There's a hotel in Chicago that has had it's workers on strike since Jesus was a pup... and the union is always picketing the hotel... It's kind of a crappy hotel anyhow so I wouldn't ever suggest it as a place to stay for people.

Elsewhere on the web, a buddy is heading to chicago for a few days next month and was looking for a hotel... and asked what I thought of the hotel... my two comments were it's basically a flea bag, but cheap and if you're only interested in sleeping - bring your own sheets and it's OK... but you have to cross a picket line to get into it.

Now - being the tight assed republican that I am - I'm not a fan of unions - it used to irk me when the cleaners union would go on strike in new york city for higher wages -Yes, pay the workers more, tehy're probably under paid as it is -but whe the heads of the union live in million dollar mansions - I don't have a lot of faith in them doing what's best for the workers - so I really have a deep dislike of unions... and have no qualms about crossing a picket line...

my buddy was more concerned about crossing a picket line than the actual fleabaggedness of the hotel...

So do you have problems with crossing picket lines... Presuming of course you're nott going to get peltd wiht broken bottles and mud...

They have the freedom to picket.

You should have the freedom to cross it without concerns about your personal safety. I've always considered it a social litmus test for human rights. Thus, if i ever have an opportunity to do so, I'll cross a picket line.

Michael

No, I won't. I feel that people have to stand up to the management sometimes, and if the only way to be heard is to picket, I support that.

Unions are terrible. I have been a member of two and yes they promote laziness. As is, there is a huge appeal in the eyes of most American's. Go to a place that pays you double what a non-unionized worker would make, base every little thing off of seniority and get away with murder. What certified lazy American wouldn't love it?

This is coming from a guy with long family ties to the UAW, my great Uncle STARTED the UAW in the Toledo Jeep plant.

Unions are practically on par with the Mafia. Every strike is usually a shake down. Look at GM for example. The union makes outlandish demands and tells 70,000 GM employees to walk out of their jobs.

In my opinion, each and every worker should be fired the second they "strike". And no, don't tell me that its the workers "right". Union's are like sharks, they feed on any and every company. Its completely up to the workers to organize and then get the union certified. There is practically little that a company can do to avoid this.

Using the UAW as an example, even GM or Chrysler. You have a group of people, that never went to college and are not really qualified to do anything other than flipping a hamburger. There is absolutely no reason why these "Unskilled laborers" should be earning $30-$40 an hour while teachers make chicken scratch.

Really, its nothing personal against these workers but they're insane. I had two parents that retired from Chrysler and I know what their job entailed. To make a long story short, their services were not worth $40 an hour.

Would I cross the line? In a heart beat.

You mean these are picketing bellboys?

the hotel isn't upscale enough to have bellboys - I'mnot sure what union it is that it picketing.. what difference does it make - you can't carry your bag to your room? what a girlie man... ;D

I would never cross a picket line.

I disagree with just about everything said by that one guy.

Hardworking people deserve decent benefits and a safe work place. How Dare you say that just because somebody doesn't have a college education that they don't deserve to earn a decent wage with which to raise a family? Many union jobs are very dangerous and difficult. Many union jobs require a great deal of skill. You think Teacher's don't earn enough? Well obviously they agree with you that is why they strike.

I'm sorry you feel your parents didn't deserve 40 dollars an hour. But you think Lee Iaccoca should have earned 17 million a year while paying your parent what??

I agree with you. Although I will say that not all union members are making $40 an hour. My H is a union member and he doesn't even make half that. But IMO he earns his money. His job requires training and some certification. The only issue I have with unions is that there seems to be a lot of waste. I can't believe that one woman has been on company paid disability for several years now. She'll probably never come back, yet they still have to pay her. I say if she's really disabled, she should get on govt disability.

Its un-skilled labor. The bulk of unionized work is done by people with no educational background in that field. Someone off of the street can come into that company and get trained on the job. If you have never experience WORKING in a union shop then you have no opinion on the matter. People who have never experienced it and their only ties are their family members aren't thinking rationally.

PS: Fair wage? $20 + full benefits isn't fair? Thats just the starting wage in most manufacturing plants. If you're around for fifteen years it pretty much doubles. Thats the problem, these "Hard working people" don't know how well they got it. They go on strike, forcing a companies hand just to get higher concessions.

Its even more insane that the majority of union workers are usually the bleeding heart patriots that don't want foreigners stealing their jobs. What they don't realize is that the same unions they support are the same that are destroying this country.

