Belmont Day, possible strike looms

[Robert Fischer]

I think it's a complete joke that some express hostility towards unions and organized workers...

Everyone is entitled to an opinion (even a hostile one), but these corporate officers are big boys, they can handle themselves. Guess I just don't see the need for working people to police and "attack"(huge stretch i know) each other.

I'm well aware that unions are big boys as well, and aware of who they are ultimately looking out for(hint it's more self-interest than working man interest...). Well aware that some of the tactics are unacceptable or even criminal. Just don't see a strike as one of them. I believe there's a (modest) amount above "what people are worth" that quality workers should earn so they can make a living and raise a family.

God bless America.

Justice for Trayvon.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

I believe there's a (modest) amount above "what people are worth" that quality workers should earn so they can make a living and raise a family.

Agree wholeheartedly. I hate the downward push on wages. I always ask, rhetorically, "how little do you want the pilot of YOUR airplane to make?!"

That said, there's the issue of means.

If the only way for a worker to make a quality salary is to take advantage of a gimmick that defines the workweek as to include 2 (sometimes three? I'm not totally up on NYRA dates) dark days for the tracks, that's not fair. Sure the track is open for training and track personnel are needed on those days, I get it, but i can't imagine it's the same level as on racedays.

So now the NYRA is caught in a bind where I'm sure hourly rates they pay workers are great for a guy who works 24 hours at straight time and 16 at time and a half or better (I don't know the rules), but not so great on an annual basis for a 40-hr straight time week. Take home pay is all that matters to the worker (as it should, I suppose). Backwashing an appropriate annual salary into a 40-hr straight time rate would cause the rates to jump considerably.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by GaryG

In a free market economy every worker would get exactly what he is worth. I fail to see how anyone could ask for more. If a worker wants to earn more money he needs to make himself more valuable and it will all shake out.

Halleluja!

And don't deny other people their rights to get your way - which exactly what this threat was all about - threaten the biggest day in racing in 34 years for a small group of people to get the way - that is the mark a worthless human being, no matter how hard he work.

[FenceBored]

Because they threatened to strike, well it's all over now.

Belmont Park workers have struck a tentative labor deal with the New York Racing Association to head off a possible strike on the eve of a Triple Crown bid, a union official said June 6.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz1x2X8tCSJ

[classhandicapper]

I want to be clear that I am not hostile to unions, union workers, or union workers' right to strike. I was just describing the reality of the world we live in and why IMO they are getting killed now and it's going to get even worse for government union workers in the future.

I personally HATED when I worked for a union, but that's a different story.

I worked in a union shop for for 3 1/2 years.

At that place, promotions, raises, salaries etc... were all based on seniority and connections instead of merit. The rules also incentivized laziness. That was a horrible environment for "me".

Some people busted their asses, worked quickly, did high quality work, were always at work on time (or early), productive as soon as they got there, never took undo breaks, etc... and other people looked at the rules and went to the limit of what they could get away with so they worked as little as possible.

Then when raises and promotions came along, they went to "who knew who at the union", the "guy that was there the longest" etc.. instead of the brightest, most responsible, hardest working, highest quality producer etc...

Some people are comfortable with that. I hated it an think it hurt the company badly over the long haul.

[breeze]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

I worked at the barns of a race track for a short while as a young person just off the street, but never on a gate.
My goals in life weren't focussed on working for a race track.
I'm fairly convinced though, that when I was younger, it wouldn't have taken a lot of preparation to help on the gates and then later become an assistant at starting.

Did you work long enough to even hold the shank on a 2yr old? Or did you never get past stall mucking. Your response speaks to how little you know about racehorses.

Tell me oh "I worked the backside for a short while so know all there is to know" one, what would you do with a horse that tends to sit? one that flips? one that likes to dive under? one that always crosses their hind feet? etc etc

What body language would tip you off that a horse was preparing to do any of the above? I know by your posts that you could not even lead a fractious horse much less handle one in the gate.

A good gate crew saves lives. You,sir,should respect that and not speak of which you know so very little.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by GARY Z

IBEW lOCAL 3 , whose workers include the maintenance wokers and
gate crew has approved its workers to go on strike Friday and
Saturday,Belmont Day

How could these negotiations not have been met since the Racino
pumped $$$ into NYRA?

While I'm sure union demands will be met, this situation happening
days before the Belmont Stakes speaks legends about
NYRA.

Unions are rapidly becoming most unpopular.
This latest piece of news adds gasoline to that fire.
I say, go right ahead IBEW....Then try to find support for your organization.
If I were King of the NYRA, I would invite the union to my office. Tell them here are your choices. Accept this proposal or be replaced. Strike, and your workers will be in the union hall. They won't be here. Permanently.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by aaron

According to articles in today's newspaper,the unions are threatening to strike due to lack of a contract. I am sure some kind of deal will be made,but the nonsense never stops in NY.
The one day that should be great becomes a political case. Why wasn't a contract agreed to before the Belmont Stakes ?

