Scott Kennedy, who has a business on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclai,r sent us this in an email just before 5 p.m. this evening:
The Pro union rights group are protesting in front of Sen Nia Gills office on Bloomfield #425.
My office Studio042 is next door in #423. I politely asked them to contain there protest to the front of the Senators office. I explained that they were blocking access to my office and frighting my clients with their bull horn. The thugs got up in my face and immediately called the protesters over and instructed them to block access to my office!
I have always supportd the Montclair Fire UNION, I have spoken publicly for the Teachers Union, I am a Lifetime member of the PBA. All of that STOPS today.
This UNION group has directly targeted my office, my livelihood.
sadly this is the world we live in, because of the demonization of unions by the Michelles (Bachmann and Malkin), and the addicts (Rush and Glenn), and drop outs (Sean and Glenn) unions have recieved the blame for everything that ails America from budget deficits to cancellation of Samatha Who. While I in no way defend the actions of union members who blocked the entrance to your business, I can understand how they wrongly assumed that you were against them. They seriously owe you an apology.
On the other hand, you did get a front page mention on Baristanet, prior to which I didn’t know you existed. You are a lot more convenient to me than FedEx Office on the 3 in Clifton. Silver lining?
So lemme get this straight…
After a lifetime of support for unions, teacher, firefighters and police, you do a complete 180 because a couple of idiots marched around your door? Sounds like a wee bit over reaction to me…
I don’t understand. A Montclair business owner, who claims to be a current or former police officer (hence the lifetime member of the PBA comment), sent an angry email to B-Net claiming some pro-union protesters blocked his door. That’s the entire article? Do we know which specific group was involved and why they are in front of these businesses? What was their response to this allegation? What was the eventual outcome? Like relax, I am having a hard time believing a life-long union member would completely abandon his philosophy towards all unions based on the actions of few members (if they actually are union members, no details are given). This is a pretty inflammatory, one sided argument for B-Net to be posting without further details. As of 6PM all we have is the angry email.
So we can gather that some outfit of community agitators are staging a protest against State Senator Nina gill and they claim to be doing on behalf of a union? What might the dispute be? Who knows? Who cares, really? Does anyone believe the good Senator is not sufficiently accommodating of the unions’ agenda?
The real shame is they can’t both lose.
Why would union members want to alienate an innocent person? A person who is in their corner, nonetheless. I am all ears.
this is kind of funny, a little bit ironic, and as other posters mentioned, likely over reaction. bro, please respect the union members right to protest and complain and organize and collectively bargain for off-market compensation, pensions, and benefits… that is their right. this is america, you too have the right to join them and achieve the same thing. its always funny to me when people are so anti-union. if union members have it so well, then go join the union!!
This guy’s likely lying. The tip-off is his use of the word ‘thug’ — that’s what the Rush Limbaughs of the world call union members. No way is he a lifelong union supporter who decides one day to stop supporting unions because he doesn’t like one protest.
And, seriously, Baristanet, could you not have called the union for a comment? Or told us wy they’re protesting? Or, you know, done anything besides print this crybaby’s whiny email?
Where’s the giant rat?
Slightly off topic, but check this out in the morning’s news–here’s our old friend Joey D:
A New Jersey politician who has called for austerity is collecting a paycheck and a pension.
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. retired and began collecting a $5,738 monthly pension three months before he was re-elected to the $153,207 job.
A loophole allows elected officials in the public employee and police pension systems to “retire” and keep working.
The 58-year-old told The Star-Ledger of Newark the pension is something he earned after more than 29 years of public service. DiVincenzo says he’s not breaking any laws and he’s not doing anything different than anyone else.
No, he’s not breaking any laws but the fact that a law like this exists (where public officials can collect retirement funds and keep working) is one of the many reasons we pay such high taxes.
