2
2004
The San Francisco hotel lock-out started yesterday and well, things are awfully quiet, no? That our Democratic mayor is ducking the whole matter is even more intriguing.
Given the city's history of labor strife, this is both surprising and interesting. And it's not a good sign for labor coming as it does on the heels of the grocery lock out down south that ended with the unions far from victorious.
Both labor actions are, on the surface, about health care benefits. Which, you'd think, would have our union friends sitting down and actually doing something – besides mouthing the same old stuff and bitching about Wal-mart – about how benefits are structured and how they can be provided.
A few months ago, SIEU head Andy Stern told his audience that unions need to diversify and expand to meet the changes that have occurred in the workplace. Well, we've got a little test right here. Let's see how they do.