Perhaps NYRA, like many other businesses will no longer be held at gunpoint over union demands.
Unions no longer have the clout they believe they have.
Unions are a business. And as such a one business has the right to refuse to business with another.
That would be my tactic. Tell the IBEW "we no longer wish to do business with you. Bye."

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by breeze

Tell me oh "I worked the backside for a short while so know all there is to know" one, what would you do with a horse that tends to sit? one that flips? one that likes to dive under? one that always crosses their hind feet? etc etc

.

Run like hell.

Shanku very much for your kind remarks.
(By the way, I never said that "I know all there is to know." But I've read enough to know a bit about you. )

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

They have working without a contract for over year. Like they did on everything else the previous management just sat on its hands until the slot money appeared. From The USAToday article, it is all about when certain cutbacks would take effect. You just knew the way things were going with NY racing, there would be something come up right before or during the Belmont Stakes. There is no way that NYRA didn't know the union would strike now. They should have had this settled long a go. I know the right wing will blame the union but seems to me they have already gone the extra mile by working over a year without a contract.

NYRA is under no obligation to offer anything to the union.
Unions have no Constitutional right of first refusal to do business.
NYRA should tell the IBEW to piss off.
Any business should if it so desires, has that right.
The people of this country are sick of unions and their nonsense.
Get rid of them. Hire new people who will work at a more realistic wage.
There are lots of people out of work who will take those jobs and be happy about it.
There is no use for you to reply. I will not change the way I think on this matter.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Truly they never would have better leverage. It's how the game is played. The root of this involves OT pay. As reported in the Daily News today, the old union contract had the work week based on Monday through Friday, which means all Saturdays and Sundays were OT pay. NYRA wants them to shift to a Wednesday to Sunday contract (which is the schedule of almost all the workers there) and the union doesn't want to. And that's what it comes down to at the root.

Yer kidding? That's the contract? That is not logical at all.
Wow.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

What are those unreasonable demands that the union is asking for?

Look at OTM Al's post.....THAT is unreasonable.
They want overtime pay based on the day of the week. Not how many hours they work.
IMO, they should get OT ONLY if they go over 40 hours. Not just because they work Weekends. Lots of people work a weekend shift and do not get OT unless they go over 40 hours. Why should the union members be special?

[breeze]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

Run like hell.

Shanku very much for your kind remarks.
(By the way, I never said that "I know all there is to know." But I've read enough to know a bit about you. )

Really? What are you implying with that personal comment? You stated working on the gate requires only minimal skills and I questioned how you could possibly know what it takes from your stated short time on the track. You obviously do not know very much about racehorses to make such a statement.

So why imply you know anything about me now? Are you just an ass?

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by Strike The Gold

This is my first post on this board although I have been reading the board for years. This topic stirred me up enough to post. I live in NY so unions are a way of life, especially if one has kids in public schools. The union needs to get realistic. Times change. i understand that they don't want the definition of their work week to change but their work week is Weds-Sun, no? No one wants a pay cut. would they rather lose their jobs? I'm not in a union. NY is a work at will state. I have been with my employer for 15 years and I can walk in to work tomorrow & be job discontinued. Pension? they had one when I got there but they went to a cash balance plan so now the burden to save is on me. Rising healthcare premiums are killing everyone - I kick in approx 5% of my salary for premiums & that's before deductibles. Don't even get me started on the teachers union. Times change. Unions need to change as well. Nothing lasts forever. Maybe the union should say "for all those years we were getting paid OT for weekends, well it was good while it lasted"

Thanks for reading. I'm anticipating a great race and although I won't be betting on IHA, I'm certainly rooting for him. I think he has guts and hopefully, he'll get it done. Racing needs it & NY needs it as well.

Kudos for a well thought out and realistic post.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by breeze

Really? What are you implying with that personal comment? You stated working on the gate requires only minimal skills and I questioned how you could possibly know what it takes from your stated short time on the track. You obviously do not know very much about racehorses to make such a statement.

So why imply you know anything about me now? Are you just an ass?

Come on now. Please do not imply that the position of gate loader is a highly technical and skilled position.
Any good horseman with the same ability to study the program, see the horses and their tendencies in the morning can do that job.
See unions have for decades tried to convince businesses that THEIR union people are the ONLY people skilled enough to do the jobs covered by the unions.
For decades business HAD to accept the terms or be shut down. Those days are over. The high wages and gold plated benefits are no longer sustainable.
Pensions? Companies can no longer afford to pay people to NOT work.
Unions make up about 8% of the total US workforce. That number has been dropping for 40 years.
Unions are no longer needed. Their terms unaffordable. Their adversarial business model no longer tolerated.
This is not personal. It's business.