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I'm generally very pro union, but I've heard a few stories about when we have trials in NYC. What a pain in the ass it's been because of the unions.
Normally, when we go to trial somewhere, it's a big trial, and we set up a room or suite of rooms in a hotel with all the equipment and supplies we need. It's an all hands kind of thing where you just do what needs to be done to get the place set up. Rolling copiers off the truck and onto a freight elevator to move them into place. Running extension cords around and taping them down. Etc. Etc. In NYC, we can't do any of that. We have to get official local union people, and they have a "that's not my job"and a "that's not your job either" attitude. Like it takes an electrician to plug a heavy duty extension cord into an outlet and stretch it across the room to the printer. You have to have the appropriate person for each job. We can't do anything ourselves. Try to pick up a box of paper and move it across the room, and a union guy yells at you for doing union work.
First time we had a trial in NYC, it was infuriating. Now we leave for trial a day or so earlier to allow time for the unions to take their pound of flesh at their own slow pace.
Not sure if it's all of NYC that's union, or just the hotel near the courthouse that we usually use.
But having said that, I really do support the unions and what they have done for the middle class. I like my weekends off and overtime when I work long hours and benefits.
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