Unions Archives - Page 14 of 14

Does the washroom sign say “All employees must wash feet before returning to prayer?” You know– by the footbasin…

September 26, 2018August 4, 2008 Steve MacDonald

. tyson . labor . caliphate

The story about Tyson Foods’ decision to swap the Labor Day holiday for Eid al-Fitr is sweeping the Internet and flying all around via email as we speak. From the Shelbyville Times-Gazette:

Workers at Tyson Foods’ poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day, but will instead take the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in the fall.

A recent press release from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) stated that a new contract at the Shelbyville facility "implements a new holiday to accommodate the … Muslim workers at the plant."

I have some thoughts on this. First, while I’m definitely NOT the biggest fan of labor unions, what is more American than the concept of a three-day weekend at the end of summer? If this isn’t evidence of non-assimilation, I don’t know what is. While I don’t necessarily dispute the workers’ right to decide when their allotted holidays will be taken, I just believe it tells us something about some of the more recent immigrants to our country– especially when compared against those who came before, eagerly seeking to become "American" which included adopting its traditions and customs (not to mention the language). Although I suppose the ranks of Islamic employees could include a growing number of "disaffected" African-Americans too, as it is no secret that this demographic is a growth market for new converts. The Times-Gazette story continues:

there are approximatly 700 Muslims working at Tyson, but Mickelson said that Somalis only represent approximately 250 of the 1,200 employed at the plant, a little over 20 percent of the workforce.

"All Team Members who have completed their probationary period are eligible for all eight paid holidays including Eid al-Fitr," the Tyson spokeman said.

The union also claimed that in addition to the observance of the Muslim holiday, "two prayer rooms have been created to allow Muslim workers to pray twice a day and return to work without leaving the plant."

Mickelson said that Shelbyville’s Tyson plant "does have a prayer room to accommodate the needs of Muslim Team Members."

"In addition to regular, non-paid breaks, all Team Members are allotted a seven-minute paid break," the Tyson spokesman said. "Some Team Members choose to pray during this time."

While I’m not against the concept of people praying during work breaks, this is much more ingrained into the workplace culture– by written rule– than anything I’ve seen anywhere with regards to other religions one has long found here in America. This is the difference between a more passive, personal religious relationship with God than that of Islam, which seeks to insert itself into EVERY facet of life, including the leading authorities– in this case, the union and operation of a major corporation. And of course we all know that this includes politics and the government itself. (Sharia law)

The “Artful Dodger” strikes again. Jeanne Shaheen and her human campaign shields…

September 26, 2018July 15, 2008

In what is an interesting story, given their oft-stated claims to the contrary, these videos demonstrate that the Democrats aren’t "holier than thou" when it comes to the filming of their candidates at meetings. Recall that Republicans have received flak on more than one occasion for seeking to ban members of the opposition party from meetings, including one occasion right here in our own neck of the woods. As reported by the Citizen newspaper back in May:

State Democratic Party leaders are expressing anger that one of their "trackers" was kicked out of Wednesday’s Belknap County Republicans’ meeting despite the fact that it was used as a campaign stop for two congressional candidates.

[snip]

Buckley said he believes the incident speaks volumes about the attitude of Republican Party leaders.

"I’m curious as to what these candidates have to hide. Either a meeting is public or it’s not. If you want to have a closed meeting, have a closed meeting … they can’t have it both ways," said Buckley, noting that established media were welcome to attend.

If you read the whole story to the end, you would have discovered that, GASP, I am in agreement with Buckley in that when it comes to candidate appearances, everyone should be able to attend and videotape and even in some cases ask questions. Well, unfortunately, as we find all too often with certain Democrats, what’s good for the goose ain’t good for the gander. Check out the treatment of the videographer at a recent Jeanne Shaheen campaign event. Can you imagine if John Sununu was to dispatch staffers in thug-like fashion anytime, anywhere? I think not…

And then there’s the candidate herself. In a million years, could you imagine Senator Sununu calling someone out as Shaheen does in this next video? What about the Buckley admonishment of the GOP as noted above? Yeah, right. We’re talkin’ ’bout Jeanne Shaheen here. Nothing much happens off-script. What, you think she’s a woman of the people? Please! Following all that, after pointing her finger at the offending videotaper a-la the Wicked Witch of the West, it appears he’s about to be taken away. For what? The question actually sounded reasonable– much like the same one she’s been dodging for quite some time now…

Would she be as "approachable" as our Senator? Can we take that chance? Yikes!

