>This is indeed pretty clueless on your part, John.
You are entitled to your opinion. I think you are pretty clueless on this issue. If you think the damage done by the picket is not larger than the damage done by the existence of a small non-union family run shop you are viewing this through some pretty heavily dogmatic lenses.
>Your friend may not like the "added expense" that a union represents for his
>business, but in case you haven't noticed, that's the way the class struggle
>works. It may be an especially small petty proprietorship right now, but if
>he ever started employing more people, the union would be facing another
>anti-union grocer, a trend that would bode ill for standards across the
>city.
If and when the operation grew to include non-family members as a substantial part of the operation them yes it should be unionized. It isn't right now so lets deal with today. If the union hadn't picketed Bills store when he opened he would probably have embraced an union shop if the operation grew. He was very pro-union before that action. This is extremely short sighted on the part of the union. They have antagonized an ally. Now instead of having an easy time of getting the store unionized IF it should grow they have guaranteed it will never be by stiffening the resolve of the owner through their stupid actions. Unions are run by people. They are fallible. Everything they do isn't inherently good or productive. This action was stupid and blindly supporting it is equally stupid.
>Unions don't call for boycotts regularly and they don't picket
>lightly, which is why you see so few calls for boycotts in areas where union
>density is low.
This picket has been ongoing for years here. It moves from one location to another but has been continuous for some time.
>You are within your rights to argue with them to the effect that a
>particular tactic may be counterproductive or not well-thought-out. But once
>they make the decision to take that tactic, you do not have the right to
>break solidarity with them. That's just the way it is.
That's just the way you want it to be but not necessarily "the way it is". This is total BS in my opinion. I will not support counterproductive tactics out of solidarity to stupidity. If the union decides to shoot itself in the foot I am not obligated to cheer them on while they do so. If that is the roll you have assigned yourself have fun with it but don't try to foist it on me. Once a union decision has been made to make a mistake everyone is obligated to follow along out of solidarity? What a warped perspective.
>And if I seem a little irritated at the fact that I have to explain this in
>the first place on a list like this one, well, so be it.
>- - - - - - - - - -
>John Lacny
The irritation is mutual. Trying to reach people who can't see beyond simplistic dogma even when it is obviously harmful to the intended result they profess to desire is quite trying.
John Thornton
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