[Superman]

Interesting. I don't see a question to answer here or at least, I don't see a real, legitimate, clarifying question. I see some fairly arrogant and uncharitable opinions combined with some sweeping generalizations, but those things do not a legitimate question make.

I will make one observation. There are hundreds of construction contractors, union and non-union, in my work world. Thousands perhaps. Some are large and some are small. The size of a company, their bonding capacity, their revenues, etc., is related to their degree of respect for organized labor. Some of the small companies simply will not achieve a medium or large size with their current attitude toward Labor. The larger companies prefer union workers. The reason? Sit down for this one, guys. The reason is because those unions guys are more productive. They get more work done.

So in other words, if you want to find someone in the construction industry who agrees with you, go find a small inefficient construction company. You guys might get along really well. But if you want to find out how a large, complex construction project is delivered on time with high quality work.....go talk to a large union company. Yeah, I know that doesn't fit into your sweeping generalization. But it does fit with reality.

I'm chuckling now. Thinking of the rebar company that is going to start this week on a project just getting underway. It is a five-story concrete structure that covers the area of nine football fields. The rebar will be handled by union Iron Workers exclusively. If any of you guys want to watch a crew work HARD, just come by any time during the next eighteen months and I will show you that crew. And in a semi-related story, a retired union Iron Worker participated in a fire fighters' exhibition here recently. He ran to the top of the Columbia Tower (76 stories) in full fire gear, stopping a few times to perform some activity that was part of the competition (changing oxygen bottles or whatever......). He made it in 25 minutes. I'd say that's pretty good for a lazy old fart (he was 55 years old) with a sense of entitlement.