Loud protest at Admiral Safeway site leads school to summon police

Thanks to the WSB’ers whose texts and calls brought news of this picketing at the Admiral Safeway construction site. You’ve seen similar protests at other project sites (we recall at least three in West Seattle in the past few years) – this time, it’s the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters claiming site subcontractor Marquise Drywall is not paying “area standard” wages, according to their signs and according to what one of the protesters told WSB.

Then we found there was more to the story than the picketing itself: The drums, whistles, and bullhorns the protesters were using had drawn a different kind of protest: Lafayette Elementary, across the street, had called the police. Principal Virginia Turner explained they are not opposed to the protest – but the protesters had been using drums and other noisemakers, and that was disrupting classwork. Much louder than the ongoing construction work, she and office manager Connie Wicklund explained. While we were talking with them in the Lafayette office, SPD Officer Barnes came in to explain that the protesters had agreed to stop using the drums, but, he said, there wasn’t much more police could do than talk to them, which they had done. Turner said she had gone over to talk with the protesters too. If the drums started up again, the officer advised the school administrators, give them a call. (In our video, shot from the Lafayette side of the street, you will see and hear the protesters, minus the drums, and you also see the police who responded to the California/Lander corner.)

Stu March 31, 2011 (12:12 pm)

The protesters have moved north away from Lafayette and have resumed a very loud protest. I hope this is better for the classrooms, not great for Alki Bike and Board, but I support there cause. I only see working class people out there.

YarnCore March 31, 2011 (12:12 pm)

These guys have been protesting a building downtown as well as Nordstrom, anything associated with SD Deacon.

Greg March 31, 2011 (12:17 pm)

I guess “area standard” wages are determined by union goons rather than the market. I hope Marquise Drywall doesn’t cave in to these intimidation tactics

Bobby March 31, 2011 (12:31 pm)

Dont judge the protesters to harshly or anyone associated with SD Deacon. This is not the first time that Marquise Drywall has had their problems with proper wages being paid in BOTH public and private projects.

Greg March 31, 2011 (12:48 pm)

“Proper” wages??? As long as it is above the minimum wage there is no issue. If you think that carpenters or any other “skilled laborer” should make more than what employers are offering you are sadly in need of an Economics 101 class.

s March 31, 2011 (12:50 pm)

How much do they pay their carpenters?

WSB March 31, 2011 (1:08 pm)

I have a request to the union HQ for further comment. One nearby business owner said they planned to put up a “website” later about this … one of the picketers took a picture of me taking video of them from across the street, so maybe I’ll turn up on it .. TR

JD March 31, 2011 (12:54 pm)

Shouldn’t the protesters be WORKING. What sort of luxury job do they have that they get to chill w/ signs disrupting HARD WORKING people and disrupting a job site.

If SD Deacon chose to use a non-union outfit then that’s the company’s choice. It is not for us or the people who lost the contract to decide.

I will not hesitate to say I work in a union environment and will out source whatever I can. It get’s done ON TIME and ON BUDGET

KBear March 31, 2011 (12:56 pm)

Greg, who’s YOUR employer? We need to let them know you’re being overpaid. You should only be making minimum wage. It’s what your level of skill dictates.

Cheryl March 31, 2011 (12:58 pm)

Idiots.

derrick March 31, 2011 (12:58 pm)

whats up with the anti union commenters on this board? I’m glad people are out there standing up for the rights of workers to earn a fair wage… those kids should be brought out of class to learn what standing up for yourself as a working person is all about. It would do the kids some good in this world saturated with pro-corporate messaging

WSB March 31, 2011 (1:14 pm)

Derrick, there were kids in the lobby looking across the street (between classes) when I walked in to find out more about the police situation – I heard one man, not sure whether school staffer or volunteer, answering one kid’s question with a basic factual outline. So I do think there was a teachable moment found here. The school staff was very clear they were not opposing the protest – just the volume – TR

bsmomma March 31, 2011 (1:13 pm)

Unless the wages are in violation of any agreed amount in a written contract, what is there to protest? If the workers agreed to work for said unfair amount…..well, be thankful you have a job. My college educated hard working mom has been out of a job for 6+ months with NO CALL BACK on any application. Be Thankful. Jeez.

