Unions - you can't make up stuff like this

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

Firefighter's union complains (with a straight face) that their "rights" were violated because the City installed garage door openers in all fire trucks (which allows firefighters to open/close garage doors at the fire station), and that by doing this, the City is taking away jobs from the fire dispatchers (who previously opened/closed the doors remotely):

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/lockport/lockport-firefighters-file-grievance-over-garage-door-openers-20140413

[Koko78]

Typical public union bullcrap. They aren't getting their unreasonable demands, so they try to litigate every minor thing so that the city grows weary of wasting resources in court and gives them whatever they ask for to drop the multitude of suits.

 

It's honestly fascinating to deal with these idiots. Many of them know every provision of their union contract, their exact job duties/title and every single benefit they're entitled to, but don't have the first clue how to actually do their jobs.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

Hahaha unreal.

 

But guys they are public servants who risk their lives to help us. Who cares if public money is mis managed and wasted by unions for their own benefit.

[ExiledInIllinois]

The shameless behavior never stops.

 

Yeah this does sound unreal. I'd kill for a GDO @ work! This is almost as unreal as getting cold called from a noisey phone bank asking if you can donate to the police and fire retirement fund. Are you kidding me? They somehow know your name too. It is kinda creep how the police & firefighters call, pause, then great you with your fist name. Its a dead give away. Like do I know you? I wonder how many people donate out of fear? It has to be a big revenue stream or they wouldn't have all those people on the phone bank jabbering noisely in the background.

[DC Tom]

The shameless behavior never stops.

 

Yeah this does sound unreal. I'd kill for a GDO @ work! This is almost as unreal as getting cold called from a noisey phone bank asking if you can donate to the police and fire retirement fund. Are you kidding me? They somehow know your name too. It is kinda creep how the police & firefighters call, pause, then great you with your fist name. Its a dead give away. Like do I know you? I wonder how many people donate out of fear? It has to be a big revenue stream or they wouldn't have all those people on the phone bank jabbering noisely in the background.

 

News flash: it's not REALLY the police and/or firefighters calling. It's a third-party call center hired by the charity that's usually only tenuously affiliated with the police/firefighters.

 

Basically, it's a huge revenue stream, because it's one big scam. Of all that money, something like 10% or less gets to the supposed beneficiaries. You'd do better stopping a cop on the streets and handing him a fifty.

[Azalin]

You'd do better stopping a cop on the streets and handing him a fifty.

they don't seem to like it too much when you offer them $50 after they pull you over for a traffic offense, either.

[DC Tom]

Firefighter's union complains (with a straight face) that their "rights" were violated because the City installed garage door openers in all fire trucks (which allows firefighters to open/close garage doors at the fire station), and that by doing this, the City is taking away jobs from the fire dispatchers (who previously opened/closed the doors remotely):

 

http://www.buffalone...peners-20140413

 

So how many dispatchers does it take to remotely open a garage door, anyway?

[GG]

 

 

So how many dispatchers does it take to remotely open a garage door, anyway?

 

Is this a set up for a Polish joke?

[Keukasmallies]

I bet Harry Reid could resolve this in a minute...or maybe a week...well certainly by November, 2016.

 

[Yeah, this is the set up for a Polish joke.]

[DC Tom]

Is this a set up for a Polish joke?

 

No. Just wondering how many jobs the union's thinking are going to be lost.

 

How'd the fireman get the vehicles out of the station for non-emergency calls before this? Did they have to call a dispatcher to open the doors for them?

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

 

News flash: it's not REALLY the police and/or firefighters calling. It's a third-party call center hired by the charity that's usually only tenuously affiliated with the police/firefighters.

 

Basically, it's a huge revenue stream, because it's one big scam. Of all that money, something like 10% or less gets to the supposed beneficiaries. You'd do better stopping a cop on the streets and handing him a fifty.

 

Really? No! Don't tell me!

 

Honestly... Sorry I made it sound like they were physically doing the calling themselves... My bad. Don't take things so literally. I meant to say the people doing the calling (or using their affliation in whatever little way they are able to) for the police and firefighters. I thought that was implied.

