Union protest at 12th and Pearl is now out of control -Goldtex Post Bros

[BarryG]

how do you know that is true? why would law enforcement advise this and why would post heed advice from such a clearly biased institution?

did you make this up?

If anyone advised them not to, it would be their lawyers, not law enforcement.

This whole thing is crazy, if the posts on here are true. I don't think the media is afraid to bash the unions, the Inky has already written articles about this situation and casts doubt on the motivations of the union in other pieces, like the recent ones on the Convention Center fees. My guess is that they are waiting for a clearer picture to emerge.

[PlainTruth]

Just speculation. I think the picture is pretty clear.

[workingman]

Where is the media?

I am in awe of the lack of press, then again all of the media offices and workers are union, like the police. I was there Thursday night, the mob was unruly, mostly drunk, and the biggest bunch of apparently hired thugs ever to visit the site.
Most people dont know that there were 2 other truck loads of concrete workers that never made it from 12th and Spring Garden.

I hope some neighbors videoed this from their upstairs apartments. I would love to see those, those videos will show clear how the police DID NOTHING!
Crime happening and no help.
We should show neighborhood support to Post somehow, Post is fixing a bad area of the city with no help from the city officials, police, councilmen, or ANYONE.
Go Go Go !!!!!

[thoth]

Wow I could barely even tell what side this guy was on from this post

Not naming names or even saying who but the white hot revenge is a dish served ice cold....the fight's already lost...the word is that Goldtex will be the nicest building in the city...
Post Brothers should be sending these guys cards and a bottle of champagne on ice, with the text read

" Hey Slob, your cartel is broken, tough break, get drunk on me, use the bucket to ice down your marbles"
Best, P

[jizay]

I am in awe of the lack of press, then again all of the media offices and workers are union, like the police. I was there Thursday night, the mob was unruly, mostly drunk, and the biggest bunch of apparently hired thugs ever to visit the site.

Right? It's totally unreal. I guess when we tell the press these things, it seems too hard to believe. Thursday was shocking. I didn't know how to post here that would do it justice.

[thoth]

I am in awe of the lack of press, then again all of the media offices and workers are union, like the police.

Don't be absurd, you boob.

[Sharkfood]

Meanwhile, in "liberal" Massachusetts, non-union firms are protesting the use of union-only labor:

Union-only labor for bridge project irks firms

July 13, 2012|Frank Phillips

Work to rebuild the Whittier Memorial Bridge, along with four other major… (Jim Davis/Globe staff/file…)
The Patrick administration has decided to restrict work on a high-profile $285 million bridge project over the Merrimack River to contractors who agree to use only union labor, a rare move that has the state’s nonunion construction firms accusing Democrats of election-year pandering.

Advocates for the nonunion firms, some of which have poured thousands of dollars into preparing bids for the work, say the administration had given them a clear indication that the Whittier Bridge project would not have any such limitations.

Rebuilding the Whittier Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 95 across the Merrimack, is one of five major bridge projects that will be launched in the next few months. Contractors who attended a February dinner that featured Patrick’s transportation secretary said that he gave a clear signal that only the Longfellow Bridge project would require union labor.

Patrick administration aides and labor leaders dispute arguments that the union-only pact will increase costs and say the very complex work requires highly skilled laborers and the labor stability that unions provide.

Governor Deval Patrick’s director of communications, Brendan Ryan, scoffed at the notion that politics played a role in the declaration earlier this month that the winning bidder would have to enter into a union-workers-only pact with the building trade councils.

“I understand that people won’t agree with every decision we make, but to misrepresent what happened and resort to baseless accusations about the integrity of the decision-
making process is surprising and unfortunate,’’ Ryan said. He pointed out that the governor has upset the unions in another decision, when he reject ed their request to require a union-only mandate for the Fore River Bridge, another one of the five major projects.

That has not placated the opponents of pacts that require union labor.

“It’s mind-boggling,’’ said Greg Beeman, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts, a trade group that advo cates for open-shop commercial contractors.

Ronald N. Cogliano — president of Merit Construction Alliance, a nonunion advocacy group that aggres sively monitors public works projects — called the governor’s decision’s “despicable.’’