Luckie March 31, 2011 (1:13 pm)

I volunteer at Lafayette every Thursday morning to read with the first graders, and today I arrived at the height of the drum-beating and horn-blowing. The classroom is on California, with windows directly opposite the protest, and it was quite loud. The kids were a little nervous–“What are they doing? Are they going to tear up the Safeway?” one of them asked me–but after it was explained to them what was going on, they calmed down. I very much appreciate the protesters’ willingness to stop using drums and horns; it made a huge difference, and we were able to get our reading done. Thank you!

DK March 31, 2011 (1:13 pm)

I totally agree Derrick, I was thinking the same thing. Instead of complaining about the noise disrupting the classrooms, they should be taking them out of the classroom and be taught how to stand up for their rights and that their voice can make a difference!!!

Greg March 31, 2011 (1:13 pm)

I get paid what what everyone else that does my job gets paid. If there were more of us it would be less money, when there are less of us it is MORE money. There are a lot of carpenters out there competing for few jobs. Wages are going to be lower. The whole “working class people deserve proper wages” philosophy is a bunch a Marxist claptrap that has no basis in reality.

coffee March 31, 2011 (1:31 pm)

As a business owner, I would like to “afford” to pay my employees more, however, the recession does not afford me to do that. In fact, I have yet to take a paycheck for the last 3 plus years. Every one of my customers is “shopping” my products and offerings, and in many cases comparing me to online companies and Costco. Lots of times I cannot compete, and in some cases when I loose a bid, the customer was not even comparing the same products. I lost 20% of my local business last year to online suppliers.
My employees get their check every friday. Do people really understand how much it costs to run a business in Washington State? Do you know the amount of taxes alone we have to pay? I do pick up the insurance tab at 100% for my employees, pay them vacation and holiday pay. So don’t always cast stones at the employer.

gina March 31, 2011 (1:31 pm)

Lafayette should have used their loudspeaker intercom system in response.

Mn March 31, 2011 (1:39 pm)

Greg
Great comments and opinions
Wish there were more of you in this country
I applaud you

Left&Wright March 31, 2011 (1:46 pm)

Coffee, I understand your situation and I am sure you are a conscientious employer and I wish there were more like you. But this is completely different. This is a subcontractor who is paying less than the prevailing wage. I think Safeway can afford it and so can the contractor and the subcontractor. They are just being cheap with no consideration at all for the worker.

WSB March 31, 2011 (2:10 pm)

I just talked with the Carpenters’ Council spokesperson. Will be adding to the story, hoping to reach the protest-target company as well … TR

Neighbor March 31, 2011 (2:22 pm)

Greg-you do realize that is because of unions we actually have a min. wage, no child labor, safety in the work place, the weekend, and so many more humane conditions. If you and your kind had their way we’d all be serfs.
Pay people a living wage and a wage that reflects industry standards.

Mn March 31, 2011 (2:32 pm)

Sure neighbor
We get it
It’s why America is going down the tubes though with all this socialistic propaganda

Andy March 31, 2011 (2:46 pm)

Here’s hoping the teachers and the school aren’t taking any position on the protest, for or against. It’s good to indicate to the children that our country benefits from freedom of speech, but anything remotely pro- or anti-union is politicizing their education, and would be an abuse of the teachers’ positions.

visitor March 31, 2011 (3:05 pm)

the reason USA is “going down the tubes” is largely due to income disparity and the loss of a middle class in this country. the fact that anyone would promote decreased wages and decreased benefits for working people is symptomatic of the our moral decay. It’s actually funny (if it weren’t so tragic) that some people drink the cool aid, and they can even be passionate about it…..

