Barnard student Lily Perlmutter says:
There’s a guy out [at the Barnard gates] from a labor union with a GIANT blow-up rat with [President of Barnard,] Judith Shapiro’s salary plastered everywhere, and signs asking for better wages. The guy is blowing a whistle and shouting, “JUDY! JUDY!” But there isn’t a crowd of strikers, just this one guy.
Update:
A commenter on this thread posted the following e-mail message from Susan Krause, Director of Human Resources at Barnard, about Tuesday’s demonstration:
We have been informed that the Laborer’s Union expects to organize a protest on Broadway outside the Barnard gates on Tuesday morning, June 20, over the College’s use of a non-unionized contractor on an improvement project at Elliott Hall. Barnard respects the right of the union to express its viewpoint in this way. College administrators have made the point to union leaders that 95 percent of the capital projects at the College over the last decade totaling $56 million have employed union workers. This is the case, even though Barnard is under no obligation to do so. The project in question is small in scale (under $1 million). The College will continue its policy of being a good neighbor and using union workers on its capital projects, when appropriate.
16 Comments
@anybody else notice a suspicious similarity between bwog’s post about the strike and susan krause’s letter?
@You want to know whose powerful http://www.earth.rochester.edu/fehnlab/pic/he-man.jpg
@Clearly... you haven’t read the Teamsters’ union 1978 playbook (Chapter 13, Section 3, paragraph c) or you’d realize this is the classic “one man strike”.
The union only has to pay one person a strike salary and the effect is 47% as powerful as a real strike. It’s a no-brainer.
First, this guy is going to make a lot of noise all day when no one’s near the Gates to annoy the hell out of the guards.
Then, around 5:30 when everyone’s circulating the area, he’ll break down in tears, screaming mumbled words about his job.
Everyone will think he’s crying because of inhumane working conditions and sympathize with him.
In reality, his hysterics will be prompted by a call from union headquarters around that time reminding him that he’s going to have to find a real job once the one-man strike gig is up.
It’s really quite brilliant and proves the old addage that there’s only been one union more powerful than the Teamster’s union…
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Oh yeah, the Soviet Union.
@I Don't Know... The MLBPA is pretty powerful…
@b'nard employee To: The Barnard Community
From: Susan Krause, Director of Human Resources
We have been informed that the Laborer’s Union expects to organize a protest on Broadway outside the Barnard gates on Tuesday morning, June 20, over the College’s use of a non-unionized contractor on an improvement project at Elliott Hall.
Barnard respects the right of the union to express its viewpoint in this way. College administrators have made the point to union leaders that 95 percent of the capital projects at the College over the last decade totaling $56 million have employed union workers.
This is the case, even though Barnard is under no obligation to do so.
The project in question is small in scale (under $1 million). The College will continue its policy of being a good neighbor and using union workers on its capital projects, when appropriate.
@I think they’re construction workers. i’ve seen a few different protests around the city about employers hiring non-union/underpaid construction workers.
@William Ogden Andover Fitzgerald IV Crush the unions. Or hire those Okies swarming into the state to run the factories.
@RP Dear wtf,
I live an admittedly sad life. But at least I admit it.
Cheers,
Panjwani
@common these guys are everywhere. They were parked out in front of St. Luke’s hospital on Amsterdam for at least 6 months straight about a year and a half ago (something about the hospital hiring non-union nurses). They probably don’t work for Barnard. What they do is go out there with the big rat to show solidarity with their opressed brothers and sisters that don’t get collective bargaining rights. However, this was the first time i saw the rat accompanied by another, larger, balloon.
@journalistic thoroughness / basic competency I’m sorry, which union is it? who do they represent? do they have a contract? are they actually on strike? if so, what are the grievances? does barnard have a response?
@hilarious someone get pictures. reminds me of kramer’s festivus bagel protest.
@wtf panjwani needs to get a life
@see that’s the way to handle your boss not giving you the raise you wanted..next time i get a hot cocoa sampler as a bonus i’m going to rent out that big rat
@yeah so what? It’s an important job, somebody’s gotta do it.
@That much The signs say she makes around $400,000 per year.
@how much... how much does judy make?