Mike Henneberry - Teamsters 853

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[00:01:04] Right. So Mike and a berry with teamsters, local 83 now and then also the UFC W long ago.

[00:01:15] Not that long ago 2017 2017 when did you start with him? I became a bagger at Piedmont grocery in Oakland in 1983. So a true rankant fire.

[00:01:26] Back before plastic bags. So back when baggers were baggers and not courtesy clerks. That's correct. Wow. Yeah. They were actually baggers then. Yeah.

[00:01:35] Yeah, well we might have been certain I think we were baggers. Baggers are service clerks something like that. Well it was funny because back then like everybody was union grocery wise right.

[00:01:47] Yep. So there was a lot of a lot at least compared to now and I'm not I'm not quite as old as you I think we're close to the same age but I'm 58.

[00:01:56] I'm 58. I'm 51 and a half. Same neighborhood. Same neighborhood. But yeah, but every grocery store whether it was like the mom and pop and everybody was union and there seemed like

[00:02:07] like a lot more stores now. There was like a patrini's and yeah so back in the day, Alameda County had its own clerks local. So it was about 7,000 members and yeah everything was union the corner stores and so they had their own the clerks.

[00:02:22] So yeah clerks only no butchers because I know the butchers did always get their own way. Yeah butchers liked it that way. Yeah. So is on actually I was at the small store which was an emery vell at the watergate condominium.

[00:02:35] So is Piedmachros re company which is you know it's fairly it's got a good reputation. It's kind of a foodie.

[00:02:40] It's okay. It's still there. Yeah, it's been open for over a hundred years. The main start the big store.

[00:02:47] The big store. The little store that I work dead has now out of business. Okay. So I had to leave there. I saw I was going to go out of business.

[00:02:53] I didn't have the seniority to transfer to the big store. Right. And they're going to work for the labor council. Well,

[00:02:59] that was a good deal. It was not bad because baggers you know I don't know and it seems like nowadays like grocery stores can't hire because I was when I was finishing high school

[00:03:10] and after that when I was kind of like in and out of college, I would bag groceries because it was that or work part time at UPS which was a nightmare.

[00:03:19] Bagging groceries was a lot. Yeah, it looked a lot better than the preload UPS. Yeah, so and I could get 40 hours at the grocery store.

[00:03:28] Yeah, that's the way it worked back in the old days. And it wasn't bad you know but what was crazy was is I mean you to get to be a clerk

[00:03:37] at least when I was bagging. Phil let me tell you there's a way to do it was a long way it was a long road to get to be a clerk

[00:03:45] and they were kind of like the rock stars of the store. So I remember it well as if it was yesterday on the payroll for about a week

[00:03:53] the manager says, Hey, go stock the beer section. I go I'd love to stock the beer section. Hey, Hannah Berry, you're on the ball kid.

[00:04:00] I'd love to stock the beer section but I can't do that. And he says why not? I said, because that's clerk's work and I'm a bagger. Right. He says, Okay, you're an apprentice clerk.

[00:04:09] Get out of here. Yeah, true story. Oh my God. So as a journeyman at that time was two thousand eighty hours a little bit over a year and then worther four more years

[00:04:19] and then I went to work at the labor council. No kid, but you made it to clerk. Yeah. Oh my god. I was a journeyman for four years.

[00:04:26] I had that carad dangled in front of me for so long believe me you're lucky it didn't happen trust me. Well, it might still be there right? Yeah.

[00:04:34] Yeah, no, I did you night utility clerk anything to try to like suck up a little bit. But yeah, to get a clerk's job you had to you know you had to know somebody man.

[00:04:43] You had to know somebody. Well, I mean obviously it goes by seniority so actually you'll find this fascinating the reason I went to work at Piedmachrosary at all was because my brother-in-law worked there.

[00:04:55] Brother-in-law? Yeah, my brother-in-law. So I came back from college. Were you married then? No was my sister's husband. Oh, sister's husband. Okay.

[00:05:04] No, I'm not my brother. Well, I guess it was my brother-in-law and I'm quite sure the family should have. Yeah, how does that work?

[00:05:09] So he calls me and says hey, you're back for the summer. You want to do you want a job bag in groceries? I said I don't want to bang groceries. How much does that pay? He says ex-emotic. Oh, that's okay. I'll do that for a while.

[00:05:21] Yeah, it wasn't bad. If I remember right for me and this would be like an 8990. I think it started I want to say around nine ten bucks. It was pretty decent.

[00:05:33] It was eight or nine bucks and it was you know, you had health benefits which I didn't care about at the time. I'm benefits. I was 20. I was indestructible easily twice as much as I was making a burger king so you know that was not bad.

[00:05:45] Plus, it was right next to a condominium complex which was chock full of young ladies who were clericals in the city. So you know that wasn't added. That's not an awful thing to do.

[00:05:55] The working conditions in the location were not bad I gotta say back in eighty what are we doing? 83.

[00:06:03] 83. The guts of the 80s. Well, you know, it was the start of a long decline of the chosen profession that I decided to go into labor movement.

[00:06:13] Well, that's what's crazy. So getting in nowadays because the thing that startles me is one that they have to try to get people to take those jobs which when I was a courtesy clerk back in the late 80s or early 90s. That was a good job.

[00:06:29] I mean, decent job. It was a decent job you know, especially maybe for a household it was a second income or whatever but the benefits were always really good and it paid what would then would have been pretty good.

[00:06:43] Middle of the road wage. What ended up happening with that industry though was the colas that boosted the wages in the 70s went away in the early 80s as a result of Reaganism.

[00:06:55] So the colas ceased to lift those wages and the union for whatever reason some of them good some of them bad agreed to a bunch of contracts like three contracts in a row with just bonuses no hard money increases.

[00:07:09] Yeah, that's a hard one for debentimus. We'll have to explain how bonus bonuses versus increases works. I'm so what was a great job in 1983 was not such good job in 2003 but you know today in 2021 the bargaining power

[00:07:23] of workers is as strong as it's been right ever since I've been around seems like it's like unions are cool again well that in the pandemic right.