Nulu March 31, 2011 (3:14 pm)

Wow, such labor hostility.
Is our state with its great heritage of labor movements, one with people having died for their right to unionize, going the way of radical union-busting like the governors of Wisconsin and Ohio?
Or are these anti-union/workers’ rights advocates just screaming into the vacuum of our blue state?
The teachers across the street are likely unionized.
The Safeway checkers are too.
Why is it suddenly allowable to spew such hatred for people banding together trying to make a living wage?

casaboba March 31, 2011 (3:27 pm)

Children learn by example…Next thing you know those kids at Lafayette School will be protesting & picketing about the amount of their required homework!

Greg March 31, 2011 (3:51 pm)

Neighbor, you are living in the past. The Labor Movement that helped bring about all of those significant improvements that you listed is long gone. OSHA and other government agencies have taken over oversight and enforecement of worker safety. Very few workers today are union members because of their irrelevance in the modern workplace. The violence and corruption of the Teamsters is well documented. The UAW played a huge role in eliminating US auto company market share. The NEA is destroying the quality of public education….blahblahblah…..don’t forget to pay those dues…..I bet they are deducted right from your paycheck.

Caprial March 31, 2011 (4:19 pm)

There are a couple of items here that need to be made. 1) The protesters today had nothing to do with the construction site. They are paid protesters who don’t even normally work in the field they were supposedly protesting about. (Per SPD) They go site to site doing this. 2) The school has no problem with the protesting, they had a problem with the incessant drumming, fugelhorns, bull horns, chanting, and getting cars to honk. It interrupted learning and was just rude. They could have protested without it.
3) The Safeway site is a private construction job, they can hire and pay whomever they choose as opposed to say a public building like a jail, courthouse or library.

Eric March 31, 2011 (4:30 pm)

One hundred years ago, the employers of the Triangle Shirt Manufacturing company broke an effort by their employees to unionize and demand better working conditions. They decided they could make more money by not providing adequate fire protection (buckets of water, fire escape) and by locking the doors to the workplace so that employees could not leave.

On March 25, a fire broke out on the 7th floor, killing 146 people, mostly immigrant women and including many teenagers. Only after the tragedy did New York state begin to pass workplace safety laws.

Are unions perfect? Of course not. But corporate employers (not small individual business owners) are frequently less perfect, and if I have the choice of seeing a corporate bigwig pulling down a seven-figure salary, or a group of carpenters making a little extra money, I’ll side with the carpenters every day and twice on Sunday.

The love that this country has for big greedy corporations is something I’ll never understand.

Norma Berube-Adler March 31, 2011 (4:37 pm)

The problem with thinking that they can hire whomever they please to complete a job is rubbish. That is the kind of thinking that took jobs away from Americans & outsourced them to foreigners. May all unions stand together in solidarity for the working man or woman trying to care for family by earning a decent wage. Shame on those few individuals who criticize ”sans” knowledge of the facts wishing to even control how a protest is run. As a Canadian wife of an American dock worker, I am proud that my husband will stand up for himself & other unionized workers.

Caduceus March 31, 2011 (4:41 pm)

This entire discussion is ridiculous.

We have people saying that the protesters only deserve minimum wage. For no reason, just that that’s all they deserve. Implying that minimum wage is at all livable. And seemingly not knowing that we even have a minimum wage BECAUSE OF people like those protesters.

And then people who blindly support the protesters just because they’re “working class” and by default are protesting competently and deserve our respect.

Who here knows what wages they’re protesting? What wages they’re asking for? Why they’re being unnecessarily loud?

That’s what I thought.

We’re talking about Safeway. By default Safeway is going to find the cheapest contractor. And it’s fairly safe to assume that the cheapest contractor is going to hire desperate people who simply need any sort of money in their pocket, and they will pay these people as low of wages as possible. Despite what they may or may not deserve, how many years they’ve been in their trade or how well they actually work.

The “new” Safeway will look just as nice as the new QFC in the junction and be just as terrible, leaky, poorly manufactured and just as overall sophomoric in it’s construction and design.

