Labor discord leading up to Open

[John Burnes]

surprised to see predicted economic impact so high..

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130330_A_note_of_discord_as_Merion_Golf_Club_gears_up_to_host_golf_s_U_S__Open.html

[Carl Johnson]

A couple of observations -

From the article:  "Goode [a USGA 'spokesman'] would not offer specifics about the USGA's labor contracts, but he said the tournament was expected to bring between $100 million and $125 million to the area and to draw about 170,000 people."

The boosters in my burg, Charlotte, frequently throw out economic impact figures for conventions, sporting events, stadium-building, halls of fame, and so on.  And just about as frequently they are off the mark.  Even those based on "studies" by local university "professors."  One problem is that sometimes (not always) they are using gross spending numbers only, without taking into account that a lot of those dollars are simply local dollars diverted from other uses.  So, I'm not saying Mr. Goode is off the mark.  I'm just saying that his raw numbers are meaningless to me without a detailed explanation of how they were derived.

Also from the article:  "According to Darren Bonass, a union representative, the USGA said it had standing contracts with out-of-state companies to set up bleachers, tents, and scaffolding. 'They even have to build a bridge,' Bonass said. 'That's our work. This is our jurisdiction.'  Bonass said that the union was still in talks with the USGA and that the organization had indicated it could hire union carpenters for some of the work. 'Union or nonunion, there will be almost no local craftspeople involved with this project,' Bonass said. 'If you're going to hold an event like this and disrupt a community, people should be making money from it.'"

Well, according to Mr. Goode, $100 million plus will be spent in the area.  Surely some of that will end up in local hands.  The union is simply concerned, as it should be, that its local members won't be getting much, if any, direct economic benefit from the tournament.  So, they should do what they are doing - working on the problem.  Should the USGA and the Merion club care about the union members?  From Merion's standpoint, that's a local issue for them.  If any Merion members read this post, I'd be curious to hear their point of view on "benefiting locals," including the union workers in question.  Obviously this is not now an issue for the USGA - they have a business model and will go local only to the extent it benefits their business.  ["Marion" edited to "Merion" 2 April 2013.  CJ]

[Ed Brzezowski]

My guess is that we will all get a chance to see the Unions giant inflatable rat shortly. It is a fixture around Philly when these dispiutes take place.

[Lou_Duran]

A couple of observations -

Even those based on "studies" by local university "professors."  One problem is that sometimes (not always) they are using gross spending numbers only, without taking into account that a lot of those dollars are simply local dollars diverted from other uses.  So, I'm not saying Mr. Goode is off the mark.  I'm just saying that his raw numbers are meaningless to me without a detailed explanation of how they were derived.

Should the USGA and the Marion club care about the union members? 

For one time events, the analysis I've seen take into account cannibalization.  In other words, they seek to identify incremental impact.  Of course, the analysis are as good as the people involved, the assumptions they make, and a number of other things they cannot control (e.g. weather).

As to the second question, should the USGA and Merion care about non-union jobs?  Do these workers deserve lesser consideration?  Or might the better concern be getting the best value for the dollar spent?  Some unionists will argue that their workers through training and experience are more productive than their non-union competitors.  If it is a question of value and not of membership or politics, wouldn't that be the best approach?  If competition is good for those toiling in the US Open, why not for the work to conduct the tournament as well?  

[Mike Viscusi]

My guess is that we will all get a chance to see the Unions giant inflatable rat shortly. It is a fixture around Philly when these dispiutes take place.

The giant inflatable rat is already in full effect.  I saw it last week on Haverford Rd at the USGA construction entrance at Haverford College.

[Lou_Duran]

Can someone post a pic of the rat?  Or is this a metaphor for something else?

[Jeff Taylor]

"This is our jurisdiction."

Interesting choice of wording here. I didn't know that they controlled the market for erecting bleachers and bridges. Is there a union contract in place that is being violated? Me thinks not. The ease of suggesting entitlement is revealing.

[Mike Viscusi]

Can someone post a pic of the rat?  Or is this a metaphor for something else?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflatable_rat

[Bill_McBride]

"This is our jurisdiction."

Interesting choice of wording here. I didn't know that they controlled the market for erecting bleachers and bridges. Is there a union contract in place that is being violated? Me thinks not. The ease of suggesting entitlement is revealing.

Not entitlement but merely looking out for their members.  Philadelphia is a highly unionized city.  Jurisdiction enforcement is one of the critical issues for unions.  I spent 28 years working in the trade show service business and dealt with strong unions all across the country.  Usually their big stick is that other unions won't cross their picket lines.  If there is precedent in temporary event construction, the USGA will have a hard time getting around this situation. 