[00:07:32] Well and and you know for lack of a better term for people getting fucked over for 25 years yeah.

[00:07:40] People are pesting the young people coming in or not you know they're not cool with the current status quo right there.

[00:07:47] Yeah, they're fighting it. I mean I saw some funny that said you know talking about trickle down economics right and you know the classic supply side republican is I was going to see Trump as a Reaganism supply side economics you know trickle down economics and it turns out that now trickle down economics

[00:08:07] the guys are building rockets with the trickle down money. It's pretty pathetic.

[00:08:12] And then I'm going to space that would what a burn on those guys by the way that they're not going to be a space cowboy they don't get the badge.

[00:08:21] Yeah, they don't get the happy sticker NASA thank you. I got to say it's pretty pathetic that you got guys like this who used to play you know polo as a you know that was their

[00:08:32] ostentation show off thing now they're going. Go into space into the stratas for whatever pretending to go in the space.

[00:08:39] Yeah, at least Carnegie set up libraries for Christ say right guys are like you know it's like you know get a launch a Tesla and get a base what I get a

[00:08:48] building named after you in a college for fuck sake something like that you know that would make a lot more sense serve a lot more people but those

[00:08:56] guys are geared this way it's a new it's you know it's even a more predatory form of capitalism right that's possible right which I guess it is and God bless

[00:09:06] them because honestly it's it's I think it's taken things getting worse for people to get sick of it. I mean when you look at unions too who

[00:09:16] else is on the side of working people because I'll tell you what it's not it's business is not inside of working working people

[00:09:22] government which is paid for by business basically they're not on the side of working people you know there are a few friends out there

[00:09:29] for working people the primary one is unions that's it yeah but you got to have the gumption join one the gumption did you say

[00:09:37] gumption I did say gumption by Jimmie so then how you like that so you were a journeyman clerk I was a journey made it which I became a

[00:09:47] delegate to the labor council because I was going to run for executive board of my union and they said you don't want to do that.

[00:09:54] Let's give you something else it's way more fun. You're the smartest guy in the room why don't you come a delegate to the

[00:09:59] Alameda labor council of course back that it was the central labor council of Alameda County AFL C.I. Oh gotcha yeah so this is hey you're a smart guy

[00:10:08] you could be a delegate yeah what the e-board is boring it's boring yeah so I says oh well that sounds like a great idea

[00:10:14] so little did I know that I'd end up working there about six months later but I so I guess it says something about the

[00:10:21] pool of candidates lighting up well no I mean now although then people were that was a pretty desirable job at the time.

[00:10:28] Well and despite how you look you're really smart guy. Oh well thank you very much but the appearances can be deceiving you know maybe

[00:10:36] that's like an advantage of yours. Yeah you know you can just go low expect you see your way right in there and nobody expects it

[00:10:44] it's low expectations you're exactly your first impression I am a master of low expectations for sure so then so what did you do for the labor council?

[00:10:53] So I started out Steve Martin from H.E.R.E. local 50 was the secretary treasurer that was the chief officer this is back when

[00:11:01] Southern Alameda County had its own local now remind me ATRE is hotel and restaurant that's right guy you know Timmelville is right all the all the class A houses in Southern Alameda County

[00:11:12] of which the only one left is the only one left as Mossabos so yeah the restaurant industry has really changed over what about 30 years.

[00:11:21] What about Ronnaker? Ronnaker is not union. Oh no kidding yeah okay it used to be back in the I think they busted him out back in the 80s

[00:11:30] yeah so it's yes yes he hires me he hires me and then he quit six months later I'm like well either this guy is a real asshole or he has a plan.

[00:11:40] It was the former not the latter there was no plan he just took off and left me with who so I was hired as a union representative organizer

[00:11:50] and you know the assistant secretary was guiding oh and so you know oh and add some I don't know if you know him or not.

[00:11:57] I know that goes back a long way so I think I had some odd proclivities I mean he is basically a pro union guy but he was out of SEIU

[00:12:04] and he just passed away about a year ago so I don't want to speak ill of the dead but it was an interesting five year ride at the labor council

[00:12:13] so I worked there for five years and then I went to work for the clerks union so. Okay.

[00:12:18] Loathe 70 gotcha because yeah when you're in a labor council I mean talking about a pit of snakes sometimes

[00:12:26] the the competition I guess for lack of a better word or trying to be kind there's a lot of tension sometimes between unions and jurisdictions and personalities

[00:12:37] there are tons of jurisdictional disputes and you've got to juggle all that you've got to be nice to everybody.

[00:12:42] There are cross cross industry and cross craft negotiations you've got properties with five or six unions on them they all hate each other

[00:12:51] I got to say though I'm glad that it worked out that way because I got to meet so many people and become familiar with so many different unions

[00:12:59] that really gave me an overview of where the bodies were buried and a few other things.

[00:13:06] You talk to your average business agent they're pretty much in their silo with their union

[00:13:11] unless they're a delegate for labor council which most of them aren't.

[00:13:14] Right and we're all part of the labor movement but we're sequestered in our own little,

[00:13:19] we're all kept in our own little boxes of jurisdiction.

[00:13:22] So teams there's may know something about the machinist because they have joint contracts but they don't know anything about the nurses or the longshoreman.

[00:13:31] Right right right and you know somebody in the hotel and restaurant industry is not going to know somebody from engineers and scientists so to that extent I'm really glad it turned out that way.

[00:13:42] So when I went to work for the clerks because you know they told me I was the smartest guy in the world.

[00:13:48] I got dumped dumped to be a delegate they're like oh we need this guy now.

[00:13:52] One of the senior business agents said you know Ashley all bullshit so I would like you just hang on for a while we'll hire you as a business agent when the time is right.

[00:14:01] Well that's good.

[00:14:02] Yeah when you're 25, five years is a long time right?

[00:14:06] Yeah the time is right you're thinking I'm like I'm getting interviewed by all these different unions and what I hired me

[00:14:12] I'm like no I get to wait for the clerks to call really eventually they did.

[00:14:16] Oh okay and so I went to work for them and in the meantime I did get on the executive board and there was a power struggle.

