“They just pay me to hand out these fliers.”
According to a comment left on my first post about this Dr. Brent Cataldo protest, a protesting member admitted to getting paid to hand out fliers.
Really? That is the second person I’ve had tell me that they’ve talked to the protesters and they have admitted to getting paid. My first source told me $10/hr. Interesting.
My blog commenter made a good point. Are they getting the prevailing wage? According to the Kare-11 story (Part I, Part II) the prevailing wage in some spots is over 30 dollars an hour. Therefore if a union is paying protesters, shouldn’t they get a prevailing wage? Are they getting health care benefits, 401k, PTO?
Something feels weird about this all. I stopped into Caribou the other day and was harassed to take a flier. The protester simply said “Thanks,” as I drove away.
In another occasion I actually went over to talk to the guys and they wouldn’t tell me anything. Probably because they’d been instructed too. Here is a good analogy, If I work for a company and I’m not a PR person I really can’t speak for the company. In fact most larger companies have strict rules against this. Now, if I was a protester and I had strong feelings and close ties to something I was demonstrating against, I’d have plenty to say.
In fact, if I felt strongly enough to protest anything, it would go without saying that I’d have something to say about it, right?
This paints a strange picture. How long before someone doesn’t get the point, doesn’t understand his or her instructions and does something vile and hostile towards a community member? Recently many unions have been caught hiring homeless people to protest for what I’m sure is under the prevailing wage.
With that, my loyal readers, I’m asking you all to approach these protesters and see what they have to say. I’d love to know if they’re getting healthcare benefits. I’d also like to know what the drywallers were paid to do the build-out at Cataldo’s new office. I’m going to venture a guess here, but I’m reckoning it was more than the protesters.
Ask away and remember that it is your First Amendment right to do so.
lunks
3 responses to “The (paid) assignment”
Ok, this is just getting silly. These guys know exactly where the line is and walk right on the edge. That latest flyer is just plain mean. We should start our own group, Friends of Doctor Cataldo, and hand out counter-protest flyers right next to them. See how they like a little taste of their own medicine.
Something including:
Dr. Cataldo was doing his part to IMPROVE the community when he moved in.
He has since been systematically harassed both at his office and in his neighborhood.
Notice they never mention substandard work, only substandard wages? Isn’t free market competition one of the cornerstones of our country? If you can get the same item for less money that’s just the American way.
If you think the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters is being unfair to Dr. Cataldo please give them a call and let them know what you think.
The other thing that has been a bother is that they are now protesting on the road that leads to Dr. Cataldo’s subdivision just off Lawndale Lane in Maple Grove.
It’s one thing to protest at the building site but now they want to protest outside the man’s home just to bring ‘shame’ to him. That’s just a bit over the line of decency to me.
The union is now protesting here in Shakopee and I’m writing a story about it for our local paper. I saw that some former Friedges employees had commented on this blog. If they read this and would like to comment for the story, call me at (952) 345-6679 or e-mail sfiecke@swpub.com. Thanks!