There's a bit of a scandal in Boston this morning. It turns out that the longshoreman's union leaders have been doing some quiet hiring of relatives, putting them on the union rolls.
Now, that's not nothing unusual. It's a long-standing tradition, and rarely questioned or challenged.
But when the relatives being hired are kids, at least one of them barely out of diapers, and reportedly showing up to load and unload ships, that's going a bit far.
It's a rather clever scheme. Union officials allegedly issued the children union cards and put them in for a couple hours a year, despite their most likely never showing up. It doesn't really mean too much -- at least now.
But when those kids become adults and actually seek jobs as longshoremen, that's when the payoff comes. Here's little Johnny, just turned 18 years old and hoping Uncle Mike can help him get a job. He gets hired, and then they look at his union card. Since Johnny has had his card for 16 years, he suddenly has 16 years of seniority over his peers, and automatically gets more pay and better jobs.
And Bob over there, who's just turned 30 and has 12 years on the job? Screw him. Johnny gets the better jobs and more pay.
It's quite a racket, and shows a bit more forethought than is usually attributed to crooks. But there are always people who will put forth amazing effort to beat the system, regardless of who gets screwed in the process...
Permalink | E-mail This | Technorati Links | Sphere: Related Content | Digg this! | FARK It!
Filed under:
Justice
Comments (7)
Lame.It's also unb... (Below threshold)1. Posted by The Liberal Avenger | June 9, 2005 11:29 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Lame.
It's also unbelievable that some of them had the balls to attempt to justify the behavior - on record.
1. Posted by The Liberal Avenger | June 9, 2005 11:29 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 9, 2005 11:29
2. Posted by Steve L. | June 9, 2005 1:07 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I had a brother-in-law that was a BIG union guy. He would go on and on about all the wonderful benefits that unions had brought to all workers in the past What he could never explain was what the unions had done recently to help anyone. He knew the answer was, "Nothing," but he could never bring himself to say it.
When Bill Clinton decided to build his library here in Arkansas, people here just about giggled themselves silly. The state was going to be stinking rich off all the jobs. These jobs would more than make up for the *jobs* that the taxpayers got because of all the tax breaks the area gave out. Of course, Clinton repaid those breaks by specifying in the bid criteria for the construction that ALL the labor involved must be union labor. It just so happens that Arkansas is a right-to-work state and only has about 6% union membership. The unions jobbed Arkansas even though we don't want them.
2. Posted by Steve L. | June 9, 2005 1:07 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 9, 2005 13:07
3. Posted by wavemaker | June 9, 2005 2:51 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The ILA?!?!? I'm SHOCKED.
Sounds to me like the next indictment coming down the pike.
3. Posted by wavemaker | June 9, 2005 2:51 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 9, 2005 14:51
4. Posted by Bruce | June 9, 2005 3:29 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"So I robbed an armored car and stole $100,000. It was for my kid's education, so BACK OFF, man!"
Massachusetts taxpayers' dollars hard at work.
4. Posted by Bruce | June 9, 2005 3:29 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 9, 2005 15:29
5. Posted by Just Me | June 9, 2005 4:19 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Gotta say this is just one more example of how the unions have outlived their worth.
5. Posted by Just Me | June 9, 2005 4:19 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 9, 2005 16:19
6. Posted by Big Bang Hunter | June 10, 2005 2:09 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
- As long as "seniority" is the pantheon of your performance yardstick what other outcome would you seriously expect, human nature being what it is...
6. Posted by Big Bang Hunter | June 10, 2005 2:09 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 10, 2005 02:09
7. Posted by Tim in PA | June 10, 2005 10:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Typical crooked union bullshit.
The biggest effect of unions, that I have noticed, is that they increase hostility within the company betweeen different departments and specialties, and hinders efficiency. Everyone walks around all day with a chip on their shoulder, bitching that this or that is not their job instead of stepping up to the plate and getting things done.
Many of our manufacturing jobs DESERVE to go overseas.
7. Posted by Tim in PA | June 10, 2005 10:30 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 10, 2005 10:30