[00:14:23] I ended up on the right side of it.

[00:14:25] Oh congratulations.

[00:14:26] That just solidified my on trade to the business agents world.

[00:14:32] Congratulations.

[00:14:33] So I got hired August 7th of 93.

[00:14:36] Man how do you remember well I guess I remember my date when I can't hire a dude.

[00:14:40] I remember that in case you have to bump somebody for a schedule or something.

[00:14:44] Yeah but it doesn't work that way once you're in the union.

[00:14:46] When you're bidding for vacation.

[00:14:48] When my in my experience every union place I've worked when working for the union is it's always the union we keep the union stuff like at the barns you know at the workplaces.

[00:15:01] Well unless you work for a union where

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[00:16:03] The organized so at the retail clerks so I get a call one morning for my boss and he says I think you guys need to organize into a union.

[00:16:14] I said what are you talking about?

[00:16:16] The wink wink.

[00:16:17] So what are you talking about he says there's going to be a big merger and I'm concerned about you guys and you need to have a contract in case things go sideways and everybody gets fired.

[00:16:27] I'm like well that's really encourage yeah no kidding.

[00:16:30] I've tried to raise a family and all that sort of stuff how will you now 58.

[00:16:35] Well not now I mean this is not good at that at that out shit I don't know it's like.

[00:16:39] Oh yeah by the way it was like 2006 or wasn't that long ago.

[00:16:43] So 2006 yeah that's when I started with the teachers as an official.

[00:16:48] Oh alright yeah so the boss calls he says you guys should organize so you know this guy thought oh well they're going to go to fair which is the federation of agents and international representatives.

[00:17:00] Fair which is the UFCW United Food Commercial Workers International Unions House Union basically.

[00:17:07] Oh gotcha so unlike I was going to say what the hell is fair?

[00:17:11] We are not going to fair so a friend of mine ran he just recently retired was president of the sailors Union of the Pacific.

[00:17:18] I mean they had some guy who used to be at the labor council who knows every union and basically you could pick your union.

[00:17:25] So if you know this guy gutter one burg who was in charge of the sailors Union of the Pacific he has had no bullshit kick ass.

[00:17:32] I mean he's either those the guys downtown that's the aisle W these guys are at sandwich.

[00:17:37] No nothing I'll do 450 Harrison.

[00:17:39] Okay. Oh downtown is marine engineers so the guys will work on the engines.

[00:17:43] So 450 Harrison San Francisco is a national historic site.

[00:17:47] Oh okay 450 Harrison San Francisco sailors Union of the Pacific.

[00:17:51] So I call him up I says hey gutter get this group of 25 professionals.

[00:17:55] Gunner his name's Gunner. His name's Gunner.

[00:17:57] Okay I'm not kidding you man it's cool tough guy.

[00:18:00] I like it. So I call him up I say I got a group of 25 guys and need to organize it's a professional unit do you want him?

[00:18:07] He says fuck no we don't represent professionals you take him I says can't take him because it's us and he goes.

[00:18:14] Oh we'll take you guys that's fine that'll be good.

[00:18:18] That's 25 votes right there.

[00:18:20] He didn't really say that I'm making that up but he was yeah it wasn't really enthusiastic about it but you know we needed

[00:18:27] somewhere to well it's not easy to to find contract.

[00:18:31] Yeah it's not easy to find a union that wants to represent another union's employees.

[00:18:36] Oh really the deal was not too bad for him because we're all union reps and knew how to negotiate contract all that sort of stuff until

[00:18:44] when you get into actual negotiations the worst people to negotiate for on behalf of our union reps.

[00:18:51] Come on so fucking smart they know everything they're all the smartest guy in the room.

[00:18:55] We need this language we need that language.

[00:18:58] Oh I didn't even think of that fucking God we need an extra weeks vacation.

[00:19:03] It wouldn't even be the conversation it would be like everybody arguing I mean as it is everybody argues

[00:19:12] over language you know under good circumstances oh my God it was unbelievable arguments about vacation bumping and shit

[00:19:19] that's never going to happen about God it might you know so we don't be prepared.

[00:19:23] It should say we shouldn't instead of they can't you know or so needless to say we were the last quote unquote professional unit

[00:19:30] that sailors union ever allowed in so first and last everything turned out.

[00:19:36] So then what happened so you had a merger everybody go along we had a merger and you know there was it was a big

[00:19:43] merger was a seven local merger so what is that the big local golden state behemoth thing came later let me just

[00:19:51] explain how this works so there was a big grocery strike in southern California 2004 2005 started in October

[00:19:59] and in March 1st it was a complete plus fair man the union got its ass kicked so we got sent down there

[00:20:06] a week before the strike started so you know we know I'd have run a pick a line in that sort of stuff right we get

[00:20:12] kicked out of southern California they kick our entire local I was in Kastaiic in Santa Clarita we had

[00:20:19] members yeah we had business agents and all spread out through LA because we were a local 770 was our

[00:20:26] sister local which is LA city and county so we're down there raising health is this there's 60,000

[00:20:32] people out on strike everything shut down no I remember I think my wife and I went down to we were down

[00:20:38] at Dana point or something down there yeah yeah so they were on strike from San Diego to furthest north was

[00:20:44] well the far end Santa Barbara County wherever that is and then that's what we talked about the solving and I

[00:20:51] I started and we went to state or brothers because they had right they were me too me too so they were still open

[00:20:57] yep so we're down there we're kicking ass we're doing we're messing everything up right so local 770

[00:21:04] because we are we aren't we can't guys can't do that we're going to lose the strike we told

[00:21:11] that he says you're going to lose the strike if you don't do this kind of stuff well guess what they didn't

[00:21:16] do any of that stuff we get kicked out we get sent back to Hayward and the strike goes on for another 4

[00:21:21] fucking months and they and they lose they get their ass kicked so that lays precedent for the teamsters

[00:21:28] and everybody else in the grocery industry right those were hard years it was it was really tough

[00:21:33] and you know the unions underestimated the resolve of the employers and that was stupid not smart

[00:21:40] and if you and if you better have a backup plan and is that when the when they really started getting into

