Interesting Lunchtime Conversation . . .

I was talking to a friend at lunch today whose uncle is an electrician and IBEW member. He is still working on a historic building right across the street from the WTC site which was heavily damaged because of 9/11. He has been there since the beginning of the rebuilding. My friend and I work right across the street from the site (a reminder of the tragedy each and every week day).

He told my friend that he strongly believes that the Repukes are looking to move their convention out of New York City because they are afraid that union members WILL NOT be very cooperative and hiring non-union people would be disastrous. I have a gut feeling that he might be right.

I must admit I would be somewhat disappointed if they move their convention elsewhere. I am really looking forward to participating in another major protest!

Gotta love New Yorkers - Kerry raised a substantial amount of cash here in the city yesterday :bounce:

:hippie:

giving them grief or making them move?

...now they have to sleep in it! When they chose NY, they thought they would be able to be riding high on the smooth victory in Iraq (HA!). And by putting the nomination in early September (the latest they have EVER done it) they figured they could cash in on people's emotions surrounding 9/11. Boy were they wrong!

BTW, what would they be hiring union members to do? Sorry for the ignorance :D

and set up the stage, the lights, the seats, the PA, etc are union members. Also the truckers who bring equipment in, and the people who unload that stuff.

I don't know how it is in NY, but here in Boston most of those types are hard-core Dems. They are definitely going to have their hands full with this. And they have no one else to blame for it but themselves because they so desperately wanted to cash in on 9/11.

in places like Javits, MSG. I believe the management companies for such facilities are chartered to use exclusively union labor. They do it by the book, rightly so. I often work with these people--electricians, carpenters, etc. They are efficient, reasonably priced (union rules, no haggling), honest, no-nonsense, and almost always Democrats.

If they do, they'll get thrown out of the place.

I can only speak for the electricians, but I am sure they would also be concerned about cops, plumbers, etc. As my friend explained it, any additional electrical work (wiring for computers, TV monitors, etc.) needed for the convention would be done by union members.

:hippie:

I used to work in the former.

building on the northeast corner of West and Vesey Streets.

:hippie:

:hi:

that you were asking where I work. I am not in the Bell Building. That is the historic building they are working on. I work in the World Financial Center.

:hi:

to any other large city and expect to secure enough meeting space, hotels, etc. I think it's too late for them to go anywhere else.

With their usual cockiness, they probably still think that they can turn this thing around, and young George can strut triumphantly into NY, as the lord and savior he believes himself to be.

:puke:

It would reek of fear and be financially impossible.

...and it will backfire in a big way. I hadn't thought of the union aspect. Interesting post.

potential terrorist attack on the train station underneath the convention site.

They're trying to lay down a little cover story for moving the convention. You know- "we moved it because of our concern for the safety of convention goers".

I understand there is some brush to clear and some ponies to punch ...

HOT damn: ..

George W. Bush: ALL hat and NO cattle ! ...

The Texas Souffle ! ....

Im sure his freakish GOP supporters would love to see the convention beamed out from Crawford .... yeah ..... nice ...

:D

Not in the terrorist sense, but just generally lousy.

blow up in smoke so far

Obviously, they thought they could just trot out their fearless leader near wtc and never look back. But oh, how times have changed!

That first ad is long gone and now it looks like nyc is a liability.