WSB March 31, 2011 (5:16 pm)

So far I still have only the Carpenters’ side of it. Still working on the other side. Spokesperson Pedro Espinoza called me back. He says that the “area standard” per his organization is $48/hour, whatever combination of pay and benefits that equals out to. He says they have been protesting this particular drywall company for three years, and just want to get them to sit down and talk. Espinoza claims the drywall company pays $20/hour or less.

Nulu March 31, 2011 (4:42 pm)

Caprial,
Not that I am disputing it, but could you explain,”They are paid protesters who don’t even normally work in the field they were supposedly protesting about. (Per SPD)”
–
Since this is not in Tracy’s story, I would appreciate your specific source.
Are you claiming that these are non-union protesters, that they are not members of the carpenters’ union?
–
Of course, we all realize that the SPD responders are also members of a particularly strong union.

Been There March 31, 2011 (5:06 pm)

It is not a coincidence that the ever increasing gap between the financially well off versus the rest of us coincides with the decrease in the number of unionized workers that has taken place over the last 30+ years. Unions were an equalizing and democratizing factor that helped to check the power of the corporate world. The outright attack on unions throughout their history is well recorded and continues to this day. Sadly, increasingly so. OSHA, the EEOC, the NLRB and other Federal and State agencies may work to improve safety, equality and opportunity in the workplace, but they are not equipped to deal with economic disparity which is the primary reason for our nation’s woes. Of course unions are not perfect and have their own baggage. But how about the imperfection within the financial sector/Wall Street? Or at Bank Of America, or our own deceased WAMU? As for prior comments from Greg, Mn and Cheryl such as ‘union goons’, ‘idiots’ or ‘socialist propaganda’, well, clearly these folks are in their own little bubble of privilege or ignorance, or are outright troll/PR hacks.

Momof3 March 31, 2011 (5:35 pm)

Shhh… We’re trying to get our worksheets finished. I’m with you, Derrick.

Caprial March 31, 2011 (5:42 pm)

I don’t know if the “protesters” are part of the union or not, I just know they are paid $10/hr to protest whatever and go wherever they are told to go, site to site. The ones I spoke to definately were not drywallers though. But they have a constitutional right to protest, absolutely. But disturbing 540 kids all day long, bad form. I wonder what the criteria is for disturbing the peace?

jamminj March 31, 2011 (6:15 pm)

Again we have middle-class fighting against the middle-class. Another step towards an oligarchy.
Basically your argument is, if I can’t get paid more, you shouldn’t either. Corporations are recording record profits. Sure its a down economy, but only for the middle-class.

jamminj March 31, 2011 (6:20 pm)

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/16/news/economy/middle_class/index.htm

“In 1988, the income of an average American taxpayer was $33,400, adjusted for inflation. Fast forward 20 years, and not much had changed: The average income was still just $33,000 in 2008, according to IRS data.

Meanwhile, the richest 1% of Americans — those making $380,000 or more — have seen their incomes grow 33% over the last 20 years, leaving average Americans in the dust”

Yeah, so its the guy making middle-class income that’s the problem. right.

nulu March 31, 2011 (6:21 pm)

Caprial, thanks for your clarification, but you raise some slippery issues.
Are you a member of SPD who you at first attribute your claim.
Or are you now saying that you spoke with them (all of the protesters , not the SPD) and they told you, “they are paid $10/hr to protest whatever and go wherever they are told to go, site to site.”
It now appears that you are modifying your first claim that they did not work in the construction field.
Quite often unions use their dues to pay unemployed union members a nominal rate to protest in support of their livelihoods. Are you claiming that SPD said they are not out of work construction workers?
The 540 kids you mention would be the whole school including the many classrooms that were not disturbed.
The protesters did not, as you claim, disturb all day long.
As the story points out, when informed and asked, they moved their protest so as not to disturb the school.
Protests like this are not legally considered disturbing the peace.

visitor March 31, 2011 (6:30 pm)

♥ derrick ♥ DK ♥ Neighbor ♥ Nulu ♥ Caprial ♥Eric ♥Norma ♥BeenThere ♥Momof3 ♥ ♥ jamminj