[Jeff Taylor]

"This is our jurisdiction."

Interesting choice of wording here. I didn't know that they controlled the market for erecting bleachers and bridges. Is there a union contract in place that is being violated? Me thinks not. The ease of suggesting entitlement is revealing.

Not entitlement but merely looking out for their members.  Philadelphia is a highly unionized city.  Jurisdiction enforcement is one of the critical issues for unions.  I spent 28 years working in the trade show service business and dealt with strong unions all across the country.  Usually their big stick is that other unions won't cross their picket lines.  If there is precedent in temporary event construction, the USGA will have a hard time getting around this situation. 

Fair enough. They are looking out for their members.
Is there a contract in place? Where does this sense of jurisdiction come from? Who grants the union first right of refusal on any work being done at Merion? What do you mean by precedent? That can't be a substitute for an enforceable labor agreement, can it?

My guess is that this is public posturing and no more. Good for them. They have the money to pay for the hot air that it takes to inflate the rat.

Also, I bet you have some stories to tell about your 28 years in the trade show service.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Can someone post a pic of the rat?  Or is this a metaphor for something else?

I will drive by it, if still there, on Wednesday. It is about 15-20 feet tall, the rat has an interchangble note that can be altered to a specific evildoer.

He/it visits numerous sites around the Philly area. He hates anyone not in a union, he is known to shop in that hotbed of American made products aka Wal Mart. The rat travels with  quite a posse. He is known to also attract tv crews with cute reporters, he is a real stud that rodent.

[Bill_McBride]

"This is our jurisdiction."

Interesting choice of wording here. I didn't know that they controlled the market for erecting bleachers and bridges. Is there a union contract in place that is being violated? Me thinks not. The ease of suggesting entitlement is revealing.

Not entitlement but merely looking out for their members.  Philadelphia is a highly unionized city.  Jurisdiction enforcement is one of the critical issues for unions.  I spent 28 years working in the trade show service business and dealt with strong unions all across the country.  Usually their big stick is that other unions won't cross their picket lines.  If there is precedent in temporary event construction, the USGA will have a hard time getting around this situation.  

Fair enough. They are looking out for their members.
Is there a contract in place? Where does this sense of jurisdiction come from? Who grants the union first right of refusal on any work being done at Merion? What do you mean by precedent? That can't be a substitute for an enforceable labor agreement, can it?

My guess is that this is public posturing and no more. Good for them. They have the money to pay for the hot air that it takes to inflate the rat.

Also, I bet you have some stories to tell about your 28 years in the trade show service.

I suspect union carpenters still do all the work in Philly on erecting trade show booths, special event construction, other work of that nature.  They will claim jurisdiction, and typically the other unions will back them.  The unions were always a force in the trade show business because of its time sensitive nature.  This is how the Open will be, that first round starts Thursday, no union work stoppage will be allowed.  

Yes it was a crazy business.  In 1992 I set up a major international medical congress in the Javits Center in NYC.  We had ten unions on the job and they all took their break at a different time.

[JESII]

They do Bill, and the other trades get their work as well...this one will be interesting to watch for me as I have a few friends in those unions...some even holding tickets to the tournament.

[Jeff Taylor]

There has to be some controlling document/agreement that gives the union the right to that work. Otherwise, the USGA is free to hire the firm of their choice. What can the union legally do (beyond the rat) if the firm chosen is not a union shop? Is Merion union? If so, does that document reserve work for tournament set up that is not directed by the club itself?

[JESII]

Jeff,

It's my understanding the some (or all) of the unions have some contractual agreements with certain facilities in the city to do all event work...but they're all in the city and goverened by the city council. Merion is outside the city limits and its geography is not goverened by the city council. This is posturing and intimidation. It may get their guys some work and it may not.

A friend sells for an asphalt paving company and worked to get some of the parking lot, driveway and tent foundation work but it all went through a guy from North Carolina that the USGA hooked up with 10 years or so ago...I'm not certain but I don't think he's using union subs for that work either.

[Jeff Taylor]

Thanks Jim. Now we are getting somewhere.
I guess it's possible for permit granting agencies to require that work be done with union labor. I guess it is possible for unions to lock up convention centers for all set up work. It seems that Merion fits neither of those descriptions.

[JESII]

I would think if Merion wanted to mandate a certain amount of union work the time would have been 6 or 8 years ago when they negotiated the terms of the whole deal...don't you think?

