Union Not Happy About Eagle Project

[evmori]

Hey Ed,

I'm free on Mondays.

I have about 13 weeks vacation saved up.

How about you not working on Mondays and you taking the next 13 weeks off? Without pay!

While I volunteer to do your job.

Heck we have a lot of forum members from around the Pittsburgh area, we might be able to just lay you off!

 

Why would I do that Eamonn? You would still be getting paid! And that is not what happened here!

 

 

This union guy thinks he has way too much clout!

[Lisabob]

Boomer, the point of that story was not that unions are "county royalty." The point was that there are times and places where unions are attacked, and where some management tactics include eliminating job classifications - not because the work doesn't need to be done, but in order to get rid of the union.

 

That, my friend, is union busting plain and simple.

 

Again I say that the city gov't had a clear option to propose different terms of the contract back when they last negotiated. But, having signed the contract with the SEIU, the city is obligated to actually follow it. The grievance process is typically used when the union believes the contract is not being implemented correctly. There is nothing wrong about using this conflict resolution process that both sides mutually agreed upon.

 

I see no one attacking or insulting the scout in any of this. In fact it is really unfortunate that he's caught up in this at all. But that doesn't make the union's concern (however inelegantly expressed) invalid, per se.

 

 

[John-in-KC]

Lisa,

 

I agree with you here: In fact it is really unfortunate that he's caught up in this at all.

 

I have to disagree with your statement:

I see no one attacking or insulting the scout in any of this.

 

This is from the original post:

Nick Balzano, president of the local Service Employees International Union, told Allentown City Council Tuesday that the union is considering filing a grievance against the city for allowing Anderson to clear a 1,000-foot walking and biking path at Kimmets Lock Park. "We'll be looking into the Cub Scout or Boy Scout who did the trails," Balzano told the council

 

Mr Balzano is directly attacking young Mr Anderson's integrity, by my read. Now, that said, this seems to me to be a case of foot-in-mouth disease on Mr Balzano's part. There are ways to make the unions' displeasure known without "We'll be looking into..."

[Lisabob]

John, maybe it is a matter of inference here. When I read that line, I read a fellow who is, maybe, not a gifted and polished speaker. I read that the union will be looking into the situation by which the city gov't allowed this to happen - not that he's directly attacking the young man in question.

 

 

[NJCubScouter]

When I read that line, I read a fellow who is, maybe, not a gifted and polished speaker.

 

LisaBob, I think you could probably delete "maybe" from that sentence. Being from the state I'm from, I can easily bring a picture of this guy to mind, and I'm probably pretty close. I agree with your interpretation. This was not some carefully thought-out statement by a wordsmith, which you can draw a clear meaning from. It's a blustering statement from a guy who's not exactly the Michelangelo of words, and it's not his job to be. I don't know how else to say it without being insulting.

[skeptic]

Well, now they made it to Fox and Hannity; guess the Union will really get verbally abused now. As always, way too much hype for something probably simply misunderstood. Oh well; as long as the scout is not held up on completion of his Eagle.

[BDPT00]

skeptic: "as long as the scout is not held up on completion of his Eagle."

 

FINALLY ... someone whose perspective is back on the Eagle! We're a society that always cheers for the underdog, and I think we sometimes lose our focus. The Eagle candidate has completed his project, and we should all rejoice.

BDPT00

[skeptic]

Thanks for the kind words. Here is another view from the Union side.

 

http://www.seiu.org/2009/11/of-course-seiu-supports-the-boy-scouts.php

 

So, if this is to be taken as it seems, another "storm in a bucket".

[John-in-KC]

So Mr Balzano really was off the reservation. Good to know.

 

I appreciate that SEIU repudiated his actions in this.

 

I'm even happier the young man has moved steps closer to Eagle

[evmori]

It sounds like Mr Balzano forgot to engage his brain before opening his mouth!

[local1400]

Well we have heard lots of arguments for and against labor unions. (I am union and pro-union). East manufacturing plants were not shut down due to "high labor costs" but rather to greed. People want to earn a decent living because of the cost of living. I have lived in both the north and the south. I could make $8.00 an hour down south and survive quite well on that. In the north, I make over triple that, and we are just getting by. If you are anti-union, look into the history of labor unions and the USDL laws you enjoy TODAY. Remember back in the early days of labor, when if you complained because you didn't get paid AGAIN this week for the 72 hour week you worked, the company would have you killed? And how about all those manufacturing jobs "gone away" because people wanted to make a living? How much did that Chinese girl earn to assemble your new $40 Scout shirt? 20 cents?

[Lisabob]

Yikes. I'm sure his local's president was unhappy about this. On the other hand, the guy has the right to express his personal view. It would've been nice if the initial news report had clearly indicated that he was "just" a union member, not a union leader though. Perhaps this is an example of poor journalism there.

 

But look at that last point - the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the area increased by 4% in the last year. Ouch.

 

(I notice it is still well below the unemployment rate in my state though. Lucky dogs... only 9.5%...)

[Frank17]

From the SEIU webpage:

"Fact: Nick Balzano is with the Allentown chapter of SEIU Local 32BJ and is NOT the president of the local or the International. Indeed, his comments were completely unauthorized and inappropriate."

 

Glad to see the union is distancing themselves from the statements made as well.

Also glad to see they are bowing to public pressure and realizing how they look to non-union persons.

 

They may be justified in protecting their jobs, but there are right and wrong ways to go about doing that. This was definately the wrong way. They are not alone in fighting the recession or for seeking jobs. Most of the non-union country is in the same boat (unemployment) as they are. Pick up an oar and start rowing with the rest of us.

 

[evmori]

From a news article.

 

Allentown union official Nick Balzano has been a political punching bag all week because he threatened to file a grievance against the city for allowing a Boy Scout to clear a walking path in a city park.

 

Three days of taking body blows nationally from conservative pundits, a rebuke from the Lehigh Valley's congressman and even a lashing from his own union led Balzano to voluntarily resign his position Thursday as head of the local Service Employees International Union.

 

Balzano said he and seven other executive officers of the local SEIU stepped down.

 

Apparently when the union web site stated Nick Balzano is with the Allentown chapter of SEIU Local 32BJ and is NOT the president of the local or the International. he had apparently already resigned! Smooth timing!

[NJCubScouter]

I was wondering about that Ed, because the original news story in this thread said he was the local president, and the latest announcement of the national union said he is not. I was wondering which one was wrong, but it turns out both were correct when they were written. If that's the case, I don't see why the national union didn't just say the guy resigned, rather than say he "is" not the local president, which is slightly misleading. (Seems to me someone else got in trouble with the meaning of the word "is", I can't remember who... just kidding, I remember, I remember, don't say it!)

 

All's well that ends well though, right? Maybe this guy will be a little more careful before he makes a speech the next time.