[00:21:47] like you know bifurcating the benefits like some people had it was good pay the tears

[00:21:53] and all that two tears is already in there it was pretty bad it just got worse just got worse so fast

[00:21:59] forward to the next contract because it didn't seem for lack of trying because I grew up in a union household

[00:22:06] and it always seemed like like the clerks were they were trying to fight you know I mean that's a

[00:22:13] bit of an industry too well they were able to finally turn that around three contracts later so the tears

[00:22:19] are gone they're out of the contracts so good but you know there used to be a master of agreement now

[00:22:23] it's pretty much by company and they're all different right right you know but you know you used to have this

[00:22:30] master of agreement which you know I guess if you have to get improvements that way so be it so

[00:22:34] anyway we get sent back up here we see the storm clouds gathering on the rise we know we're going to get

[00:22:39] the same thing next contract so somebody has a bright idea hey let's take these seven locals in northern California

[00:22:46] and merge them all and call it local five you know local eight seventy in Alameda County will go from

[00:22:53] 6,000 to 36,000 something like that so be a monster it's a total monster because it's everything

[00:22:59] from King City to Crescent City east to a back of bill so that's a big chunk of territory so east of

[00:23:06] back of bill sacrament of valley that's local eight there about 32,000 members they had already merged

[00:23:11] everything in got it so you take these seven fiefdoms on the west western half of northern

[00:23:17] California and merge them all together you just know there's going to be some problems right and there were

[00:23:22] and you know what transpired after the next two sets of negotiations was the contract negotiations

[00:23:29] the only thing worse than not having power is not using it when you do and that's what the union did they

[00:23:36] did not exercise their power so as a consequence they had a political problem with the membership

[00:23:40] and the Hayward office ended up taking over the whole local so I was out of the Hayward office so that was a good

[00:23:46] thing all right so the union took a more progressive stand after that and they as a consequence

[00:23:53] he did better in contracts which I might add with the hell of a lot of help from joint council seven it's

[00:23:58] funny how that works though huh how taking the more aggressive stance leads to better working conditions

[00:24:04] you know yeah you know sitting back and taking the easy path that you know that doesn't always

[00:24:09] always really what happens it right I think that people are well intentioned but that they just I

[00:24:15] think there's a certain brand of unionism that's endemic to UFCW particularly to the clerk side

[00:24:21] and what is it if it is if we're nice enough to the boss they're going to play ball right well that's never been my

[00:24:27] fucking position because I know it's bullshit yeah it doesn't it doesn't seem you don't earn a lot

[00:24:32] respect by being nice you know not saying you got to be an asshole either but you've got to be you've

[00:24:37] got to stick up for yourself as well that's the way I was getting you got to use the power that the

[00:24:41] membership gives you and if the membership wants to go you know sometimes you go sometimes you don't

[00:24:45] because right memberships not always right but well that's what's funny you know talking about that

[00:24:51] and the and the what were the rules like because there's this situation in the teamsters now

[00:24:57] and having just left it would drive me up the wall if I had to deal with it but they had this this

[00:25:02] thing called the two-thirds rule right right which basically all paraphrase it how I interpret it which is

[00:25:09] you know you don't strike if you don't have the support of the members yeah that's not unusual most unions

[00:25:15] have that so as an outsider coming into the teams yeah they all seem to have they all have they all have something

[00:25:20] like that which I use got CWA's got it seemed like a really good

[00:25:24] academy and now it's political which is unfortunate but look at the mathematics if a hundred percent of

[00:25:29] the membership doesn't vote and you know if you will less than say 20% of them vote right

[00:25:36] if less than half okay less than half and then less than or more or less half of those vote no or yes

[00:25:44] you've still got a it's a total split it's a split of a quarter of the membership right

[00:25:49] you can let a majority of any minority so if you get rid of that rule you can let a majority

[00:25:54] of any minority ten percent of the people could vote and a majority of the minority can take everybody on strike

[00:26:00] it's insane so and believe me having been through as many labor disputes have I've been through

[00:26:06] if you don't have 90% of people behind you you're fucked yeah there's only that's the only way

[00:26:12] that's a good circumstance is yeah you know I've been on strike like I said you

[00:26:19] know we're 60,000 people route but then laboratory conditions with like a group of 15

[00:26:24] well that's what's crazy pull the pin and you get a you know 14 to one strike vote you're thinking oh

[00:26:29] that's great well not necessarily that can fall apart a week into the strike right you know

[00:26:35] you know if you got some leadership and know what to do and you've been around for a while you can

[00:26:39] and that's assuming away from that that's assuming that a strike is effective too sometimes

[00:26:44] you're you're some of your strongest most aggressive moves have nothing to do with the strike yeah that's the

[00:26:50] thing you got it you got to analyze analyze the industry the condition that smart guys like you well

[00:26:56] I learned that from other smart guys you know you can you can go sit outside but if it doesn't

[00:27:02] if it doesn't affect the employer then what are you doing you know I think said this or somebody

[00:27:06] like that said this is striking is a failure that's a sign of right failure back in the old days I

[00:27:15] thought fuck that shit let's go strike well it's not when you're a long shorman because if

[00:27:20] you're if you're a long shorman and you strike nothing against long shorman but you you shut

[00:27:25] down everything yeah well if you have 100% of your industry organized yeah it's perfect yeah super

[00:27:30] yeah pretty effective and I they're not going to be too many scab you don't need to know

[00:27:35] anything else but it doesn't work like that especially when you're not a highly skilled trade not

[00:27:40] to say that we're not a skill you know the teams are not skilled trades but you know you can't

[00:27:44] replace electricians what the advantage of the teamsters have is that they're in a lot of very

[00:27:49] critical industries and that's what the government was so freaked out about back in the 50s

[00:27:54] when the I'll W and the teamsters started getting right right yeah that led to deregulation

[00:27:59] everything they didn't they didn't take it out on the I'll W but they sure shit took it

[00:28:04] out on the teamsters yeah I mean the whole deregulation they took a job there was an

[00:28:09] you know entry into the middle class for truck drivers they went from being bums to be in king

[00:28:13] of the road right and now they're back to being bums again because of declass to misclassification

[00:28:19] so they're not going to be able to do that. Hey speaking of I'll W what are we doing about the ballpark?

