Friday, March 27, 2009
Self Strike
Union employees picket their own union
The Union of Union Representatives - is that like a first derivative concept in Calculus?
If these are the folks behind EFCA, it's probably a good thing that's not coming up for a vote this year.
UPDATE: Stupid and erroneous non-Fair Use lifting of the entire short AP piece deleted. Use the link.
UPDATE #2: Video added below (CWCID - Hot Air). I thought for a moment, because of the colors, that the woman with the megaphone was a Princeton cheerleader.
7 Comments:
By 
, at
Fri Mar 27, 02:42:00 PM:
This is a particularly hilarious story, a union version of an endless loop, Russian dolls or the opening scene to the TV show "Get Smart." Actually, what the SEIU leadership has proposed makes sense, because you need organizers in regions. You need people who know the geography and who can be physically present, as opposed to organizing from afar.
That said, what are the protesters thinking? Do some people protest for the sake of protesting? Also, what effect would EFCA have had on this situation? More hilarity, and it probably would have prompted the SEIU to attach an amendment making EFCA in applicable to the professional staff at a labor union. Don't think they wouldn't have tried it.
The Centrist
By 
D.E. Cloutier, at
Fri Mar 27, 02:48:00 PM:
You better read up on the use of AP copy, Escort81. The AP polices usage (copyright) very aggressively. Remember, selling copy is the AP's business. You just lifted an entire story.
By Escort81, at
Fri Mar 27, 02:57:00 PM:
DEC - Good point, my bad. Still getting the hang of this. I hope that I may get a mulligan in this case, since my brother-in-law is an editor there.
By TigerHawk, at
Fri Mar 27, 03:40:00 PM:
The link back certainly helps -- AP knows (or ought to know) and can certainly reach out if they have a problem with it.
By D.E. Cloutier, at
Fri Mar 27, 03:56:00 PM:
To Escort81,
In the case of the MSM, look for a permalink. If you don't see one, read the terms and conditions at the bottom of the home page. (After a while, you'll know the linking policy of your favorite news sources by heart.)
Some news outlets encourage links. Others don't. But the news services that sell copy--AP, AFP, etc.--are always touchy about use of their products.
You will notice that the NY Times usually provides permalinks for its stories but seldom provides permalinks for AP stories at the Times site.
Sometimes you'll know about a story and have to wait several hours before you can find a place to link to it.
In the old days, very few local newspapers paid attention to copyright issues. But that's no longer the case. Now almost every news organization thinks about "intellectual property."
By Escort81, at
Fri Mar 27, 04:06:00 PM:
Good summary, thanks DEC. Nice that you represent for your former profession -- they need all the help they can get right now.
I did recently discuss with my brother-in-law the fate of some of the major newspapers that have folded or are in trouble over the past few months. He is convinced that AP will survive in some form to provide content, but that the ownership interests of the organization (currently it is about 30% owned by the member papers) need to be aligned with its mission.
By D.E. Cloutier, at
Fri Mar 27, 06:04:00 PM:
If you want to read about a good newpaperman at some point, Escort81, read Homer Bigart's 1991 obituary at the New York Times.
Homer was one of America's best newspaper reporters. "In journalism schools and in the drafty city rooms of a town that always prided itself on being the ultimate stop for the nation's most gifted newspaper reporters, Mr. Bigart was regarded with awe," the obit notes.
I linked to the obit in a blog post last December:
http://jungletrader.blogspot.com/2008/12/homer-bigart.html