Mn March 31, 2011 (6:39 pm)

Heh nulu
Busting people trying to make a decent wage and spewing such hatred against those radicals in Wisconsin
A little fact for you darling
Public employees in Wisconsin get paid on average $ 76,500 p/a not to mention benefits
State after state spirals into bankruptcy and a few are actually trying to change things for the better

burnedbyunion March 31, 2011 (7:37 pm)

Unions are just as bad as big corporations. Have you ever asked where your union fees go? What is required to be paid and what parts of the union fee are optional, but difficult/if not impossible to only pay the required part?

casaboba March 31, 2011 (8:37 pm)

“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.”

— Winston Churchill

JanS March 31, 2011 (9:24 pm)

Mn,,,could you be specific about the “socialistic propaganda”? Exactly what is that? Specifics, please.

Caduceus…since this is going to be such a rotten, cheap , leaky building, I am assuming that you won’t be shopping there, then? If I remember correctly, it wasn’t that long ago that you got out of high school..so what all of a sudden made you the construction expert that you are today? You have some sort of in with what’s really being constructed…or are you just offering opinions..

Rudy March 31, 2011 (9:30 pm)

As a Lafayette parent, I watched the protest and volunteered in the school today. The volume is the issue for our school. Of course the union workers have the right to protest, but in this case they are infringing upon the rights of the students to learn in peace. The noise was very loud in the school building for several hours and on my walk home. Many of us asked them nicely to please move the protest or stop using the horns, and they refused. There is another way to do this besides treating our elementary students and teachers so disrespectfully.

BusinessOwner April 1, 2011 (12:45 am)

I started a construction/manufacturing/sales firm 15 years ago and have grown to what most folks would consider to be a thriving, high income, wealth generating company (we are actually still small potatoes by standard market metrics), employing approx 120 parties of various trades, less now (read below). NON-UNION!

–
The State of Washington has forced us to move our manufacturing out of state, reincorporate out of state, costing 40+ full time employees their positions (unless they wanted to move). Why? Absurd B&O structure, LnI is unbalanced and a state-funded machine to bilk the coffers of Small businesses instead of fostering fair and safe environments. We still have many employees in Washington, but we are slowly phasing out. It is just as easy to acquire market share without being a Washington based company.
–

Why does the argument for the working class wage always digress to Wall Street & Large Cap Corporations? You are myopic and foolish, most of those companies @ the Safeway Site are small sub-contracted firms owned by local people who make their living AFTER paying employees, state/federal taxes, vendors, misc. operational cost, etc . . .

Give EVERYONE WHAT THEY WANT and we’ll all be broke! Oh, wait! That has already happened because everyone wants more, but is not willing to take what they have and save, invest and live within their means.

WSB April 1, 2011 (1:01 am)

To the issue of allegedly not-union-member protesters:
.
I heard the SPD officer say that to the Lafayette office staff. An online search turns up mentions from other states of that happening. I didn’t ask union rep Pedro Espinoza in our phone conversation but sent the question in followup e-mail. His reply just in: “No, they are all members.”
.
TR

visitor April 1, 2011 (2:03 am)

I love it when a “thriving, high-income. wealth-generating” person advises a minimum-wage earner to: save, invest and live within their means. ha ha ha

Caprial April 1, 2011 (4:48 am)

THank you WSB for helping me to clarify the comment by SPD regarding the non-union member protesters. Frankly, I was shocked when I heard that and had no idea that they even do that! So, after some thought…isn’t it ironic that they are “protesting the use of non-member drywallers at a private construction site” yet they are non-union people being paid at discounted wages ($10/hr) to protest something they wouldn’t even be involved in? (I spoke to a whole group of them myself as well, and there is no way they were drywallers…) Of course their supervisor would lie and say they were…lol.

socamr April 1, 2011 (7:20 am)

Business Owner,

I think most of us would agree that Washington has an outdated tax system. Unfortunately the Tim Eymans of the world make it impossible to institute changes that might reduce the B&O tax for instance. (If the B&O tax is reduced or eliminated, the money for teachers, police, the justice system has to come from somewhere else.)

