To Protest Hiring of Nonunion Help, Union Hires Nonunion Pickets

WSJ Online ^ | July 16, 2010 | Jannifer Levitz

[Past Your Eyes]

WASHINGTON—Billy Raye, a 51-year-old unemployed bike courier, is looking for work.

Fortunately for him, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters is seeking paid demonstrators to march and chant in its current picket line outside the McPherson Building, an office complex here where the council says work is being done with nonunion labor.

"For a lot of our members, it's really difficult to have them come out, either because of parking or something else," explains Vincente Garcia, a union representative who is supervising the picketing.

So instead, the union hires unemployed people at the minimum wage—$8.25 an hour—to walk picket lines. Mr. Raye says he's grateful for the work, even though he's not sure why he's doing it. "I could care less," he says. "I am being paid to march around and sound off."

[Past Your Eyes]

A 51 year old bike courier who "could care less". No wonder he's unemployed. But there's not a bit of irony anywhere in evidence here.

[softwarecreator]

Billy Raye, a 51-year-old unemployed bike courier

Seriously?  51 years old and a career bike courier?  Wow.

[Red_Devil 232]

They can't get Union controlled employees to march in a picket line because it is to difficult for them to find a parking spot? Geeees they are certainly dedicated union thugs!

In reality they are just to expensive for the Unions to use.

[libertarian27]

This guy should fight for Union wages./sarc

[YankeeReb]

Protest organizers and advocacy groups are reaping an unexpected benefit from continued high joblessness. With the national unemployment rate currently at 9.5%, an "endless supply" of the out-of-work, as well as retirees seeking extra income, are lining up to be paid demonstrators,

Maybe someday one of these paid protesters can also grow up to be pres__ent of the U.S.

[Jackson57]

This is happening in Albuquerque too. Recent protest of small construction companies using nonunion workers was conducted by a union from California and used nonunion protestors. Hmmmmm ... guess hyprocracy doesn’t matter as long as you get what you want. Control.

[MarineBrat]

Two faced, forked tongue, back stabbing, doublespeak from both sides of their face alert.

The fact is, union people are lazier than average. And the longer they’re in a union the lazier they get. Life becomes more about how to game the system than to make your employer money.

Actual grownups realize (and accept) that work is all about making money for your employer. That’s what makes an employee valuable.

[sickoflibs]

RE :"Fortunately for him, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters is seeking paid demonstrators to march and chant in its current picket line outside the McPherson Building, an office complex here where the council says work is being done with nonunion labor. ...So instead, the union hires unemployed people at the minimum wage—$8.25 an hour—to walk picket lines. Mr. Raye says he's grateful for the work, even though he's not sure why he's doing it. "I could care less," he says. "I am being paid to march around and sound off."

This story was posted last week, still funny sounding. Maybe we need to unionize these (non-union protest) workers working for the unions. Imagine if they went on strike? Shouldnt they be paid a living wage by the unions? A fair wage? Unions always claim that all workers get a raise when a employer is forced to give a worker a raise.

[equalitybeforethelaw]

Look on the good side of this, no non-union union protester is going to get violent for $8.50 an hour. How many of the non-union union protesters were illegal aliens is what I want to know.

[FrankR]

A gang - formally know as a "union", hires people to protest and intimidate companies who don't hire "union" members, because they don't contribute protection money to the "gang".

Unions - as I have said many times, and have experienced - are nothing more than sanctuaries for mediocrity. Unions can turn the most eager, and ambitious workers into robots totally dependent on the "union" for their very existence.

Meanwhile, "union" leaders are living high, wide, and handsome on the dues paid by the "members", aqs well as who-knows-what extortions it derives from the company and other sources...like, obamaland.

I hate to see young people join these outfits and have the lifeblood sucked out of them, mortgaging their life and independent spirit to these bloodsuckers.

Unions have become mafia protection rackets, and with all of tghe labor laws in place, and anti-discrimination laws, there is really no need for "unions" in modern day America. That is why so many people are fleeing to the right-to-work states...unionism is a national failure.

[MaggieCarta]

I love the smell of irony in the morning...it’s like coffee and bacon, only...different.

[secondamendmentkid]

“This guy should fight for Union wages./sarc”

Solidarity (not quite) forever. Don’t look for the union label.

[WOBBLY BOB]

[lewislynn]

"For a lot of our members, it's really difficult to have them come out, either because of parking or something else,"

How is it any better for the scab picketers?

[lewislynn]

Hey, can a non-union picket line be a union picket line? I don’t think so.

[Past Your Eyes]

I searched using the whole headline and nothing turned up. Do you have a link to the previous thread?

[Buckeye McFrog]

Let’s go down and organize these poor fools! Should be fun!
(remember to bring self-defense implements....)