Biting the hands that feed. SEIU on the attack…

September 26, 2018April 21, 2008 Steve MacDonald

SEIU

For the nearly two years that GraniteGrok has been open for business, we have written a fair amount about the ongoing union assault on successful American companies like Wal-Mart. We have covered both the philisophical questions raised by such tactics in a free-market society as well as exactly who comprises the instigators behind such ongoing attacks. The common thread is, of course, labor unions. In their quest to maintain power and relevance, they will do almost anything, including destroy the very companies that employ them– biting the hand that feeds.

Leading the charge these days are the henchmen of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). As reported by Matt Lewis writing at Townhall.com, the practices being used in the advancement of their cause are likely to invoke the images among many folks of the classic "union thug" from some bygone era:

Just this past weekend, the SEIU sent hundreds of "members" to disrupt a labor conference in Michigan. They were apparently shoving people to the ground and apparently even went so far as to inflict a head wound on a retired woman (story here, video). In California, they are stalking nurses in a rival union by going to their homes with cameras — and even made a YouTube video of themselves doing it.

A California judge even issued a restraining order against them.

What some people might not know is that in addition to routine thuggery, the SEIU has found new ways to disrupt, cajole, and otherwise shakedown their intended targets. Obviously, when physically beating up corporate execs as opposed to hapless commoners and lowly workers, there comes an added risk to the unionists: deeper pockets to pay for legal actions. As reported in Friday’s Washington Post,

Big labor is relying more on guile and theatrics than blunt force to attack the ascendancy of a new form of corporate ownership: private equity.

And tactics often get personal. Union allies staged a satire outside buyout king Henry Kravis’s lavish Long Island home, asking passersby to sign a petition giving him a break on his property taxes. Weeks later, protesters in business suits sneaked into a private-equity conference at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, where Carlyle Group co-founder David M. Rubenstein was giving a speech. They sought to shame him with a banner that read: "Why does he pay taxes at a lower rate than the hotel’s doorman?"

Then on Halloween, union members wearing Rubenstein masks paraded in front of Carlyle’s offices, handing out Sugar Daddy suckers.

The unorthodox protests are part of a campaign by the Service Employees International Union and its allies to position themselves as a check on what they regard as a new economic order, one dominated by the big private buyout firms.

And what is their problem with this "new economic order?"

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers…

September 26, 2018October 16, 2007

In recent years, I have come to appreciate and admire the marvel of American logistics and ingenuity that is Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, others don’t see it in the same light. In a number of posts stretching back over the past year and more, I have written quite a bit about the ongoing campaign against Wal-Mart by labor unions and their friends in the Democratic Party . In a posting from last November, I reported:

The Democratic war against Wal Mart moves on. With the socialist-leaning party in power, one wonders if the assault on the premier American retailer/ logistics giant will intensify and begin to cause the company real damage.

As I said in this one,

Wal-Mart represents the latest target in the left’s war on successful American businesses.

Last October, I discussed the vehicle chosen by those joining in the assault: the WakeUpWalMart campaign. At the time, I was writing about the NEA teacher’s union’s joining with that group as they attacked Wal-Mart. As found on their website, one sees the union roots of the effort:

Participation in the campaign, which is organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), the AFL-CIO union with primary jurisdiction for employees of retail stores, was approved by the NEA Executive Committee in May 2005 and endorsed by the 2005 Representative Assembly in July 2005.

Of course, just because those on the outside looking in say something is bad, it turns out, sometimes, when you consult people actually having firsthand information, the real story turns out to be quite different. In this post about a group comprised of Wal-Mart employees (Working Families for Wal-Mart), I pointed out:

I know several people that work for Wal Mart, and they genuinely like their jobs. Nobody forces anybody to work there.

Followed by this:

Nobody forces anyone to shop there. Imagine that- willing employees serving willing customers- What a concept!

Indeed. Did you know that Wal-Mart, under constant attack by those who always claim to be for "the little guy," saves the average American family who willingly patronizes them more than $2,500 per year? And now, for those willing customers, there’s a way to get involved and help defend the company that provides such a level of satisfaction: Wal-Mart New England’s Customer Action Network (CAN).