One of the by-products of the early labor movement in the early 1900s were the labor unions.
Perhaps the most high-profile of them is the International Brotherhood Of Teamsters.
That name might invoke the age-old question — where is Jimmy Hoffa’s body hidden?
Hoffa was the strong-arm boss of the teamsters many years ago and it may or may not be a surprise but guess who runs The Teamsters today? Yeah, James Hoffa — son of Jimmy.
So how does all of this concern this week’s stop on the PGA Tour?
Well, it seems The Teamsters are totally unhappy with the Detroit Golf Club. DGC, like any other club, has the all-important maintenance crew and apparently those crew members, at least seven of them — are members of the local Teamsters Union.
Those employees who are prepping the grounds for the Rocket Mortgage event that starts Thursday are calling for the end of negotiations and a new contract from DGC. If it doesn’t happen by the time the players tee off on Thursday, then the union says it’s willing to strike.
“Come (Thursday) when this tournament starts,” said Kevin Moore, president of local union, Teamsters Local 299, and executive board member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, “we’re going to do what we have to do. Demonstrations, strikes, whatever is at our disposal.”
A seven-member group of mechanics and groundskeepers represented by Teamsters Local 299 saw their contract expire in 2018. The club had been asking for a contract that included a “3% pay raise, health care relief and job security language.”
Detroit Golf Club president Andrew Glassberg said in a statement Monday the club offered a contract with benefits and salaries 4% higher per year than the current contract and a 17% increase over the duration.
But then The Teamsters said that’s nonsense.
Moore says Glassberg’s claims aren’t true, and that after Glassberg went through a federal mediator, the workers were offered less than the 3% raise the union had asked for. The union filed its unfair labor practice charge against the golf club in May, citing a “failure to negotiate in good faith,” accusation. Glassberg walked out of negotiations with the union on June 14.
Moore claims the club offered a $500 one-time signing bonus, but Teamsters countered with a 45 cent (3%) hourly pay increase which was denied.
He also says DGC forced said workers to take a 15-to-20% wage reduction in 2015, then increased the out-of-pocket healthcare expense nearly $600 a month for family medical. Moore said management switched from the Michigan Teamsters health plan into a Detroit Golf Club-sponsored health plan.
“It was a garbage plan,” Moore said on Monday, “and they shoved the workers’ expenses down their throat.”
So now you have the country club set vs. the union guys.
Classic class warfare.
Where it ends, who knows?
All we know is the PGA Tour doesn’t allow any unions.
Doesn’t need ’em — everyone’s overpaid!