The union had its place.. about 100 years ago. Its an outdated practice that is single handily destroying the American Auto industry.

Spare me the "Hardworking" line. If this juicing union job didn't come around, these unskilled workers would be doing something else making $10 an hour without benefits.

I forgot to add, I love the "How can you blame the workers, the CEO is making $***********"

What is the difference between the CEO and Joe Schmo who screws on parts? The CEO is directly responsible for everything that happens in the company. All of the responsibility is on his plate. On the other hand, Joe Schmo can tool away for thirty years with his gauranteed union job and he can live in the upper middle class.

Comparing CEOs to the common worker isn't even up for debate. These are multi billion dollar companies, $17 mill is pennies for the most important employee.

Whats next? Complain because ARod is making $30 mill a season, even though the team he plays for is worth $2 bill?

Unions pass their costs to consumers through higher labour rates and inefficiency. Everyone pays indirectly for it through higher property taxes and income tax. It stifles the truly skilled and promotes loafers.

However countries with strong unions are getting their asses handed to them in the global economy now. One only has to look at the futures of GM/Chrysler/Ford to see that. The indirect result is a weakening of the American economy, their dollar, and now imported goods will become even more expensive, driving inflation and affecting your standard of living.

Unions overall are a disaster because they can only realistically float 20% of the workforce. The higher standards of living accrued through false wages has a devastating effect on the standards of living of all other employed people.

The problem is worse in the United States because of lobbyists. The Big 3 have less political capital than a union, and thus both parties cater to their demands.

Michael

lol.... I love the way you tell others they aren't thinking rationally.... Right back at you.

Now go call your parents, you ungrateful child! lol

I guess we will have to agree to disagee ... because this country was built by many many hardworking "uneducated" people. Not everyone wants a PHD... some people want to work hard and get paid fairly and raise a family and enjoy what is important in life. For you to assume that all union workers are lazy shows me that you aren't thinking rationally.
Seeing what you type is proof more than ever that unions are needed. If every boss could be counted on to treat his workforce fairly, Unions wouldn't be needed. But human nature dictacts that people think they are better than other people. who are you to decide what people deserve or what they don't?
When I typed about what Lee Iaccoca earns I in no way begrudge him his money as long as he is paying his workers enough for them to live a good life.

I guess it just comes down to what would YOU do if you were the owner of a large company?? Would you think that your workers were stupid and lazy and didn't deserve much money? Or would you want them to be able to live comfortably and come to work ready to put out a great product? I know that if I were the boss I wouldn't have the attitude.. " I have all of the responsiblity " I'm smart" "I went to school" I deserve most of the money!! lol
I would certainly want my workers to have it good as well. And you are wrong about it being impossible to get rid of lazy workers. I see bad union employees fired all the time.
I'm right and you're wrong... lol Have a nice day.
And Hey! I'll admit I'm uneducated and lazing around playing on my new laptop.... but shouldn't you be in school or something. You Slacker! lol

I am in school and you're an uneducated worker. Point being, a fair wage in this country, for the work that most union employees do is $10-$15 an hour. When the UAW members strike because they want $35 instead of $30 its insane. And really, theres a difference between living comfortably and living above your means. My parents, both unskilled laborers who only had a HS degree, had a 4 bedroom, 4 bath house on 12 acres with a 5 acre pond.

That was great and all until they pissed away all of our money, my dad died and we lost the house. See thats what happens when you pay too much money to people who have no idea what to do with it. They spend spend spend and then when they eventually get out, they're back to square one.

You're just another woman thinking emotionally instead of rationally. Theres no difference between the 30 year old burger flipper and the person lucky enough to get into a union shop.. except the union member is making triple that of the flipper.

And yes, someone that didn't have the ambition of going to college for at least two years to get some sort of degree shouldn't be making $60,000+ a year, especially when most of their jobs could be replaced by machinery. But of course, the union wouldn't let that happen either.

Wow!

I can not believe that you really think that someone who doesn't have a degree shouldn't make good money. Just because you can be trained on the job for something doesn't make that job easy and not worthy of a good salary.
Where would this country be without our Highway workers, Trash collectors, Constuction workers, Mail carriers???? There is no shame in being a hard worker and most common sense isn't learned in a college setting.

I'm sorry about your Dad.

I guess we just see the world very differently..

Haha I would be say, "Get the hell outta my way".

Then get ready to throw down...lol