I’m not sure why the people of this state voted down that Bill Gates Sr initiative last year. Placing a small income tax on the wealthy in this state would enable us to cut property taxes, the B&O tax etc. And this is written by someone who does NOT pay B&O but WOULD have paid more under the Gates plan.

And I love how Caprial just *assumes* that someone is lying – not that you’ve already decided who’s right and wrong here.

austin April 1, 2011 (7:27 am)

The “area standard” for hanging drywall is $48/hr?! Apparently I am in the wrong business.

Mr. Kurvink April 1, 2011 (8:00 am)

This is a serious and distressing issue. Caprial these are union members being paid by fellow union brothers and sister who are employed to provide us a service(the service being reinforce equal work for equal pay) and exercise their right to let the public know that these contractors are operating their business illegitimately and not offering what we call area standards. Employers have all the leverage. Employees often never have none. We should all band together, so none are left to stand alone. Brothers and sisters. Rich people and poor people. We must understand the economic food chain. When the middle class is strong, successful and thriving so is everyone else.

Mr. Kurvink April 1, 2011 (8:04 am)

Socamr The reason the Gates Sr initiative was voted down was the FEAR that creating this new tax on the rich would be manipulated and the middle class would end up being taxed more. The most taxed economic class in the world does not need or want any new taxes!

ZenBard April 1, 2011 (8:21 am)

First off, I support the concept of unions wholeheartedly. Having worked in manual labor, line-work environments and as a former machinist’s union member, I appreciate what unions did to shape our working world.

As a Lafayette school parent, I am obligated to point out that school has a large population of special education students, including many on the autistic spectrum. The high level of noise and stimulation generated by them not only impacted the regular classrooms but some of those students as well. My daughter was one of them.

It doesn’t take an extraordinary leap of logic to understand what may be appropriate for downtown or other construction sites is totally irresponsible when practiced 20 yards from an elementary school.

Exercise your first amendment rights folks, but use a little common sense and consider how it impacts others too. Especially when it comes to children and the handicapped.

charlabob April 1, 2011 (12:13 pm)

The whole “working class people deserve proper wages” philosophy is a bunch a Marxist claptrap that has no basis in reality.

What???? If that philosophy is indeed Marxist, then sign me up, Karl.

Danny April 1, 2011 (1:51 pm)

If they don’t like how much they are being paid, why don’t they find another job instead of stomping around like children. The construction company doesn’t OWE you a job. It’s this sense of entitlement that is killing our society.

foy boy April 1, 2011 (2:10 pm)

Uniun carpenters make about 38 to 42 dollars per hour take home pay . There complete benifit package is around 70 dollars per hour.

Mr. Kurvink April 1, 2011 (4:03 pm)

@ Danny

What is wrong with having equal pay for equal work? Do you want to do your job and know that your co workers who perform the same task are making 50- 100% more than you? Or do you subscribe to the motto “life is unfair”? You must have life really easy to be making comments like that.

NotMe April 1, 2011 (5:16 pm)

The figures some of you are throwing around are ridiculous. The statements from some of you are far from factual. The accusations from a few of you are ignorant. I haven’t seen how “Socialism” is directly linked with folks not liking the noise being made by whoever these protesters are. (Does it really matter if they are carpenters?).
.
Higher salaries aren’t going to find you. It doesn’t work that way. You go to school or you learn a skill that is needed. For the life of me, I can’t measure and cut a piece of wood. But what I do for a living came from putting myself through college as an adult parent, and clawing my way through it. It was hard, but is sure has paid off. Stop blaming the rich for your problems and do something for yourself besides complaining or finding a reason why you can’t. I am sick of hearing it.

