ACTION ALERT!!! Please help unions get fair opportunity to bid work!!!

[electricray]

A friend of mine forwarded me an email that he recieved recently and I thought there might be cause for action. This email was basically requesting a bid from my friends company. I have included the email below if you are interested, but the important thing is that under the "Requirements" heading, the only thing listed is that the labor must be non-union. I believe that this is an illegal requirement but that is beside the point. The only reason that a company would specify non-union labor is out of ideology, after all if the price is acceptable, what does it matter if the winning bidder chooses to allow their employees representation. This should not stand and we might be able to make a difference if we either fax our distaste for this practice to the builder or perhaps to Joann fabric (franchise or head company). Thanks for your help.

Here is the "Contact us" page at Contractor Management Group

And here is the "Contact us" page at Joann fabric.

From: Ryan McMahon (Bid Coordinator)
Contractor Management Group
Phone:
Fax: [phone]

Respond to this ITB by 06/07/05 using one of the following methods:
Online with QBid ID :



Go to www.thebluebook.com and log on to BB-Bid using your QBid ID above to respond from the "My Leads" tab. If you need help, just call the BB-Bid product support staff at 888-303-2243.
Yes by Fax: [phone]

Please check one and return immediately.

INTERESTED I will view, pick-up, or purchase the plans, specification and bid documents at the location you have identified on this ITB.
NOT INTERESTED - Include on future ITBs
NOT INTERESTED - Exclude from future ITBs
Send Request for Information (RFI)


Status:
General Contract Negotiating



Title: JoAnn Stores, Inc - Tigard,OR (Tenant Improvements)
Location: 250 Tigard Shopping Plaza
Tigard, OR 97223

Bids Due: 06/15/05 @ 5:00 PM


Requirements:
Labor Type: Non-Union
(emphasis added)




Details:
Number of Buildings: 1 Square Footage: 30,000 sqft.
Stories Above Grade: 1 Stories Below Grade: 1

Scope of Work:
This project is tenant improvements to an existing building. Interior to be demolished and all new finishes, mechanical and electrical installed.


Notes:
PLEASE RESPOND VIA FAX #[phone]. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE! MUST INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION.

COMPANY NAME___________________________________________

CONTACT NAME____________________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS___________________________________________
CAN YOU RECEIVE DRAWINGS BY EMAIL_____Y____or____N___

FAX # __________________________________________

PHONE#_________________________ TRADE________________________

ADDRESS_____________________________________CITY_____________

ZIP, STATE____________________ UNION_______ OPEN SHOP ______

****IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY****



Invited to Bid:


Additional Categories:
02220-Demolition Contractors 09900-Painting Contractors
06220-Millwork 15050-Mechanical Contractors
08100-Doors--Hollow Metal Doors & Frames 15300-Sprinkler Systems--Fire
08400-Storefronts 15400-Plumbing Contractors
09200-Drywall Contractors 15700-Air Conditioning Contractors
09500-Acoustical Contractors 16050-Electrical Contractors
09650-Floors--Resilient




Location(s) of Plans, Specifications, and Bid Documents
Contractor Management Group
Ryan McMahon - (Bid Coordinator)
525 South Douglas Ave. Suite 230, El Segundo CA 90245
Phone:
Fax: [phone]

Oh, and by the way, these champions of industry build Wal-marts, too. As if we needed any more reason to dislike them.

[Lefty48197]

1. These people are total A-holes

I work in the construction industry, and I often get to look at subcontractor bids for construction work. The bids come from both union and non-union bidders, and the union contractors often beat the non-union bidders. In fact, whether or not they are union or non-union has almost no bearing on their price. The union tradespeople are proportionally more productive than their non-union counterparts. Building non-union, like Walmart does, actually costs them more money in the long run, because of the extra time the land sits unproductive. Maybe they'll start importing shiploads of Chinese laborers to pay 25 cents per hour building their stores?

[JeffUAW]

2. opportunity to bid work.

I'm sorry my friend, but it is not illegal to "make the stipulation" or "require" that a manufacturer of goods be a union/non-union shop. As it is JoAnn fabric, surprises me somewhat, as mostly "short" shelf-life items are held mostly for the non-union shops. Items with long shelf lifes are traditionally manufactured by union-shops, along with high volume, greater margin items. Typically, customers to a manufacturer are reluctant to deal with union shops, due to the chance of work stoppages, because of strikes or lockouts. Also, union shops tend to be more pricey, therefore, an unattractive alternative to non-union or imports from China, etc. Keep the faith, this NAFTA and CAFTA stuff is suppose to do great things for this country ;)