# Look for the union label **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 2, 2012, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644 "2012-11-02T09:20:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/101 "2012-11-04T02:25:15Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Seems like only yesterday, you did very much the same thing in a thread about Planned Parenthood and mammograms. Or the whole Cuccinelli and climategate stuff. I, personally, have stopped expecting you to try and limit your partisan hackery, but at least there’s some here who expect more from you. One fewer, now. It’s almost as if some crazy plague has gone around and is turning even decent guys into insane conservative parrots of madness. Parrots of Madness - Band name? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/102 "2012-11-04T02:42:48Z")
You just haven’t been paying attention long enough. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/103 "2012-11-04T02:44:36Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > One fewer, now. > > It’s almost as if some crazy plague has gone around and is turning even decent guys into insane conservative parrots of madness. > Parrots of Madness - Band name? Pining for the fnords. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/104 "2012-11-04T03:00:48Z")
Okay - missed the update. I have no problem admitting my mistake, or that I am biased against labor unions. I have too many friends and family members who are on the other side of unions, and have seen too many days ruined by union ridiculousness. Mea culpa. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/105 "2012-11-04T03:10:19Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > And I do. > > The latest set of updates make pretty clear that the original story was badly mischaracerized. > > I was completely in the wrong. > > Apologies for the misinformation, and for my take on it. Thank you. I know it can be tough. And what it’s looking more like is that the sort of fragmentary information and plain old rumormongering that can arise in a fog-of-battle environment, got spun into the worst possible light, picked up, and run with all the way to the end zone, because it made for a juicy headline. > [@](#): > > While the DU crew was in a staging area in Virginia waiting to see if its help was needed, an Alabama association of municipal electric companies — not affiliated with any union — provided DU with a 31-page contract. The contract, dated April 2011, is between a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and a contractor. It does not reference DU or natural disasters. > > The Montgomery-based Electric Cities of Alabama told DU officials they “may need to be looking at some documentation and requirements that may be placed on our employees,” Hardin said. OK, so if _THIS_ version is accurate, then it would mean the questioning of work rules did not even come from the unionized utilities, but rather somebody, somewhere, back at Electric Cities in AL, thought of that unionized environment in NE-corridor utilities, and (probably knowing the union environment in NJ only from too many movies and Sopranos reruns) somehow got spooked that this in some way or another “may” be applied to their crews, so they looked up papers and sample contracts about the subject and sent them to the crews, even though those papers were entirely unrelated to the situation at hand and were not contracts for them to sign. Self-inflicted confusion. OTOH Hannity using footage from an entirely different labor confrontation as an illustration is just dirty pool - like, _“OK so that story was not real, but look: union crews really do say mean things to non-union personnel, they’re bad”_. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/106 "2012-11-04T04:11:03Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m willing to acknowledge that the story was not as egregiously toxic as the report I quoted – in good faith, I might add – led readers to believe. > > But even the revised story is not fairly summarized by “mean old anti-union folks refused to work.” They were asked to affiliate with a union, and they didn’t want to. It’s now unclear to me if they were then told they could not work, or if they assumed incorrectly that affiliating was necessary. But if affiliating with a union was necessary to render emergency aid, I stand by my point: that’s toxic. > > If, on the other hand, that assumption was incorrect, then I was headstrong and foolish to accept it on the basis of one source. I don’t think it was headstrong and I don’t think it matters if the story turns out to be true or not. Between August and November of leap years you seem to be overly eager to believe things that reinforce your view of the world. ---
**Author:** ![al27052](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@al27052](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/al27052)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/107 "2012-11-04T04:55:58Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > And I do. > > The latest set of updates make pretty clear that the original story was badly mischaracerized. > > I was completely in the wrong. > > Apologies for the misinformation, and for my take on it. You’re an insincere, racist troll, which I mentioned in my Pitting of you several months ago. This thread is just more proof of how hard you fucking suck, you troll. A lawyer AND a troll. Shit, maybe those balance each other out. A lawyer might actually believe he’s doing some good. A troll doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/108 "2012-11-04T05:49:02Z")
You know what’s the worst thing you did with this thread, **Bricker**? You put that fucking song in my head and now I CAN’T GET IT OUT! I’m having visions of people dressed in ugly '70’s clothes singing and clapping off beat. The collars are so wide! And the sideburns, oh God the sideburns!!! Damn you! Damn you straight into scorching hellfire! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/109 "2012-11-04T12:24:41Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > You know what’s the worst thing you did with this thread, **Bricker**? You put that fucking song in my head and now I CAN’T GET IT OUT! I’m having visions of people dressed in ugly '70’s clothes singing and clapping off beat. The collars are so wide! And the sideburns, oh God the sideburns!!! > > Damn you! Damn you straight into scorching hellfire! I think that’s exactly why this thread pissed me off so much… ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/110 "2012-11-04T13:43:31Z")
