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January 5, 2008
On the Immorality of Unions (Public or Private)
Here's how even private-sector unions "negotiate":
A carpenters union that has been shut out of a $34-million renovation project at the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel and Spa picketed yesterday at the Goat Island causeway, accusing the hotel of improperly removing mold.Representatives of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, Local 1305, passed out leaflets stating that "mold is not being remediated in specification laid out in federal guidelines." A photograph on the leaflet purports to show mold on a wall being refurbished.
"Makes you wonder what your room looks like under that wallpaper," it read, adding, "Where a room with a view offers much more than an ocean view and a salty breeze."
The hotel yesterday called the allegations untrue and questioned the union's motives.
The union's motives are clear: to send the message that companies must hire union or face attacks on their business. Imagine if a private company that lost a bidding contest behaved in the same manner.
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Companies do outlandish things all the time. It's pretty commonplace for companies to file suit after losing a bid just to drive up litigation costs for the winner, attack their competitors in the press, steal intellectual property, poach employees, etc., all in the name of competition.
This stuff, like the union tactics you mention, might be hardball, but "immoral." Maybe we need a morality police in the marketplace as well as in our social lives? Justin, your theocracy is expanding its reach.
Posted by: Pragmatist at January 5, 2008 2:49 PMWhen I hear somebody use the words "moral" or "immoral," I know it's time to put on my helmet.
Posted by: rhody at January 5, 2008 7:09 PMAre you the same "rhody" who called Governor Romney an "evangelical prostitute" over at the other liberal blog? Helmet, indeed.
Posted by: mikeinRI at January 5, 2008 7:24 PMRhody and Pragmitist:
If "moral" and "immoral" aren't part of the public sphere, then why as a society do we bother with all of these public welfare programs?
Posted by: Andrew at January 5, 2008 8:57 PMAndrew, I'm not sure how germane this discussion is to public welfare, but I'm just commenting on the fact that the use of the word "moral," by either side, tends to pour gas on a heated discussion.
Posted by: rhody at January 5, 2008 11:54 PMYeah, Mike, that's me. Compare Romney's 2002 Mass. gubernatorial platform to his current one, and "prostitute" might be a tad understated. At least Huckabee isn't hanging a yooie on us.
"Pragmatist" writes:
"Companies do outlandish things all the time. It's pretty commonplace for companies to file suit after losing a bid just to drive up litigation costs for the winner, attack their competitors in the press, steal intellectual property, poach employees, etc., all in the name of competition."
Do you really believe, much less have evidence to back your assertion, that companies "do outlandish things all the time" and the actions you list are "pretty commonplace"?
In the meantime, thank you for providing yet another sterling example of the attitude that has earned RI low rankings in multiple surveys of state business climate attractiveness.
Perhaps most interesting is the implication of your assertions: if businesses and therefore more of them in RI are so obviously bad, then how, pray tell, do you propose to solve that little $650 million and counting problem that is bearing down on the taxpayers of the state?
Posted by: John at January 6, 2008 2:32 PM