“When does the political favoritism in the Commonwealth end,’’ said Cogliano, who supported Patrick’s Republican opponent, Charles D. Baker in 2010. “Taxpayers are already beleaguered. The governor is piling on more construction costs so he can curry more favor with organized labor.’’

[the mule]

Patrick administration aides and labor leaders dispute arguments that the union-only pact will increase costs and say the very complex work requires highly skilled laborers and the labor stability that unions provide.

Not knowing the specifics of the Massachusetts situation, I can't pass any judgment on it, but this statement encapsulates the single best argument unions can make for themselves but hardly ever rely on. Membership in the building trades has some fairly rigorous training requirements that guarantee a certain level of skill that's not guaranteed among non-union workers. Not only that, but there is a bench of workers with that same skillset waiting to be employed should a project need additional labor to meet deadlines. Those are the reasons large developers don't grumble about using union labor, it actually does represent value to them.

If they would stick to advertising the benefits they actually have to offer to offset the 30-40% cost premium rather than throwing mud, obstructing the livelihoods of honest workers, and engaging in ridiculous hyperbole about non-union employment destroying communities, they might actually be winning the PR battle. But as it stands they're alienating pretty much anyone with an ounce of sense.

[LUCas]

Meanwhile, in "liberal" Massachusetts, non-union firms are protesting the use of union-only labor:’’

I was just thinking about this as I passed the guys outside Elixir again this morning. Why don't the non-union shops get together in counter protest if they really want to bust the union stranglehold? You see non-union independents running scared all the time. They should form an SBA to fight back.

Of course, the Unions have a century of organizational experience so I doubt it would be that easy.

[AbortedWalrus]

I was just thinking about this as I passed the guys outside Elixir again this morning. Why don't the non-union shops get together in counter protest if they really want to bust the union stranglehold? You see non-union independents running scared all the time. They should form an SBA to fight back.

Of course, the Unions have a century of organizational experience so I doubt it would be that easy.

Because without the political clout the unions have behind them, the non-union guys would find themselves immediately arrested/removed from any such gathering.

[annie]

Philly trade union protesters block truck delivery to Post Bros' Goldtex apt project, 12th & Wood. Getting serious.

From Inky's architecture critic.

[jizay]

From Inky's architecture critic.

Remember, there are police all over the place as this is happening.

[johnnie]

Union Guys Pull a Tiananmen Square - Curbed Philly

"But we gotta tell you: As with a new photo that the Inquirer's Inga Saffron tweeted today, the evidence that comes in—whether web links, photos, videos, email or comments—pretty much either implicates the union in wrongdoing or simply makes them look really, really bad. And in need of exercise."

[raider.adam]

Union Guys Pull a Tiananmen Square - Curbed Philly

"But we gotta tell you: As with a new photo that the Inquirer's Inga Saffron tweeted today, the evidence that comes in—whether web links, photos, videos, email or comments—pretty much either implicates the union in wrongdoing or simply makes them look really, really bad. And in need of exercise."

And now Tienanmen Square reference goes from someone standing in the way for freedom to someone standing in the way to be against it.

[johnnie]

And now Tienanmen Square reference goes from someone standing in the way for freedom to someone standing in the way to be against it.

Yeah it is a pretty terrible reference and nothing in their short post references anything positive about what they are doing; actually the complete opposite and insults the union.

[raider.adam]

Yeah it is a pretty terrible reference and nothing in their short post references anything positive about what they are doing; actually the complete opposite and insults the union.

Sort of interesting if you think about it. The reference is becoming more remembered as someone standing in front of a vehicle rather than the actual reason for standing in front of a tank.

[five apples]

From Inky's architecture critic.

Looks like the Trade's were able to dig up a minority for this picture too.

[Tartan69]

This is a blatant example of the Philadelphia police not doing its job by allowing this to continue. And corrupt City leadership is allowing it. Where are the Feds???

[carloss]

From Inky's architecture critic.

Visually proving, among other things, that the obesity epidemic isn't limited to those who live within city limits.

[RainboTeabagger]

Man! No wonder these guys feel entitled and are lethargic as sh!t...its cuz they're a bunch of fatasses!

Can these guys even lift a hammer without going into cardiac arrest?