The Machinery of Night

Posted 9:27 PM by Angie Schultz

The Jobs Americans Won't Do

Like picketing on behalf of their own union:

Although their placards identify the picketers as being with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters, they are not union members.

They're hired feet, or, as the union calls them, temporary workers, paid $8 an hour to picket. Many were recruited from homeless shelters or transitional houses. Several have recently been released from prison. Others are between jobs.

OK, there's no indication that these are immigrants, illegal or otherwise. The story says that the union requires (or "asks for", which I assume is the same) a Social Security card from potential paid picketers.

But it sort of diminishes the notion of the poor, downtrodden working man, dependent upon the union to secure his rights in an land of heartless capitalism, when he'd rather hire a bunch of street people to take his place.

I wonder what happens when the professional protesters get their own union, and start demanding $25 an hour to shout and bang on buckets.

But forget about that -- the story mentions, but only barely, a person who gets paid to picket nuclear war. Just remember that possibility when you see the seething crowd, two score strong, at the next Code Pink rally.

Via Best of the Web (look under "You Got Me Walkin', Talkin' and Squawkin'" -- wish to hell he'd get permalinks.)