says he feels like he has wings on his feet and that he has a lot less to worry about now.
Peduto tells Lawrence he knows he disappointed him under the job. He tells Lawrence he’s creating a youth mentoring program in the public housing areas and wants him to head it up. Lawrence says he’d be honored and says he wants him to help these kids have a career. He tells Lawrence he inspired him. He then talks about him and his wife taking in foster kids. He says his friends have $5k for him.
Then he also talks about his dream to have a church and says he found a $20k investor to build a church. Lawrence screams out – thank you Jesus – and they hug. Lawrence hugs Peduto and cries. He says he feels a sense of accomplishment. Marty is taking his family on vacation, going back to school and is planning to run for city council.
Kelly quit her second job, is going back to law school and is spending more time with her son. Jim is fixing up his house, helping his aunt at the animal shelter and is becoming a ladies man. Lawrence is starting up his ministry and youth development program. Wow! I’m teary. Go Bill Peduto!
THE END!