[00:28:24] So interesting that you should ask that question because talking about the Oakland A is moving down

[00:28:29] to Jackson Square Howard terminal project and so local 853 that local that I'm very happy

[00:28:36] to be working with and yet or four I should say we represent the concession vendors ticket

[00:28:40] takers and ticket sellers at the Coliseum so the NC guys it's all you beer and churros in the stands

[00:28:46] guys and then the ones at the stationary booths where you buy your hats and t-shirts and all that sort

[00:28:50] of stuff. And then the you know the A's is the only thing left right the A's came to us early on

[00:28:56] and said we want to build this stadium it's the wave of the future we want to be like San

[00:29:01] Francisco and yeah it's more than a ballpark it's condos and all that sort of stuff so it's

[00:29:06] more of like an experience. It's a whole project well it's awesome now. So we're looking

[00:29:10] at it because we're thinking hey this is going to solidify the future for our members because

[00:29:14] you know the Coliseum if you've been to a game recently it's pretty long on the tooth. Yeah it's

[00:29:18] getting a little dated maybe A's have been saying for a long time they're not interested in staying there

[00:29:24] so they come forth with this project it's going to be privately financed the infrastructure is going

[00:29:29] to require some public funding so the city council voted five does your or it's nothing like a raiders deal.

[00:29:35] Five to five yes one abstention one no to go forward with negotiating with the A's

[00:29:42] and put out what they call a term sheet setting up the financing right in Oakland you know they modified it some

[00:29:48] but now they're still talking so it may it may happen but what happened during the path of

[00:29:54] this stadium is that the Longshoreman's Union started spinning this narrative that if they build this ballpark

[00:30:01] it's going to completely fuck up West Coast shipping specifically Oakland shipping and there's not going to be any

[00:30:07] containerization and it's going to be a death no longer long short what goes on and how are terminal how many how many

[00:30:13] ships they do over there well that's the not I mean you know I thought it was a dead it basically a dead

[00:30:19] terminal a ship hasn't called on Howard terminal 15 years okay now just coincidentally this big Navy ship

[00:30:25] ends up there right before the vote I mean if you can say optics that was the Pacific merchant shipping

[00:30:31] and I'll W. You say let's get a ship down there to make it look like this is a viable port or a viable terminal well

[00:30:38] it's not because the terminal is a parking lot for a bunch of scab trucks that are headed up by this guy

[00:30:45] and he bill of booty who's been ripping off the port for years well and he's the only guy that is benefiting

[00:30:52] from this and the Longshoreman have six security jobs there but those can be easily folded into the rest of the

[00:30:58] port and all this thing and I understand this argument about there's no way that you could have a you

[00:31:05] know a public serving business next to an industrial use because it just doesn't work well Jack London squares

[00:31:10] been next at the port for the last 60 years right so it does work yeah that seemed like well it's it's a

[00:31:17] new ass argument but people who wanted to be against this project for whatever reason swallowed it and ran

[00:31:22] well they gave people who who just want to be against the project there's gave a reason to be against it

[00:31:28] yeah you know right because it seems all kind of like bullshit nonsense to be honest but now you

[00:31:34] know you've got an argument and the companies the shipping companies don't want a ballpark down

[00:31:39] there you know they don't and well because they were they kind of ruled a roost down there right so the

[00:31:44] shipping companies and schnitzers steal which is like the biggest polluter in northern California and

[00:31:49] it's going to be directly nice in the ballpark they really don't want to have to obey any

[00:31:54] environmental laws and guess what they don't want they're gonna have to clean up their active yeah they don't want

[00:31:59] a ballpark they don't want the attention the port does the shipping companies don't want the attention

[00:32:03] let us just keep doing what we've been doing for years leave us alone we like it this way it's so funny too

[00:32:08] maybe that's good for you but it's not good for the rest of the community it's such a

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[00:33:12] VW report were prohibited by law see terms and conditions 18 plus such a throwback dinosaur

[00:33:17] like its own little world down there too well the other thing that was a pisser

[00:33:21] is that the law shorman said you know all these jobs at the ballpark are just minimum wage

[00:33:26] shit jobs it's like tell art I know to I don't know who developed that talking point

[00:33:31] but as a union official I want to said those I'll W. Jobs are a bunch of pieces

[00:33:36] shit jobs I mean it's just you don't do that as a union leader right it's insulting

[00:33:40] right right not to mention you know I mean do you want the A's going to free

[00:33:45] on or worse well they're gonna go their new water from ballpark in Las Vegas

[00:33:50] oh man 11 year old about the 2012 nob hill strike

[00:33:57] so what happened in union solidarity what happened in 2012 with nob hill

[00:34:03] well nob hill would on strike right yeah they want strike for what the butchers go

[00:34:08] with it now does that work their relationship by that by that time we're all merged

[00:34:12] okay everybody is merged it butchers emerged yeah everybody's merged

[00:34:18] everybody's one big happy family in western northern California so

[00:34:25] the leadership of local five at that time which is not the current leadership

[00:34:28] could not get a deal with railies which owns nob hill they got to deal with safe

[00:34:34] way I got to deal with luckies and all the independence but railies for

[00:34:41] whatever reason it's just railies is owned by family out of Arkansas

[00:34:45] that moved to Sacramento in the 30s and they did not leave Arkansas behind I mean

[00:34:49] they are you know they've got the yachts and the houses but they're the

[00:34:53] Beverly Hill Billy okay I did really see by the way they do not like unions

[00:34:58] no they do not they do not so at this point they pay good money to keep the

[00:35:04] unions out of railies yeah oh they do they're about half non-union yeah

[00:35:08] they're double breasted yep good example of double breasted operator

[00:35:11] in the grocery industry so we strike them because they you know they wanted

[00:35:16] they wanted to come out of the health plan they wanted to take so right now we

[00:35:20] have a jointly trusted union employer tapped heartily trust for health and

[00:35:25] welfare pension they want to add thank god so we're going to allow them to do that

