Philly Union Members Arrested

Philly.com is reporting that the Philadelphia Police Department has arrested two union members for assault arising out of shenanigans at the Goldtex site.  Here is the video of the incident that led to the arrests:

In an early post this month, we asked if there should be more arrests of union leaders and members for engaging in the type of activity seen at the Goldtex site.  Unlike, the incident in New York, which prompted that post, where those charged were the organizers of the protest, the arrests here appear to be limited only to the individual protesters that took part in the assault.  In any event, the arrests are significant and is certainly the first time  in recent memory that union members have been criminal charged for there actions at a job site.  We will see if the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office – or even the US Attorneys Office – brings additional charges against any additional participants in the protests or, like in New York, union leaders themselves.

Anti-Union v. Anti-Union Tactics

Is the controversial Goldtex project the beginning of the end for the last union-town in America?  Ryan Briggs over at HiddenPhilly.org has an interesting piece that explores this question.  

I have been an outspoken proponent of what the developers of the Goldtex project are doing.  I applaud them not because they are trying to bust up unions, rather because they are standing up to a long history of Big Labor extortion of developers in the City of Philadelphia.

I am not anti-union.  In fact, I think union apprentice and trade schools do a great job of teaching individuals a real world pliable trade.    I think it takes a remarkable person to to voluntary go hundreds of feet into the air to weld steel.  And, I am certainly not against anyone that puts in a hard days work everyday working with their hands.

However, what I am against are the mob like tactics used by Big Labor to extort developers into giving work to labor unions.  We would not stand for the deplorable, embarrassing, and childish behavior in any other industry.  Imagine if I went to a potential client and destroyed their property because they hired another law firm!  Imagine if Microsoft destroyed an Apple Store because they were angry with people buying iPads!  Union behavior of the kind being exhibited on the Goldtex project is nonsensical.   Who is advising the Unions?  Do they really think that they are endearing themselves to the public by engaging in such tactics?

Moreover, the folks that are vandalizing protesting the Goldtex project are professional grade thugs protesters.  They are not the rank and file members of the trade that just want to go to work and earn a living.  If Big Labor truly believes that better quality work justifies the higher cost of Union labor then why don’t they demonstrate that to developers?  In other words send your business agents to sales school, not thug school.  Furthermore, if union members are truly concerned about their future they should immediately fire their leadership.  Obviously, they are doing a horrible job for you as you ranks and influence shirk everyday.

So, what the Goldtex developers are really doing is standing up to bullies.  And until Big Labor changes the way it sells itself to consumers, that is something we can all agree with.