[Jeff Taylor]

Well, that depends. I doubt that Merion is a union shop for grounds keeping. A contract that specifies all work done on the property to be union is the only context where a third party may be bound (mandating non-GM drivers to be union when delivering to GM factories comes to mind). However, the USGA would walk away from such a deal. In the case of club management mandating union work, I seriously doubt that would happen. Old clubs, being a haven for the business ruling class, are hardly the place where you find union mandates.

[JESII]

Agreed...just saying that if it were ever to be negotiated that time was 5+ years ago.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Should the USGA and the Marion club care about the union members?  From Marion's standpoint, that's a local issue for them.  If any Marion members read this post, I'd be curious to hear their point of view on "benefiting locals," including the union workers in question.

Surely we can spell M - E - R - I - O - N correctly on this site -- after all it has only been the focal point of about 6^10 threads many of which went on for hundreds of pages.

[Carl Johnson]

Should the USGA and the Marion club care about the union members?  From Marion's standpoint, that's a local issue for them.  If any Marion members read this post, I'd be curious to hear their point of view on "benefiting locals," including the union workers in question.

Surely we can spell M - E - R - I - O - N correctly on this site -- after all it has only been the focal point of about 6^10 threads many of which went on for hundreds of pages.

Weyne, thanks for the correction.  I love it, in the spirit of GCA [the website].  Yes, I'm very aware of the threads.  No, I have not read them.  (Lie.  I did read a few in my early days on GCA [the website] before I figured out it was all a _______ contest.)  Do I give a _____ about M e er a er e ion?  Not really.  But I do give a ____ about my spelling?  Yes.  And for that I am hugely embarassed, or is it embarrased, or embarressed, yes, I think so, or maybe embarrassed, is that it, or is it that I don't have spell check on GCA?  Not that it would matter in the case of Ma/erion.

Cerl

[David_Elvins]

Should the USGA and the Marion club care about the union members?  From Merion's standpoint, that's a local issue for them.  If any Merion members read this post, I'd be curious to hear their point of view on "benefiting locals," including the union workers in question.  

I was under the impression that a significant portion of the Merion ground crew was flown in for the golf season from overseas.  Not sure themembers are too concerned with supporting local workers.  

[Kris Shreiner]

The union rat blow-up character, accompanied by pickets, was there yesterday along Haveford Ave. It was a very windy, blustery day, so they were marking time and paying the price. My feeling is that local folks should be used when possible by the USGA, but the union mantra often leads to extortionate rates being charged, which only increases costs needlessly.
As to the assertion a "significant" portion of the greens staff is flown in from overseas during the season...I don't believe that's accurate. I know quite a few of the crew, including Matt the superintendent, and while they certainly swell the numbers as they must to maintain the superb presentation level they do during heavy play, there is no shortage of American workers to fill their needs. In fact, those positions are quite coveted, even prior to securing the U.S. Open. Matt has a well-deserved repution for grooming younger, aspiring superintendents and then placing them in good head positions when they are ready. Others may know more on this topic.

Cheers,
 Kris

[Patrick_Mucci]

Should the USGA and the Marion club care about the union members?  From Merion's standpoint, that's a local issue for them.  If any Merion members read this post, I'd be curious to hear their point of view on "benefiting locals," including the union workers in question.  

I was under the impression that a significant portion of the Merion ground crew was flown in for the golf season from overseas.  Not sure themembers are too concerned with supporting local workers.  

David,

What was the basis for forming your impression ?

I had NEVER heard that about Merion or any other club, other than in the dinning rooms.

[Carl Johnson]

Should the USGA and the Marion club care about the union members?  From Merion's standpoint, that's a local issue for them.  If any Merion members read this post, I'd be curious to hear their point of view on "benefiting locals," including the union workers in question.  

I was under the impression that a significant portion of the Merion ground crew was flown in for the golf season from overseas.  Not sure themembers are too concerned with supporting local workers.  

David,

What was the basis for forming your impression ?

I had NEVER heard that about Merion or any other club, other than in the dinning rooms.

I'm not David, and Maerion is not my club, but I don't think this kind of arrangement would be unusual.  My club in North Carolina uses overseas workers, hired through an agency, to beef up the course maintenance crew during the summer, and I'm quite familiar with an old private club in the northeast (not Maerion) that not only brings in overseas workers for both dining and course maintenance for the summer, but that also has what appears to be a very nice club-site housing complex where the overseas people can live.