[00:35:29] the members weren't going to allow them to do that so we go on strike so

[00:35:32] they're asking for a strike yeah they pretty much provoked it so it was like 36

[00:35:37] locations in northern California well 36 locations and local five just

[00:35:41] just a tip to any employer out there if you want to

[00:35:44] to make your employees strike just take away their medical benefits exactly

[00:35:48] that works every time that that t-shirt will strike if we'll strike it

[00:35:52] provoked yeah that's the health that a provoked yeah that's a good way to

[00:35:56] provoke them so the strike starts it's in it's in November so it's right before

[00:36:01] Thanksgiving good timing for strike you're really going to mess up the

[00:36:04] business right so we go out November 11th I believe it was so I'm

[00:36:09] communications director and staff director at the time so I'm all over the

[00:36:14] place helping you know put out crazy now so I get home late one night and I

[00:36:19] wake up early the next morning it's like six I get a call and it's the

[00:36:24] business agent for the Alameda store and I live in Alameda she says hey the

[00:36:29] employer here has a bunch of disability checks from the trust fund and he's

[00:36:33] refusing to give him to the workers so I don't know how it happened why

[00:36:40] the checks ended up at the store but this guy had a bunch of sick leave checks

[00:36:44] from the trust fund and he's telling people well if you want your sick

[00:36:48] leave check you need to cross the picket line oh you're fucking fucking shit so

[00:36:53] I'll be down there a few minutes why get down there what they didn't

[00:36:57] preparation for this strike was they had the rena cops out front but then on

[00:37:01] the inside unbeknownst to me they had this like black water group of security

[00:37:06] others the pinker denser something so I go marching in the store and I see the

[00:37:10] man's races hey you need to distribute those checks to the workers you know

[00:37:15] and we're not going to do it in here we'll do it outside he goes fuck you I go

[00:37:19] fuck me all right well I got the responsibility to represent all these fucking

[00:37:25] scabs in the store so I have to service your store asshole right so I start

[00:37:29] making the rounds he's following me pretty soon he's got a he's got this retinue

[00:37:33] folks and then the black water black jumpsuit psycho guys right showing up

[00:37:39] thinking man this isn't good look this one against that math doesn't work out so

[00:37:45] the manager comes up to me he's got his cell phone to his ear and he said yeah

[00:37:49] the unions here but we're not going to do shit that this asshole tells us to do

[00:37:53] so I grab his phone and I grab his phone yeah and I throw it across the store

[00:37:58] I think a nice I'm thinking that didn't change the odds here yeah it's not

[00:38:03] good good I think I'm gonna get the fuck out of here so I turned around I get

[00:38:06] tackled everybody's on my back I think okay well I'm gonna get busted well

[00:38:12] Alameda police department shows up all of a sudden all the sudden things are

[00:38:16] getting better I've got all these well view and think so I've got all I've got

[00:38:21] all these guys on my back they're kicking me in the ribs or kicking me in

[00:38:24] the kidneys all of a sudden you hear this guy say Alameda police department stop

[00:38:29] resisted I'm like are you kidding me I'm a resident city of Alameda oh I

[00:38:35] thought you would have had friends the two of these dorks are I thought you

[00:38:38] would have friends over at Alameda PD blackwater security guard guy says hey

[00:38:43] officer can I grab your cuffs out of your web belt and cuff this guy what I

[00:38:48] get cuffed with APD's cuffs by a reticop you're sure you're kidding me the

[00:38:54] fuck it out of bed so I'm thinking I'm gonna yeah they say stop resisting

[00:39:02] we're taking you out of the store I says I have no intention to do either of

[00:39:05] those things so if you have thought fuck that keeps getting better right well

[00:39:11] they eventually get me cuffed and they're dragging me out of the store

[00:39:13] and the customers are like all gathered around like right like they don't know

[00:39:18] what's going on nowadays with social media and stuff that would have been awesome I

[00:39:22] tell these customers get the fuck out of here as bad as he's right scabs in the

[00:39:27] checkstand you scumbags so they drag me out the cop pounds my head on the trunk

[00:39:33] of the car I'd think it wow I could hardly wait I could just hardly wait until I

[00:39:39] get get processed until I get let out a jail at about an hour because I've got

[00:39:44] connections in this town he he goes he goes hey we went to high school together

[00:39:50] do you want us to really arrest you I go yeah fuck it arrest me read me my

[00:39:54] rights let's get this shit over with it's like I get to say yeah don't arrest me

[00:39:58] with a whole picket line right watching oh I know so yeah you've got all your

[00:40:03] guys that are all the all the strikers that that we're raising a hell they set up

[00:40:09] a rally for that night which a vigil for which well I thought I'd be attending it

[00:40:14] you know I thought I was a vigil really free might I get there I know I never

[00:40:19] get there they're but there were like 400 people there my wife was there it has

[00:40:24] she had a taste in any of this stuff before that's another story so so the

[00:40:30] people on the picket line are go crazy they're yellowed in screaming I'm in the

[00:40:34] car I go take me to jail let's get it done they put me in the car and blow

[00:40:40] right by the Alameda police department I'm like where the fuck are you going he

[00:40:44] goes north county I says what are you going to north county for he goes well

[00:40:49] because a budget cuts we closed our jail oh shit so I get I get to North

[00:40:55] County which is you know it's the Alameda Sheriff's Department Alameda County

[00:40:59] Sheriff's Department I'm thinking boy I hope I'm not here in time to catch the

[00:41:04] bus to Santa Rita I'm in the holding cell for like two minutes and they go okay

[00:41:08] we're going to Santa Rita so I told the business agent what I'm sitting in the

[00:41:13] car I says do this in this order you need to call Salana my wife do not

[00:41:19] whatever you do when you call her don't say I've got bad news or don't say

[00:41:24] I've got news about Mike just say everything's fine right everything's fine

[00:41:29] and then tell her what happened okay well of course not business agent gets

[00:41:33] nervous I'm calling about boys so even though it's a lot of thought she was

[00:41:39] prepared for this because she knew it was only a matter of time we'd been

