# Union files grievance against goats that are taking away their jobs **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712 "2017-07-07T18:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/1 "2017-07-07T18:11:27Z")
(Bolding is mine). There is no way the work would have been “ahead of schedule” if the union was involved. > **[Are goats taking jobs from union workers?](https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2017/07/06/goats-taking-jobs-union-workers/455237001/)** > > A fight is brewing at Western Michigan University between a group of hungry goats and a labor union. “The 400-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has filed a grievance contending that the work the goats are doing in a wooded lot is taking away jobs from laid-off union workers. … The grievance alleges that the university did not notify the union that it was planning to use goat crews on campus, according to a chief steward report supplied to the Battle Creek Enquirer. … **The goats are ahead of schedule** , said Nicholas Gooch, a university horticulturist and the project leader.” ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/2 "2017-07-07T18:14:39Z")
You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re saying the lawsuit is baaaaaaaaaad? ---
**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:** [July 7, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/3 "2017-07-07T18:17:53Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re saying the lawsuit is baaaaaaaaaad? Naaaaaaaaaaah. Sheep are baaaaaaaaaad, not goats! ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/4 "2017-07-07T18:20:39Z")
I hope Michigan isn’t becoming such a nanny-state that they let anyone ram grievances like these onto innocent goat herders. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/5 "2017-07-07T18:22:42Z")
The university should stand their ground and not let the unions get their goat. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/6 "2017-07-07T18:25:44Z")
We aren’t going to make America goat again with this attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/7 "2017-07-07T18:32:01Z")
The goats have an advantage over humans in other ways. When the goats leave, the area will be better fertilized, naturally. No so much with porta-potties unless they get tipped over. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/8 "2017-07-07T19:11:13Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > The goats have an advantage over humans in other ways. When the goats leave, the area will be better fertilized, naturally. No so much with porta-potties unless they get tipped over. Either there is a very subtle and extremely clever goat pun hidden in there somewhere, or you are breaking the rules of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/9 "2017-07-07T19:15:44Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Either there is a very subtle and extremely clever goat pun hidden in there somewhere, or you are breaking the rules of this thread. He’s no sheep. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/10 "2017-07-07T19:19:37Z")
What can you do? management are on the horns of a dilemma here. They see an improvement to implement but they are butting heads with the unions. They are going to have to handle it with kid gloves if they don’t want a massive dispute to blow up… errrrrr… errrrrrrrrr… errrr…cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/11 "2017-07-07T19:22:21Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Either there is a very subtle and extremely clever goat pun hidden in there somewhere, or you are breaking the rules of this thread. Whatever floats your goat. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/12 "2017-07-07T20:53:57Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > (Bolding is mine). There is no way the work would have been “ahead of schedule” if the union was involved. > > [Are goats taking jobs from union workers?](http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2017/07/06/goats-taking-jobs-union-workers/455237001/) > > “The 400-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has filed a grievance contending that the work the goats are doing in a wooded lot is taking away jobs from laid-off union workers. > … > The grievance alleges that the university did not notify the union that it was planning to use goat crews on campus, according to a chief steward report supplied to the Battle Creek Enquirer. > … > **The goats are ahead of schedule** , said Nicholas Gooch, a university horticulturist and the project leader.” Sometimes unions just have to have reality rammed home… ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/13 "2017-07-07T21:14:51Z")
It’s a little premature to complain about this. Let the courts ruminant on it a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/14 "2017-07-07T21:38:43Z")
People always butting in where they’re not needed. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/15 "2017-07-07T21:50:07Z")
Goat puns? Who’s kidding who? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/16 "2017-07-07T23:50:23Z")
They kept going “bwaaaah” and the union workers accused them of _goating_ them on. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/17 "2017-07-07T23:54:32Z")
If the union doesn’t win their point, they’ll feel pretty sheepish. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/18 "2017-07-07T23:59:16Z")
Threads like this just haven’t been the same since the Cubs broke the Goat curse. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/19 "2017-07-08T00:13:08Z")
So the Goats got the goat of the unions ? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712/20 "2017-07-08T00:37:34Z")
Since the OP hasn’t come back, I think this thread should be put out to pasture. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-files-grievance-against-goats-that-are-taking-away-their-jobs/790712.md?page=2)