Post by boxman on Apr 4, 2006 23:09:28 GMT -5
TVFan, one interesting thing a professor told me once was that many factories didn't move to the South simply because of low-cost, non-unionized labor. The South's low-cost labor was always available ever since the end of the Civil War, and even earlier. Most factories, he tells me, moved south beginning in the mid-20th century, when air conditioning became economical. Until then, it was easier to heat a factory in the winter--rather than cool a factory in the summer--so factories in the north made sense. Only when it became economical to air condition an entire factory, did it make sense to take advantage of the non-unionized labor in the South. Otherwise, the heat of the machinery coupled with the South's high humidity would hinder Southerners from being comfortable and productive.
Speaking of unions, here's a rather funny story that shows just how powerful they are in this city:
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060330/ap_on_re_us/philly_unions_urinals_4
Philly Plumbers Upset by Waterless Urinals
By DEBORAH YAO, Associated Press Writer
Thu Mar 30, 6:12 PM ET
This city's hoped-for bragging rights as home of America's tallest environmentally friendly building could go down the toilet.
In a city where organized labor is a force to be reckoned with, the plumbers union has been raising a stink about a developer's plans to install 116 waterless, no-flush urinals in what will be Philadelphia's biggest skyscraper.
Developer Liberty Property Trust says the urinals would save 1.6 million gallons of water a year at the 57-story Comcast Center, expected to open next year.
But the union put out the word it doesn't like the idea of waterless urinals — fewer pipes mean less work.
The city's licensing department, whose approval is needed for waterless urinals, has not yet rendered a decision.
The mayor's office has stepped in to try to save the urinals, which use a cartridge at the base to trap odors and sediment as waste passes through.
It is telling the plumbers that the city's building boom will provide plenty of work for them and that even waterless urinal systems need some plumbing connections, said Stephanie Naidoff, city commerce director.
Philadelphia's unions have periodically put the city in a difficult spot.
For years, convention groups were canceling bookings at the Pennsylvania Convention Center because of difficulties working with six unions. New rules were established in 2003 to allow convention groups to deal instead with a middleman, a labor supplier. A few months later, the electricians union temporarily shut off power and picketed the center in a dispute with the supplier.
In 2004, the MTV reality show "The Real World" briefly pulled up stakes after union workers, in a dispute over hiring practices, picketed the house the cast was to live in. The show's producers and labor leaders eventually negotiated a deal to bring the show back.
Edward Keenan, the business manager of Plumbers Union Local 690, did not return calls for comment. Liberty Property Trust said only that it is "currently engaged in an administrative process with the city to obtain the necessary approvals."
Waterless urinals were introduced in the early 1990s. Thousands are in use around the country, including such places as the San Diego Zoo, Walt Disney World and the Rose Bowl.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Speaking of unions, here's a rather funny story that shows just how powerful they are in this city:
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060330/ap_on_re_us/philly_unions_urinals_4
Philly Plumbers Upset by Waterless Urinals
By DEBORAH YAO, Associated Press Writer
Thu Mar 30, 6:12 PM ET
This city's hoped-for bragging rights as home of America's tallest environmentally friendly building could go down the toilet.
In a city where organized labor is a force to be reckoned with, the plumbers union has been raising a stink about a developer's plans to install 116 waterless, no-flush urinals in what will be Philadelphia's biggest skyscraper.
Developer Liberty Property Trust says the urinals would save 1.6 million gallons of water a year at the 57-story Comcast Center, expected to open next year.
But the union put out the word it doesn't like the idea of waterless urinals — fewer pipes mean less work.
The city's licensing department, whose approval is needed for waterless urinals, has not yet rendered a decision.
The mayor's office has stepped in to try to save the urinals, which use a cartridge at the base to trap odors and sediment as waste passes through.
It is telling the plumbers that the city's building boom will provide plenty of work for them and that even waterless urinal systems need some plumbing connections, said Stephanie Naidoff, city commerce director.
Philadelphia's unions have periodically put the city in a difficult spot.
For years, convention groups were canceling bookings at the Pennsylvania Convention Center because of difficulties working with six unions. New rules were established in 2003 to allow convention groups to deal instead with a middleman, a labor supplier. A few months later, the electricians union temporarily shut off power and picketed the center in a dispute with the supplier.
In 2004, the MTV reality show "The Real World" briefly pulled up stakes after union workers, in a dispute over hiring practices, picketed the house the cast was to live in. The show's producers and labor leaders eventually negotiated a deal to bring the show back.
Edward Keenan, the business manager of Plumbers Union Local 690, did not return calls for comment. Liberty Property Trust said only that it is "currently engaged in an administrative process with the city to obtain the necessary approvals."
Waterless urinals were introduced in the early 1990s. Thousands are in use around the country, including such places as the San Diego Zoo, Walt Disney World and the Rose Bowl.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