[00:41:41] married for quite a while at that time okay it was a matter of time till

[00:41:44] something like this how long you've been married because that's the other thing

[00:41:47] if journeyman clerk you get a good job you start thinking about settling in

[00:41:51] married late at that time we had been married for 10 years okay

[00:41:55] years yeah it was pre-kids was it pre-kids no wasn't pre-kids we had kids we had

[00:42:01] three little little kids oh time so it was so it was so she it turned out good

[00:42:05] she went to the rally with the other 400 people was mad dog in the manager and

[00:42:09] messing with people I thought that was a real tribute that all those people

[00:42:13] showed up but where were you I'm in fucking jail because you're still in jail

[00:42:17] because my union is so incompetent they it's been so long since someone got a

[00:42:23] real arrest right not a sight and release a real arrest you know a sight and

[00:42:28] release for the listeners out there is when you know you show up on a picket line

[00:42:33] and there's a phony bust and you sit down in the street and ra ra ra and then

[00:42:36] they take you around the computer yeah the theatrical right the cops are

[00:42:40] there you take the picture they were in the right year all that shit a real

[00:42:43] bust is when you get taken to Santa Rita process yeah finger print and yeah

[00:42:47] fucking Santa Rita right so oh the second thing I told the business agent was

[00:42:52] after you call Salana call the fucking mayor and tell her her stupid ass police

[00:42:59] department arrested me and get me the fuck out of jail and then call the union

[00:43:05] and make sure they contact a bail bondsman so how long were you I wasn't in

[00:43:11] I was I got arrested like nine and I should be like an hour yeah I got out

[00:43:14] about midnight so that's if you've never been to Santa Rita I highly recommend

[00:43:20] interesting culinary delight I think you get like the peanut butter and honey

[00:43:24] sandwich and someone was fucking with me it was Bloney Bloney Cognomilk is

[00:43:28] Bloney in a rotten orange oh fantastic you got a carton of milk right probably

[00:43:32] Berkeley Farms you know it was you know good teacher milk yeah so I get released

[00:43:38] to like the bail bonds company was from Santa's name because that's where the

[00:43:42] headquarters of the union was at that time it so you know finally the bail bonds

[00:43:48] gal shows up at like 1130 they let me out of quarter 12 I guess he was it was

[00:43:53] did you ever think that maybe nobody's in a big hurry to get you out I know

[00:43:57] I know that to be a fact cross my mind several times but big and your wife's

[00:44:05] like where's my I was anybody trying to get him out holding so with all these guys

[00:44:09] I'm like hey who needs a job when you get out right because we have but your

[00:44:13] apprenticeship program right some of those guys went through the program oh yeah

[00:44:18] the holding cells I was in a holding so one time interesting company oh yeah

[00:44:24] well so about I was the prettiest guy in there about nine o'clock that night

[00:44:28] the bail of comes is oh is Mr. Hennaberry here but like I haven't been called

[00:44:34] Mr. Hennaberry at about 16 hours at that point I think it oh somebody called

[00:44:39] somebody well what happened was the head of the firefighters union called

[00:44:44] the assistant to the president the board of supervisors for Alameda County who

[00:44:49] called the sheriff what yeah that's a connection that's a long way around

[00:44:53] though well it got directly to the sheriff and who runs the jail right the sheriff

[00:44:57] from the sheriff runs the jail so the mayor obviously couldn't do anything because

[00:45:02] she was a good person she would have done something right and I'm sure

[00:45:05] I'm sure she really liked you my DA at the time she would have done something but

[00:45:10] she probably didn't know anything about it either you know wasn't on KCBS

[00:45:14] and I got popped on a pick of line although it did make the channel seven news

[00:45:17] I'd say or maybe it wasn't an you know an election season yeah you know anyway

[00:45:23] all's well that ends well but so I get charged with assaulting a police officer

[00:45:28] and several other things my don't anything is is that stuff hangs around well

[00:45:34] the union you know provided me with an attorney best representation available

[00:45:39] who was that well I'm not gonna mention names but suffice it suffice it to say

[00:45:45] they missed a court date oh shh but the company didn't miss the court date

[00:45:50] company didn't miss the court date so they show up and they're telling the judge

[00:45:54] what an asshole I what did you do to these people the next thing I know I'm

[00:45:57] getting up charge up charge I'm getting up charge additional charge we

[00:46:02] reduced your original charges to like a felony so I mean it gets ridiculous

[00:46:08] court dates are missed it's all fucked up I'm getting up charge Salon is really

[00:46:12] freaking out at this point I go look I don't need this counsel I go I talked

[00:46:19] to a workers competitor makes a recommendation who's a friend right right so

[00:46:23] I get this guy and it turns out that he was a defense attorney in the same

[00:46:30] court well my case was assigned so I go in with him everybody's so happy to see

[00:46:36] him oh Bill how are you we love you he's like well you know I have a bit of

[00:46:39] her for six months but it's good to see you guys yeah so the we talk the

[00:46:44] prosecutor says I'd like to meet with you guys privately so we go with me

[00:46:49] with the the assisted D.A. and she's like Mr. Hennaberry I am so sorry this

[00:46:54] should have never happened I'm like well it's amazing it's a lot appreciate

[00:46:58] that it's been going on for like a year that's a lesson it anybody too is if

[00:47:04] you're not there to present your side of the argument yep you lost it you're

[00:47:08] gonna get fucked yep that's right then that's exactly what happened which is

[00:47:13] funny because that comes up that that's come up for me in my job in the

[00:47:17] past at unemployment hearings right and unemployment for anybody who knows

[00:47:21] sometimes there's hearings that go on whether or not they're gonna award

[00:47:25] unemployment or not and usually what a union rep will do will negotiate having

[00:47:30] the company just not show up and then you're free to say whatever you want

[00:47:34] correct yeah yeah yeah I mean unemployment hearings are kind of bizarre oh

[00:47:39] yeah the ALJs are weird man they are yeah that's been my experience too then

[00:47:46] you know sometimes the company rep shows up sometimes they don't right it's a lot

[00:47:50] you know a lot of unions even a lot of unions I've worked for don't don't do

