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News & ArtsMonday, February 1, 2010
Economy Pike Place Market Labor Dispute, from Managment's Side
Posted by Jake Blumgart on Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 1:19 PM
I just received a phone call from Pike Place Market PDA's director of communications, James Haydu, who gave me management's perspective on the potential strike brewing in Seattle's famed landmark.
According to Haydu, it isn't unusual for contract negotiations to go on this long (the workers have been without a contact for sixteen months). He emphasized that talks are ongoing, literally, as we spoke on the phone, and that no final offer has yet been made. "We were a little taken by surprise that there was a vote to authorize a strike last week, because we are still in the bargaining process," Haydu told me.
"We're hopeful, and we're still in the process so it would be premature for either side to jump the gun and make a supposition about the way something is going to turn out," Haydu said when asked if he thought the two sides could come to an agreement.
Last Thursday the Pike Place members of Teamsters Local 117 voted to authorize a strike. Over 90 percent of the market's organized workers voted for authorization. Another vote is required to officially begin a strike.
1
Why would management want to end negotiations on time? What do they gain?
Among other things, the longer they hold out, the bigger the Retro Check they can promise labor upon signing a contract.
According to Haydu, it isn't unusual for contract negotiations to go on this long (the workers have been without a contact for sixteen months).
Why would management want to end negotiations on time? What do they gain?
Among other things, the longer they hold out, the bigger the Retro Check they can promise labor upon signing a contract.
3
Assuming the new contract includes a pay increase for the workers, Management benefits.
1. They don't have to pay the increase until a contract is signed.
2. Generally, the longer the management holds out, the more willing labor is to sign.
3. If Management can push contract negotiations into a new accounting period, they get to close their books balanced on the older, cheaper contract.
Today's environment is very anti-labor. Strikes look bad. Management has all of the power. Without support from the press, Management has no reason to settle a contract on anyone's timeline but their own.
1. They don't have to pay the increase until a contract is signed.
2. Generally, the longer the management holds out, the more willing labor is to sign.
3. If Management can push contract negotiations into a new accounting period, they get to close their books balanced on the older, cheaper contract.
Today's environment is very anti-labor. Strikes look bad. Management has all of the power. Without support from the press, Management has no reason to settle a contract on anyone's timeline but their own.
4
Strikes don't just look bad, they ARE bad. The striking workers lose far more in lost wages than they ever could hope to recoup in pay increases. And these people aren't even asking for a pay increase; they've offered a DECREASE, which is some fucked-up negotiation technique. The union here has made itself irrelevant.
5
I believe you cannot possibly back this statement up with facts. Are you suggesting striking workers never make up the amount of money they lose in wages during a strike over the course of their careers?
Are you speaking of all strikers during all strikes everywhere? How can this possibly be true?
The treat of strikes play no role in negotiations? The increased media attention plays no role in negotiations?
We're talking about workers at a fixed plant here. We're not talking about aerospace engineers. Pike Place Market can't relocate to some third-world state down South.
The striking workers lose far more in lost wages than they ever could hope to recoup in pay increases.
I believe you cannot possibly back this statement up with facts. Are you suggesting striking workers never make up the amount of money they lose in wages during a strike over the course of their careers?
Are you speaking of all strikers during all strikes everywhere? How can this possibly be true?
The treat of strikes play no role in negotiations? The increased media attention plays no role in negotiations?
We're talking about workers at a fixed plant here. We're not talking about aerospace engineers. Pike Place Market can't relocate to some third-world state down South.
6
You're right, I don't have facts I can point out. All I have is simple math, from the few strikes I've seen. These guys make what, $4,000 a month? If they're out a month, they need to secure more than that, plus inflation, over their lives. Most striking workers don't do that; they end up signing for pennies. I don't think the Boeing machinists will ever recoup their most recent strike losses. These guys here are apparently striking for the right to CUT their wages, which is just bizarre. All to avoid a merit clause?
The sad fact is that in the modern world labor unions just don't have the power to defeat market economics that they used to. There's a reason why strikes have fallen out of use.
The sad fact is that in the modern world labor unions just don't have the power to defeat market economics that they used to. There's a reason why strikes have fallen out of use.
7
thank god you present management's side because we NEVER hear the press give management's side. thank god they have the time to ring you up while their workers are working so they have free and easy access to you. um, jake, you got played for PR whore.
8
If a $4000 a month worker strikes for a month to get a 2% increase in his pay, he'll earn his losses back in 50 months.
Most strike negotiations involve paying workers some amount of the money lost while striking. Most unions collect strike premiums to insure against losses while striking.
The people who do this for a living are pretty smart at figuring out when to suggest strikes and when to threaten them.
But you're right. Modern labor unions in most cases don't have the power they need to defeat global market economics. They maintain power, however, in certain fixed situations. The Pike Place Market is one of those situations. The Market can't relocate. The Market can't outsource infrastructure maintenance.
You're also right about the stated reasons for this strike. I don't pretend to understand them.
