Just a quick post on the Museum’s budget request hearing today. I have a big foundation deadline tomorrow and it’s gonna be tight, but I wanted to be sure to give you the highlights.
Councilman Goode was the real show stopper today. He asked a lot of tough questions.
His line of questioning began by a reference to the Philadelphia Minimum Wage ordinance, a bill that he crafted and passed. The legislation states (roughly) that city related agencies, or institutions that get money from the city and that have 35 employees or more, have to pay 150% of state or federal minimum wage, depending on what is higher ($10.87/hour vs AlliedBartons $9.54 and $10.03). The ordinance also mandates the employer to provide the same benefits package to employees as that of the lowest paid full time employee. This provision applies to sub-contracted labor as well.
Museum CEO, Gail Harrity responded that the museums council has advised that the museum does not meet the designation that would require them to pay the Philadelphia Minimum Wage.
Councilman Goode also asked about the museum’s diversity program as it applies to sub-contracts. Gail Harrity replied that the museum exceeds the levels required by the city with up to 40% of their sub-contracts in the hands of minority owned businesses. However, if you excluded the construction companies, then they only have 20% of their sub-contracts in the hands of minorities.
Mrs. Harrity also made clear that the museum set the standard of 20% of non-construction sub-contracts to be given to minority or women owned firms, to be more inclusive.
The fact that the museum can set their own standards for the Requests for Proposals (RFP), is what Councilman Goode really latched onto. He asked them, if they can set the standards for their sub-contractors, why will they not set a standard that makes sure that workers are treated fairly and at leasts meets the spirit of the Philadelphia Minimum Wage Ordinance?
Mr. Rub stammered a bit and didn’t answer the question directly.
Councilwoman Janie Blackwell weighed in saying that the museum should reach for a higher standard and should get rid of AlliedBarton.
Councilman Greenlee, who got the museum to sign a public statement stating that the company should “negotiate in good faith,” said that no one in our city should do business with AlliedBarton.
Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez was nice enough to ask Mr. Rub (who was originally heckling our activists) and Mrs. Harrity to look at the activists in the gallery. Councilwoman Quionones-Sanchez pointed out a sign that stated that we, the activists, “Love The Museum.” She said like us, she wanted the museum to do the right thing.
I wanted to point out a couple critical bits of information that we acquired during the hearing.
Mr. Rub testified that the AlliedBarton contract is now on a month to month basis. That means that the museum can change the RFP to meet any standard that they choose. Also, the contract is open to any other worker-friendly companies who are interested in taking on a $4.6 million contract.
Secondly, and this is important, Mr. Rub confirmed two of our main concerns.
When the museum issued their statement last week, we were worried that it is nothing more than an empty statement to appease Councilman William Greenlee.
There are two ways for us to assess the veracity of the museum statement concerning the union. The very bottom end of the legitimacy scale has to be, “did the museum even actually tell AlliedBarton to negotiate?”
After the hearing, Ben Sears a reporter from the People’s World, asked Mr. Rub, to tel him what had he said to AlliedBarton. Mr. Rub said that the only statement that had been issued was that issued to Councilman Greenlee. So, the museum did not even send the request to AlliedBarton. They only sent their statement to Councilman Greenlee.
I have two more indications that this is what actually took place.
Eduardo and Duffy went and spread a hand bill at the museum. Herb Latier, a site boss of the museum, asked to see one. When he read that the museum had asked AlliedBarton to negotiate with us, he was dumbstruck. AlliedBarton bosses began screeching into the parking lot from all directions for an emergency meeting.
You would think that if Mr. Rub had actually told his sub-contractor to change their behavior, then AlliedBarton bosses probably would have known about it before we even did. That clearly was not the case.
Another good measure of bullshit, is if you expect something to be carried out and the company in your employee defies that order, then, if you meant it, you would be ready to punish that employee.
When asked today if Mr. Rub was ready to demand that AlliedBarton withdraw their “request for review” a necessary step before negotiating, Mr. Rub said, “We are going to let the NRLB process carry out, however long it takes.”
I am surprised that Mr. Rub is wiling to be so disrespectful of Councilman Greenlee’s request. Mr. Rub’s previous statement was meaningless. He is not willing to back it up with real consequences or to even directly tell his sub-contractor to follow his decree.
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