 

 

 

No. Just wondering how many jobs the union's thinking are going to be lost.

 

How'd the fireman get the vehicles out of the station for non-emergency calls before this? Did they have to call a dispatcher to open the doors for them?

 

Spot-on!

 

Probably, I betcha they just sat there waiting for the door to go up... Really!

Edited April 15, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[B-Large]

When I was in College I worked for a lanscaping company- one summer, we did a joint job on some public project with a Union outfit. One day the backhoe operator from the Union didn't show up to work- the guy stood around smoking an drinking coffee and I asked when they would start the backhoe, since out progress depended on their progress. They said no one else could tough that machine, even though all of them knew how to run it.... also on that job, we had brick clamps to caryy pavers from pallets to the patio being built- they carried 9 bricks- we were told we coud not use them because Union rules said we could only carry 7 bricks at a time.

 

That was my first interaction with Union labor, I hope it will be my last. I can't wait until their Unionize nursing here at the hospital, that will be wonderful.

[IDBillzFan]

When I was in College I worked for a lanscaping company- one summer, we did a joint job on some public project with a Union outfit. One day the backhoe operator from the Union didn't show up to work- the guy stood around smoking an drinking coffee and I asked when they would start the backhoe, since out progress depended on their progress. They said no one else could tough that machine, even though all of them knew how to run it.... also on that job, we had brick clamps to caryy pavers from pallets to the patio being built- they carried 9 bricks- we were told we coud not use them because Union rules said we could only carry 7 bricks at a time.

 

That was my first interaction with Union labor, I hope it will be my last. I can't wait until their Unionize nursing here at the hospital, that will be wonderful.

 

One of my favorite union stories was when I was working a trade show at McCormick Place in Chicago. I had a 10x10 booth that featured one of those little pop-up display walls on which I put up a couple of signs using velcro. The entire booth set up took 30 minutes.

 

As I was leaving to pick up my card reader, a guy came buy and told me I had to hire a booth decorator to put up my signs. I literally had to take down my two signs, stand in line to order a decorator for a minimum of one hour, then sit in my booth waiting another hour for a guy to show up, who put two signs up in 10 seconds and left.

 

Ain't that America.

[B-Large]

One of my favorite union stories was when I was working a trade show at McCormick Place in Chicago. I had a 10x10 booth that featured one of those little pop-up display walls on which I put up a couple of signs using velcro. The entire booth set up took 30 minutes.

 

As I was leaving to pick up my card reader, a guy came buy and told me I had to hire a booth decorator to put up my signs. I literally had to take down my two signs, stand in line to order a decorator for a minimum of one hour, then sit in my booth waiting another hour for a guy to show up, who put two signs up in 10 seconds and left.

 

Ain't that America.

 

Why do you hate Trade Show Booth Decorators and want to steal their very important jobs??

 

Job Banks at GM, Booth Decorators, Brick Carryig Limits... its all retarded, but then again, is there any wonder why Union are falling out of favor, even with even the more pragmatic of Democrats?

 

Also, my aunt bought this really nice custom built trade show booth for her company, and I am pretty sure she was allowed to ship it to the venue, but could not physcially set it up. Maybe that a liability thing, but sounds Union to me.

Edited April 15, 2014 by B-Large

[IDBillzFan]

Also, my aunt bought this really nice custom built trade show booth for her company, and I am pretty sure she was allowed to ship it to the venue, but could not physcially set it up. Maybe that a liability thing, but sounds Union to me.

 

That was union, too, I'm sure.

 

What I do know is that in my 20+ years of managing trade show operations for a variety of different companies, one thing remained true: the number of shows I did in Chicago, NYC and San Francisco dropped to zero. Something unions and pro-union people will never, ever understand...a part of something is typically better than all of nothing.

 

It always reminds me of a line from some sitcom years ago; a family was watching a video of a recently deceased rich man, who was giving his last will and testament. He said to one of his sons "To my son, John, you've always been an all-or-nothing guy, so since you can't have it all, you get nothing."

