Hyatt workers launch weeklong strike in Chicago, other cities

And of course, the manager has since "retired" and it was "already planned".

Yeah, surrrre.

More likely, Hyatt knew that if the manager stayed on after treating his workers like that, he'd be found floating in the hotel pool one morning.

 

Two years? Sewer workers in NYC went 16 years without a contract.

Last year they got their new contract, raises ... and back pay. So one sewer worker made $771,841. In all, 67 workers made at least $400,000 in 2010.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/09/wage-settlements-mean-worker-windfalls

 

Not looking to pick a fight, and I don't even disagree with you. My feeling is that, even if I disagree with you, if you're willing to go on strike, I'm willing to honor it.

But, seriously, what if you were attending a conference at the Hyatt in Chicago this week? Do you tell your boss you can't attend? Even at the risk of your own job?

Would you skip your sister's wedding reception?

If the Hyatt calls me and says their espresso machine is broken down -- not a pure hypothetical -- should I tell them to call someone else, or else they'll have to wait a week?

I'm really not trying to be difficult. I get not being a scab, but I've not really considered some of these other scenarios.

In your world, have any sportswriters refused to cover a game with replacement umps, refs, or players?

 

Still interested in hearing folks thoughts.

 

Just because someone's on a picket line doesn't mean they should be on a picket line.

I wouldn't say there's no way I'd cross a picket line. I'd need a pretty good reason to do it, though. And I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons.

No one can ever say what they'd do in a situation until they are actually in it. Quite often, you find out you would do things you didn't expect you'd do.

 

If you're in a unionized newsroom, though, would the union tell you not to? What happened back in 1987?

 

That sounds like a pretty big exception to, "I would never cross a picket line." (Not that you said that.)

You're doing your job, I get that. But so would a guy attending a conference at the Hyatt this week. Is he picking sides if he attends. Should he put his job at risk and not cross the picket line. (And, consider that no one saw this strike coming. They've been without a contract for two years and stage occasional -- usually one day -- strikes without any notice.)

 

I was a freshman in college, so maybe I wouldn't have even noticed, but i don't remember this even being an issue.

But, we've had games officiated by replacement umps & refs since then. I don't remember any other unions honoring their picket lines.

 

There are plenty of occasions when people need to cross picket lines. For example, I'd bet most union contracts these days forbid so-called sympathy strikes. That's why you'll never see football or baseball or basketball players honoring a strike by concession workers. Informational picket lines are crossed all the time -- they're just informational. In the case of a conference at a hotel where workers are on strike, it's a personal choice. I wouldn't attend.

The thing to keep in mind is that the striking workers aren't typically bothered by people going about their business as long as people aren't crossing the picket line to do THEIR work or take THEIR job. That's the point at which one becomes a scab.

 

Really, cran, stooping to facts?

 

Well, and that's why I was asking. Crossing a picket line to scab is obviously a far bigger offense than crossing to do something else.

And, as you say, informational picket lines are also different. You'll see pilots at the airport walking informational picket lines from time to time. They don't expect you to not cross.