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| GO ZEB! |
The unions in and around my hometown... okay, okay, in and around Bakersfield... don't like it when businesses use non-union contractors to do their building or remodeling or anything else along that line. Because of that, they hire NON-CONTRACTOR NON-UNION people to stand outside these businesses and hold signs that read "SHAME ON [name of business] LABOR DISPUTE". At first, this made it seem as if the business in question was somehow cheating the contractors that did the work for them. They didn't. They paid their contractors. They just didn't use union workers.
See, unions might have been a good thing back when they first started, making sure workers were treated and paid fairly, but not any more. Now? Mostly, they're a bully-boy organization that gladly takes members union fees, bully businesses who don't use their workers, gouge employers who do hire union workers or have employees who choose to go union, and sit around on their duffs the rest of the time. They don't even really go to bat for the workers who pay their dues. Yes, I know this. I know some folks who decided union was the way to go... who's employers weren't allowed to tell them anything negative about the unions (unions rules) but the unions were allowed to be as (falsely) negative about the employer as they wanted. Those employees went union.
Once they paid their dues those employees couldn't get a union rep to do his "job" to save their lives.Right.
Unions are a good thing.
Uh huh.
Back to the "Shame On" idiots.
As I said, the people who hold the signs aren't even union - let alone part of the contractors union - themselves. The union organization just hires them to hold the sign for 6-8 hours a day.
One man has finally done what most of us don't have the gumption to do. He's made his opinion known in as public a way as they have.
It's hilarious!
Now, while I don't like the use of epithets, I still get his point. I think everyone else does, too. His name is Zeb Smith and he's an independent (means non-union) contractor. His point is, if unions take ALL the jobs, what do independents like him, who don't want to be union, do? If union wants their workers to work, quit gouging honest folk! Get the jobs done on time and on budget! And quit laying down rules that say certain people HAVE to use union. No one HAS to use union if union won't work!
Anyway, here's the local article (complete with a short video showing Zeb and his protest sign) on our protester protesting the protesters. (snerk)
Enjoy!