> [@al27052](#): > > A lawyer might actually believe he’s doing some good. A troll doesn’t care. You don’t know many lawyers, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/111 "2012-11-04T15:57:04Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Presented for your perusal - [http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/03/shock-audio-ny-union-members-shout-scabs-and-scumbags-at-visiting-utility-crews](http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/03/shock-audio-ny-union-members-shout-scabs-and-scumbags-at-visiting-utility-crews) > > A tape, allegedly of union utility workers yelling “scab” and “scumbag” at visiting utility workers in NY. It’s linked to a Hannity show, so I’m sure most of you will immediately attack it’s validity, but I’d thought I’d throw it in here for discussion. When Sean Hannity has to show false footage to prove his point, he actually proves the other side’s point. Kudos, Sean! ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/112 "2012-11-04T18:45:54Z")
You know, one of these days I’m going to post a ridiculous, knee-jerk post in the pit, which will be based entirely around a single news item that I failed to fact-check. Then I’ll just let it stew for a while. Next, I’ll come back and half-heartedly try to defend it. Using stupid reasons. Maye another poster will chime in with the “the other side does it too” defense for me. Finally, I will relent, and say I was wrong all the time. Then at last, I will be able to bask in the adulation of the board members, who will all come into the thread to say what a stand-up guy I am, what a terrific guy, and how I have such integrity. Maybe I’ll do this again and again and again and again, because I love the nice comments about me, and most folks seem to have short memories. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/113 "2012-11-04T19:24:02Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Maybe I’ll do this again and again and again and again, because I love the nice comments about me, and most folks seem to have short memories. Sort of accounts for popularity of Mitt Romney, donit? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/114 "2012-11-04T19:26:36Z")
Who? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/115 "2012-11-04T21:20:12Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > You know, one of these days I’m going to post a ridiculous, knee-jerk post in the pit, which will be based entirely around a single news item that I failed to fact-check. > > Then I’ll just let it stew for a while. Next, I’ll come back and half-heartedly try to defend it. Using stupid reasons. Maye another poster will chime in with the “the other side does it too” defense for me. > > Finally, I will relent, and say I was wrong all the time. > > Then at last, I will be able to bask in the adulation of the board members, who will all come into the thread to say what a stand-up guy I am, what a terrific guy, and how I have such integrity. > > Maybe I’ll do this again and again and again and again, because I love the nice comments about me, and most folks seem to have short memories. Perhaps we could just have a mea culpa sticky for Bricker? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/116 "2012-11-04T21:25:17Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Who? He’s the guy who lost the nomination to McCain in '08. ---
**Author:** ![al27052](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@al27052](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/al27052)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/117 "2012-11-05T14:42:42Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > You don’t know many lawyers, do you? My brother-in-law works for a non-profit that helps homeowners in south Florida avoid foreclosure. He’s not exactly the most outgoing guy in the world, but he’s working on the side of the downtrodden. 🙂 But I agree, lawyers usually deserve their bad reputations. The good ones are the exceptions, although there are some good ones. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/118 "2012-11-05T18:10:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He’s the guy who lost the nomination to McCain in '08. Huckabee? ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/119 "2012-11-05T18:51:59Z")
> [@al27052](#): > > My brother-in-law works for a non-profit that helps homeowners in south Florida avoid foreclosure. > > He’s not exactly the most outgoing guy in the world, but he’s working on the side of the downtrodden. 🙂 > > But I agree, lawyers usually deserve their bad reputations. The good ones are the exceptions, although there are some good ones. I don’t know if I’m being whooshed here with all the lawyer bashing, but I’ll bite. The lawyers that I know are wonderful people. My daughter (not an attorney) works at a non-profit where attorneys put in pro-bono work to defend people who have been falsely accused of child neglect. Their work helps clear cases out of the overcrowded Chicago court system so that true cases involving child endangerment will be heard. I appreciate Bricker’s posts very much. I really love reading civil arguments (like the discourse between John Mace and Bricker) where people state their case without resorting to insults and name-calling. Anyone can come on the internet and toss verbal feces around, but what joy to read bright ones disagreeing without being disagreeable. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644/120 "2012-11-05T19:18:27Z")
Well put. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-the-union-label/639644.md?page=7)