GOP’s ‘Dangerous Liaison’ With Union Bigwigs
Josh Hawley distances himself from pro-Right to Work pledges, aligning with union bosses like the Teamsters, despite their history of corruption.
As conventioneers pay the price for Big Labor’s forced unionism control over the city of Chicago, many have decided to take their business elsewhere. The Chicago Tribune covers some of the added costs associated with doing business the Chicago way:
• Contracting for electrical service at Orlando’s convention facilities costs 40 percent less than in Chicago, said Mary Pat Heftman of the restaurant association: “I can’t explain that 40 percent differential to my exhibitors. Exhibitors in other cities can drive up to the dock and unload equipment themselves. Not in Chicago.”
• Setting up a stage for an opening ceremony (with black drape, logos, flags, lighting, etc.) costs $46,000 in Chicago — and $32,000 in San Francisco, said Felix Niespodziewanski of the College of Surgeons. Organizers have to deal with a bewildering array of unions with different minimum rates, overtime rules, break times, etc.
• Chris Price of the Graphic Arts Show Co. said the quality of work at McCormick Place is top-notch, but the work rules make it uncompetitive. Example: 100 Chicago laborers are being flown to Orlando to help set up the plastics show there. “They will be put up in hotels, fed, and all the rest, and it’s still cheaper to do business there than here,” he said.
• Setting up an ice machine in Orlando costs $720. Setting one up in Chicago costs $1,700, said Eric Holm of Manitowoc Foodservice. Ordering power for the company’s booth in Orlando costs $9,200. Chicago? $12,800, plus $5,000 for labor. The cost for 24-hour service for one refrigerator is $48 in Orlando, $400 in Chicago.
You get the idea. Everybody’s tired of getting fleeced here. They’re leaving. That’s going to put a lot of Chicagoans out of work.
Josh Hawley distances himself from pro-Right to Work pledges, aligning with union bosses like the Teamsters, despite their history of corruption.
Six of the bottom seven states for purchasing power are forced-unionism states, highlighting the economic impact of compulsory union membership.
Forced-Dues States remain stagnant at 2019 employment levels, while Right to Work states saw significant job growth post-COVID-19, highlighting the benefits of worker freedom from compulsory unionism.