Yes, the union has every right to organize and protest, but they do not have the right to block access to a private business or harass uninvolved parties! I am surprised to see people here villifying the business owner. I may be a little off on the details, but my understanding is that there are very specific rules of engagement that cover things like blockage, behavior, touching, etc. He is obviously upset and that’s why he wants to withdraw his union support across the board. I’m sure he’ll re-think that once things settle down. Why punish other groups for one local’s bad behavior?
Maybe they need to get a permit for the rat! ;P
It’s good to be Joey D. Of course he’s not going to give up benefits to which he is entitled and he shouldn’t. But, we really need to re-visit benefits for public employees. Too many retired people at the age of 50 or less double dipping. Pensions should be based on age, not years of service. It’s unsustainable, and we know it now, to pay people for 30 or 40 years of retirement based on 20 years of work.
Come on people, how is Joey D. supposed to be able to afford to eat in his new county-owned restaurant or to play Safari mini-golf?
Not only does Joey D deserve his pension for his 29 years of public service, he deserves EVEN MORE for offering up such an inspiring rationale for collecting the cash: “I’m not doing anything different than anyone else.”
Downright Jeffersonian!
It doesn’t seem right to be collecting both a pension and a paycheck from public coffers. Does any other state allow it, or just NJ, the most corrupt state in the US? (I heard that description of NJ on NPR/WNYC yesterday, but must confess I didn’t hear whether that was simply public perception or demonstrated fact.)
Don’t quote me on this, Oliver, but I think Louisiana does. Anyone want to chime in here, who knows for sure?
Unions often seem unconcerned about the collateral damage from their protests and labor activities. I lived on Long Island growing up, and remember when the train workers went on strike. Hundreds of thousands of people either couldn’t get to work for several days–in many cases costing them wages or income–or else had to either spend significant additional money to drive into NYC and park. I don’t remember even any real expressions of sympathy or regret from the union for doing this. The union took it as a given that they could disrupt the lives and livelihood of other people–and not just that it was legal to do so, but that it was also perfectly moral and appropriate, too.
I acknowledge unions have a right to strike and protest under appropriate circumstances. And non-union members hurt by their activities have a right to not support them.
Livesinglenridge: I agree with you 100%. It’s that simple: If you want to engender people to your cause, then don’t piss them off.
I am not anti-union. If it wasn’t for unions, I wouldn’t have health bennies, sick days, and a host of other things that make the workplace tolerable. But, like anything else, you have bad apples in every bunch: People who deliberately tie up traffic for their cause, illegally obstruct sidewalks or doors ot places of business. There’s a right way and a wrong way to get your point across.
I thounk you’re all missing the point on Joe D. He put in his retirement papers because he doesn’t want to subject himself to the same pension reforms he’s advocating with the governor. Why else do you decide to start drawing down a pension before you retire? I thought the guy’s always been a sham. All he does is spruce up parks, and that’s enough to get him reelected time and time again. Hopefully this finally puts a nick in his armor, not that it matters. I find it hard to believe he’d run for a fourth term, so he’s golden.
Unionized govt. workers should not have the right to strike. Government workers and their unions don’t generate profit, they consume your tax dollars. At negotiation time they negotiate for more of our tax dollars. When they don’t get what they want, they strike. When they strike, the public suffers. Govt. and private unions are two separate issues to me.
Given the treatment the Mayor gives citizens and businesses (did anyone see how he talked to and about the two large business owners on Church Street during the town council meeting on 3/22?), the ever increasing taxes and now having his business interrupted by people protesting, I’d be frustrated too! Montclair needs to be kind to local businesses in efforts to fill the many vacant commercial rental properties and keep the existing ones around. I just recently used this business for the first time. Great service & prices!
If the protesting continues to block the front, try the parking lot in the back & use the back door to Studio 042!
Time to outsource
I find this problematic….I was at the protest at Senator Ruiz’s office a few weeks back. For one, there were simply too many of us to fit in front of her office, so of course there was some spill over. We were all very respectful of of any patrons or passer-bys, creating space for them to walk by unhindered. Senator Ruiz came out and asked the businesses next to her office if we were bothering them, and they all replied that everything was fine. I doubt this person’s complaints are legit.