SHAME ON YOU SAINT FRANCIS!!

[zstyles]

OKAY! At lunch today saw this 20foot banner with people waving behind "SHAME ON YOU SAINT FRANCIS" at the corner ...I also saw one at a bank a few weeks ago..what is going on with this..Anyone know?

[Cats Cats Cats]

Are they attacking Saint Francis or the hospital?  Is Sainthood now a Union job?  I think this might be going too far.

[Gaspar]

St. Francis was very anti-union.

A little background:

Francis was one of seven children born to Pietro di Bernardone, a rich cloth merchant, and his wife Pica Bourlemont, about whom little is known except that she was originally from France. Pietro was in France on business when Francis was born, and Pica had him baptized as Giovanni di Bernardone in honor of Saint John the Baptist, in the hope he would grow to be a great religious leader. When his father returned to Assisi, he was furious about this, as he did not want his son to be a man of the Church and decided to call him Francesco, in honor of his commercial success and enthusiasm for all things French.

As a youth, Francesco—or Francis in English—became a troubadour and yearned to become a writer of French poetry. And although many biographers remark about his bright clothing, rich friends, street brawls, and love of pleasure, his displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him came fairly early in his life, as is shown in the "story of the beggar." In this account, he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace on behalf of his father when a beggar came to him and asked for alms. At the conclusion of his business deal, Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the beggar. When he found him, Francis gave the man everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly chided and mocked him for his act of charity. When he got home, his father scolded him in rage.

In 1201, he joined a military expedition against Perugia, he was taken as a prisoner at Collestrada, and spent a year as a captive. It is probable that his conversion to more serious thoughts was a gradual process relating to this experience. Upon his return to Assisi in 1203, Francis returned to his carefree life and in 1204, a serious illness led to a spiritual crisis. In 1205 Francis left for Puglia to enlist in the army of the Count of Brienne. In Spoleto, a strange vision made him return to Assisi, deepening his ecclesiastical awakening .  When he arrived in Assisi he vowed never to hire union labor, and he never did.

[flybriz]

Okay yeah, what's the connection with the "Shame on..." banners?  So far I've seen one at St. Francis, IBC Bank, Southern Hills (had some guy's name on it), and either Hillcrest or St. John.  They all look the same and say "Shame on  <insert offending organization> Labor Dispute".  I can see where it would be a single union if it were just targeted at hospitals, but banks and golf courses too?  Where can I get one of these big "shame" banners, anyway? 

[TURobY]

Okay yeah, what's the connection with the "Shame on..." banners?  So far I've seen one at St. Francis, IBC Bank, Southern Hills (had some guy's name on it), and either Hillcrest or St. John.  They all look the same and say "Shame on  <insert offending organization> Labor Dispute".  I can see where it would be a single union if it were just targeted at hospitals, but banks and golf courses too?  Where can I get one of these big "shame" banners, anyway? 

LOL. It kinda makes me want to get my name on one. "Shame on TURobY - Labor Dispute!"

[cannon_fodder]

For anyone not in the know:

The "SHAME ON" banners are the local Carpenters Union protesting various organizations.  Usually they are protesting a place because that place had some work done and the builder they hired to do the project hired a General Contractor who hired a Sub-Contractor who didn't use Union Carpenters.  There are various names attached to the game (of individuals and various contractors on either side), but basically if they don't get a job they bid on they protest the underlying company.

St. Francis
IBC Bank
Southern Hills  (Shannon I think it was)
Hillcrest
TU
The Mayo

All had the nerve to hire a contractor who hired a subcontractor that the carpenters union didn't like.  Not sure I would categorize that as a "labor dispute" since they aren't laborers for the company or projects they are protesting.  But whatever . . .

[dbacks fan]

Just curious, is this now happening since Oklahoma became a "Right To Work" state? I know that I had not seen that until I moved to Arizona (AZ had already become a Right To Work state years before) and there was a union employing the same tactics as this sounds to protest a certain construction company for hiring non union workers.

[RipTout]

When will America accept that they are now socialists? Hence, Unions are meaningless.

Ronald Reagan's greatest legacy was his stand against the air traffic controllers.

[flybriz]

Thanks Cannon for clearing that up!  I never would have guessed.  Here, have some free karma...

[cannon_fodder]

There is some confusion as to who is actually sponsoring the protests.  It is either the Carpenters Union OR a drywall company from Wichita that uses Union Labor.   Either way, seems silly to me.

But thanks for the Karma.  I have to be the most loved and most hated poster on here.  I don't really care, but the swing is +/- 5 each day.   

[Who Cares]

Here you go, read this http://www.tulsabusiness.com/article.asp?aID=48657

[cannon_fodder]

WOW.  Thanks WC (and welcome back).

http://www.tulsabusiness.com/article.asp?aID=48657


Essentially they are trying to blackmail companies into NOT hiring this contractor.  Going so far as to send letters to jobs threatening to protest them if they hire the contractor.   Then they won't release what the Union rate is or what they think the company they are protesting's rate is.   

Then they aren't protesting the company itself.  They are protesting businesses that hire the company and/or places the companies leaders might sometime go.  And they are hiring non-union people to do it!

"... we are asking that you use your managerial discretion to not allow Green Country Interiors to perform any work on your projects unless and until it generally meets area labor standards for all of its carpentry craft work. We certainly prefer to work cooperatively with all involved parties rather than have an adversarial relationship with them," the letter reads.

"We want you to be aware that our aggressive lawful public information campaign against Green Country Interiors will include highly visible banner displays and distribution of handbills at or near the premises of property owners, developers, general contractors, and other firms involved with projects where Green Country Interiors is employed. It may also include lawful picketing and demonstration activity at Green Country Interiors' jobsites."

http://www.tulsabusiness.com/article.asp?aID=48657


I honestly don't see how anyone supports this as some noble "union fight."  It is a Wichita company trying to drive a 30 year old Tulsa company out of business.  What a crock.