Most strike negotiations involve paying workers some amount of the money lost while striking. Most unions collect strike premiums to insure against losses while striking.
The people who do this for a living are pretty smart at figuring out when to suggest strikes and when to threaten them.
But you're right. Modern labor unions in most cases don't have the power they need to defeat global market economics. They maintain power, however, in certain fixed situations. The Pike Place Market is one of those situations. The Market can't relocate. The Market can't outsource infrastructure maintenance.
You're also right about the stated reasons for this strike. I don't pretend to understand them.
9
The time of labor unions is over. In the distant past, when management forced workers to work in unsafe conditions for little pay, they were relevant. But today, with OSHA and wage laws, all that unions are is a tax upon the workers- they exist solely for the purpose of furthering the interests of union leadership - the new 'management'.
11
$4000.00 A MONTH????? ARE YOU SERIOUS????? TRY $1600. TO $2000. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THE LOWEST PAID "CITY EMPLOYEES" AND MOST OF US CAN BARELY MAKE IT EACH MONTH. THE PDA'S PAY RANGES FROM 60,OOO TO 120,000 A YEAR!!!! I WOULD DARE ANY ONE OF THEM TO DO THE WORK WE DO. NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD GET WITHIN 10 FEET OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO CLEAN, DEAL WITH OR FIX, DEPENDING ON THE DEPARTMENT. PEOPLE CRAP, PISS, PUKE AND DESTROY THINGS EVERYDAY. WE HAVE THE ONLY PUBLIC RESTROOMS IN THAT PART OF THE CITY WHICH MEANS "EVERYONE" USES THEM. TOURISTS, LOCALS, DRUNKS, HOMELESS, CRACKHEADS, HERION USERS ETC. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH OVERDOSES, GRAFFITI, AND WHEN THE RESTROOMS ARE CLOSED, LIKE I SAID, THEY PISS, PUKE AND CRAP WHERE EVER ITS CONVENIENT. WE ARE ALWAYS IN DANGER OF CONTRACTING DISEASES AND SICKNESSESS.
YOU WANT TO KNOW THE MOST PATHATIC THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION???? THERE IS NOT ONE FRACTION OF AN OUNCE OF APPRECIATION FROM THE PDA TOWARDS ITS BLUE COLLAR EMPLOYEES. TALK TO EMPLOYEES, TENENTS AND MERCHANTS DOWN HERE. GET A "REAL FEEL" OF WHAT THE PDA IS REALLY LIKE.
YOU WANT TO KNOW THE MOST PATHATIC THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION???? THERE IS NOT ONE FRACTION OF AN OUNCE OF APPRECIATION FROM THE PDA TOWARDS ITS BLUE COLLAR EMPLOYEES. TALK TO EMPLOYEES, TENENTS AND MERCHANTS DOWN HERE. GET A "REAL FEEL" OF WHAT THE PDA IS REALLY LIKE.
12
$4000.00 A MONTH????? ARE YOU SERIOUS????? TRY $1600. TO $2000. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THE LOWEST PAID "CITY EMPLOYEES" AND MOST OF US CAN BARELY MAKE IT EACH MONTH. THE PDA'S PAY RANGES FROM 60,OOO TO 120,000 A YEAR!!!! I WOULD DARE ANY ONE OF THEM TO DO THE WORK WE DO. NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD GET WITHIN 10 FEET OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO CLEAN, DEAL WITH OR FIX, DEPENDING ON THE DEPARTMENT. PEOPLE CRAP, PISS, PUKE AND DESTROY THINGS EVERYDAY. WE HAVE THE ONLY PUBLIC RESTROOMS IN THAT PART OF THE CITY WHICH MEANS "EVERYONE" USES THEM. TOURISTS, LOCALS, DRUNKS, HOMELESS, CRACKHEADS, HERION USERS ETC. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH OVERDOSES, GRAFFITI, AND WHEN THE RESTROOMS ARE CLOSED, LIKE I SAID, THEY PISS, PUKE AND CRAP WHERE EVER ITS CONVENIENT. WE ARE ALWAYS IN DANGER OF CONTRACTING DISEASES AND SICKNESSESS.
YOU WANT TO KNOW THE MOST PATHATIC THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION???? THERE IS NOT ONE FRACTION OF AN OUNCE OF APPRECIATION FROM THE PDA TOWARDS ITS BLUE COLLAR EMPLOYEES. TALK TO EMPLOYEES, TENENTS AND MERCHANTS DOWN HERE. GET A "REAL FEEL" OF WHAT THE PDA IS REALLY LIKE.
YOU WANT TO KNOW THE MOST PATHATIC THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION???? THERE IS NOT ONE FRACTION OF AN OUNCE OF APPRECIATION FROM THE PDA TOWARDS ITS BLUE COLLAR EMPLOYEES. TALK TO EMPLOYEES, TENENTS AND MERCHANTS DOWN HERE. GET A "REAL FEEL" OF WHAT THE PDA IS REALLY LIKE.
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