Norma Berube-Adler April 1, 2011 (5:50 pm)

@ Danny, Danny, Danny – These construction companies as you refer to them were built on the backs of the ”little guys” so yes they do have an obligation to them. Again decent wage for decent job. Have to stand together folks if we are to improve our lot & save the middle class. No one is blaming the wealthy but we are blaming the politicians who treat them with kid gloves – they must get something in return for favorable tax situations, geez I wonder what it is?

Nulu April 1, 2011 (6:08 pm)

“The “area standard” for hanging drywall is $48/hr?! Apparently I am in the wrong business.
Comment by austin”
–
A point not yet made in these discussions, is that some of these apparent high paying union jobs are not steady or a reliable 40 hour week paycheck.
–
austin may be in the wrong business, but if he ever tried drywalling, he would realize how tough and miserable a job it is, not one that you retire at 65 after 45 years of humping 4′ x 12′ x 5/8″ around and holding them up with your head.
–
Caprial is still holding out after being corrected by WSB, “So, after some thought…isn’t it ironic that they are “protesting the use of non-member drywallers at a private construction site” yet they are non-union people being paid at discounted wages ($10/hr) to protest something they wouldn’t even be involved in? (I spoke to a whole group of them myself as well, and there is no way they were drywallers…) Of course their supervisor would lie and say they were…lol.”
It was not the supervisor, but the union rep that WSB contacted and replied that they were “members.”
How can Caprial tell what someones job is? At first relying on a incorrect SPD comment and then claiming that the whole group said they were not in the trade union, parsing the job. Right, some of them may be carpenters, apprentices, some may be drywall hangars, others might be drywall tapers, others might be drywall finishers, others might be plasterers, skim coaters or stucco finishers.
–
Also, did anyone bother to get the other side of this union/non-union story from the Marquise Drywall workers? Do the no-union Marquise Drywall drywallers, (not their company’s owners) not want to be union drywallers with increased pay, job safety, health & retirement benefits?

Caprial April 1, 2011 (6:43 pm)

The people I spoke to were 40ish women around 5′ tall (8 of them) who had a hard time understanding me. There is no way they could do that kind of hard work, just not built for it. As for the “supervisor”, he was the same person that WSB contacted and called a “representative”. We had the same number. Semantics. They can protest whatever, makes no nevermind to me. It just was so rude and disrespectful to the children who were trying to learn. Oh, and I don’t feel I was “corrected” by WSB, they confirmed what we were told by SPD and their own research.

Danny April 4, 2011 (7:47 am)

Mr. Kurvink. If you are at a job where the pay is insufficient in your view, you act like an adult and speak to your supervisor. If the supervisor declines to pay you your worth, then you go find a job that will pay you your worth. You don’t throw a tantrum and stomp around like a child, or pay some union fat cat a 6-figure salary to “negotiate” on your behalf.

Norma. So you honestly believe that these companies OWE people jobs? Last I check these companies were in the business of making money, not in the business of giving people jobs. So NO, they do NOT owe anyone a job. They hire whoever is willing to do the work at the wage they are willing to pay. That is economics. And again … that sense of entitlement, I don’t know where it comes from, but it is permeating our society like a plague.

Justin April 6, 2011 (9:51 am)

They protestors are back again, and I can hear them from down the street. I feel bad for the kids at the school. The protestors have obviously chosen to locate themselve directly across from the front door of the school.

WSB April 6, 2011 (10:36 am)

thanks, we got a few other tips and have just gone out – update to come.

Wasting light April 8, 2011 (9:43 am)

If anyone was familiar with the construction business right now they would know that $48/hour is a joke. Any contractor bidding a job at that price will never get a job unless the union helps to buy it for him. Even at $20/hour Marquis is not making that much profit per man. Those workers are happy to be working in this economy. If Marquis went union, the general would hired someone else. Its just a broken system,

Karl April 11, 2011 (10:40 am)

Bring your comments, concerns, and questions to the free public Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 pm at 4320 SW Hill Street (California Ave SW & SW Hill St). Representatives from Marquise Drywall and the Carpenters’ Union will be there.

Sorry, comment time is over.