[B-Large]

That was union, too, I'm sure.

 

What I do know is that in my 20+ years of managing trade show operations for a variety of different companies, one thing remained true: the number of shows I did in Chicago, NYC and San Francisco dropped to zero. Something unions and pro-union people will never, ever understand...a part of something is typically better than all of nothing.

 

It always reminds me of a line from some sitcom years ago; a family was watching a video of a recently deceased rich man, who was giving his last will and testament. He said to one of his sons "To my son, John, you've always been an all-or-nothing guy, so since you can't have it all, you get nothing."

 

that they very issue with Unions- all or nothing, IMHO. They can't see, or really care most likely, that their financial and operational burdens on compaines like GM and Chrysler make them less competitive in markets, thereby almost insuring the company will run into toruble, ie shed jobs etc. I still dislike the fact that GM and Chrylser were bailed out- I know it would have kicked the economy in the nads when it needed it the least, but it only continues to perpetuate the underlying issue with those companies... were lessons learned, my guess, not likely.

[Azalin]

One of my favorite union stories was when I was working a trade show at McCormick Place in Chicago. I had a 10x10 booth that featured one of those little pop-up display walls on which I put up a couple of signs using velcro. The entire booth set up took 30 minutes.

 

As I was leaving to pick up my card reader, a guy came buy and told me I had to hire a booth decorator to put up my signs. I literally had to take down my two signs, stand in line to order a decorator for a minimum of one hour, then sit in my booth waiting another hour for a guy to show up, who put two signs up in 10 seconds and left.

 

Ain't that America.

 

I've had a few union encounters in my life (in fact I'm currently a member of the CWA - communication workers of america), and some of them were just so ridiculous that all I could do was laugh. several years ago, I was approached to provide the music for a commercial that was going to run on television in the Austin market during the X games. I wrote the music, performed all the instruments, and engineered & produced the recording. after the commercial aired, I was out having a few beers with a friend who plays the trumpet professionally, and I happened to mention the commercial to him (I was frankly proud of my accomplishment since I had never done anything like that before), and the guy just went off, literally screaming at me that 'it's people like me who are taking money out of the pockets of real musicians, blah, blah, etc'). had I been unionized, I would have been required to charge for the composition, musician's fees for each instrument played (4 guitars, a bass, and drums), and engineering fees. in other words, I'd have never gotten the job in the first place. what really set the guy off was that I did all the work for free, just to see if I was capable of handling all the requisite production elements on my own. my trumpet-playing pal just didn't understand my desire to see if I could accomplish something difficult and settle for satisfaction as payment.

[DC Tom]

I used to work at AFT headquarters. That was a riot.

 

The union HQ itself was made up of two unions (one for support staff, one for "professional staff," for lack of a better term). Once the two unions threatened to strike over their contracts, and management was celebrating over the possibility of a strike, because it proved the union system worked. "Wait...you want them to strike, so they force you to pay them what they want? Why not just pay them what they want, and avoid the strike and the work stoppage?" "You obviously don't understand how unions are supposed to work..."

 

Yeah, obviously. Thank God for that...

[keepthefaith]

Several years ago at a trade show in Chicago myself and another person were setting up a booth. The booth had 2 clip on lights, each with 1 small bulb that plugged into standard 110V AC. A union representative walking the floor informed us that we would have to comply with venue rules which required a union electrician to perform any "electrical work". That included plugging in the light fixtures. We were presented with a work order form which we filled out and gave to the representative. Some 30-45 minutes later an electrician arrived, plugged in our 2 fixtures and we were billed the minimum charge (I believe $90) for the work.

[Chef Jim]

I worked as the executive sous chef at the Long Beach Hilton 20 plus years ago. They union was trying to unionize the place so they had a rep stand outside the employee entrance handing out flyers. I told him I could take them inside and hand them out for him. He smiled, gave them the flyers, thanked me and shook my hand. I took them inside and promptly threw them in the trash can right inside the door.