[00:47:56] those yeah I know I wouldn't you I mean it's a good service for the member yeah

[00:48:00] total right you're helping them while they're off getting their arbitration

[00:48:03] settled or whatever you've got a familiarity with the process and I had everything

[00:48:07] I had the same line with every single member I did not engage in serious

[00:48:13] misconduct right I did not engage in serious misconduct bottom line it's

[00:48:19] there it's their fault you're not working that your fault you want to go back

[00:48:23] to work correct and then you get the occasional weird ALJ who would like if

[00:48:28] the company and they're working and then they'd be hard asses on the member it's

[00:48:32] like yeah so in the new interview yourself you know you can't do they well yeah

[00:48:36] I guess I fucking can but I really don't want to screw this guy's unemployment up

[00:48:40] so I guess I gotta kiss your ass a little bit oh my gosh yeah you get the full

[00:48:45] range of of you know people that are like super uptight about the process and

[00:48:51] about titles and about addressing people in the right manner and then other

[00:48:54] people who are just like you know could care less yeah yeah and want to just

[00:48:59] get get it over with you know it's how it goes man you just fade in and out

[00:49:04] I was I was I got twins so I've got twins twins fraternal twins boy girl twins

[00:49:09] boy girl twins that's that's got to be cool oh yeah it's really cool that's a

[00:49:15] surprise so did you know you were having twins or how does that work I twins

[00:49:19] ran in my wife's family oh okay because I've never had twins it good for you

[00:49:24] yeah well the good thing is we had twins first and then a singleton later so as

[00:49:29] like you could do anything after twin he was the most neglected kid in the

[00:49:33] world oh he's got a mate now not only that it's like you're broken by the time

[00:49:37] he comes around toddler he just put him in a stroller with a box of cheerios he's

[00:49:41] fine my son's 11 to you know I might sneak him in for a shot yeah you should

[00:49:46] you should I did that with Hunter's my dad did that with me with Hunter's

[00:49:49] safety I started young wins his birthday April

[00:49:53] hmm I do it right yeah I even heard I think they were like six that'd be

[00:50:00] something else but yeah yeah I got an eight year old he could but that would

[00:50:04] really improve our chances of you know getting the family covered I can't

[00:50:10] wait for the kids to get a get a vaccine you know we're talking about COVID now

[00:50:14] and the Delta variant I am surprised that they haven't authorized the regular

[00:50:20] Pfizer-Jage you know Johnson and Johnson and Madera is it well you know what I

[00:50:26] finally ran across a friend of mine they got a bad reaction to the Johnson and

[00:50:30] it wasn't just an allergic reaction he was like sick for two weeks not

[00:50:37] COVID-sick but it sounded like close wow and I'm like well you're the only one

[00:50:42] I've ever heard of well you're still better off than you'd be without it and

[00:50:45] you got through it better than being on a respirator fucking hey what is going

[00:50:50] on in I mean in Florida they're like they're banning people from wearing masks

[00:50:55] and shit it's frightening it's just the politics is stupidity man what is wrong

[00:51:00] with people you know you keep hearing you know it's not the unvaccinated aren't

[00:51:04] stupid it's like well they're sure acting stupid if they're stupid they're

[00:51:07] acting like it so you are a political director you're sensitive to

[00:51:11] people's feelings yeah very sensitive my wife my god lover she was she's

[00:51:18] like why is everybody saying that you've got to be nice to the unvaccinated at

[00:51:24] this point you know like don't bully him and to get in the vaccine and it's

[00:51:27] well be a nice doesn't seem to be working yeah well you know here's the thing

[00:51:31] or shame him you know you know it trumps a complete asshole but operation

[00:51:36] warp speed was under his watch no they made a good vaccine all he's got to do is

[00:51:41] take credit for it then all those dipshit would probably go get the shot or just

[00:51:45] go get the shot in public Trump fuck but you mean to tell me that you are so

[00:51:50] crave and politically that you're not gonna you're not gonna you're not gonna

[00:51:54] you're not gonna do anything you know they're killing try to get any of these

[00:51:56] people vaccinated unvaccinated people are killing each other well they're

[00:52:02] killing the right and and they're they're breeding new variants for the rest

[00:52:06] of us yeah it's fantastic yeah love it can't wait to go to Florida you're

[00:52:10] going to Florida I'm not going to Florida could pay me ever you're not gonna move

[00:52:13] to Florida so this is I'm gonna take the kids to Disney World say why why would

[00:52:19] you do that oh my god once the last time you took your kids anywhere though

[00:52:23] we're going on vacation Thursday for the first time in 18 months I'm thinking as

[00:52:27] soon as I can get a vaccine in them I want to take them to the Great Wolf lodge

[00:52:30] see how that goes oh that's supposed to be pretty cool place yeah they open a

[00:52:34] new one in Mantika I saw that it's right off of 120 yeah that's what that

[00:52:38] thing is that's what it is a casino next door oh really yeah there you go oh

[00:52:44] so I was a unionist of the year in 2012 and 2012 were you

[00:52:49] nest of the year 2014 it was two years after the Nob Hill strike and that's why

[00:52:53] was you know oh really because it's been so long since anybody got a

[00:52:57] rest in on a picker line I should add a provider there a real let's be honest

[00:53:02] Mike you know when I don't want to give away all the the industry dirty little

[00:53:06] secrets of the industry but I thought that's what this was about I know Unionist

[00:53:09] of the year usually is the person that can sell the most tickets to the

[00:53:13] Coke dinner right absolutely and so you were a fundraising powerhouse then I

[00:53:18] guess it was an off year yeah but yeah I mean a big part of that these

[00:53:24] awards is the draw is is people that can draw in a lot of interest which

[00:53:28] because because at the end of the day they're fundraisers right you gotta you

[00:53:32] gotta raise funds so the technology changed but the same basic dynamics are

[00:53:37] still going on public sector versus private sector you know every and we can't

[00:53:42] out of our own ways every fricking endorsement was a scorched earth to the

[00:53:46] night so you know it's kind it's kind of not real efficient the way they do

[00:53:53] their endorsements it requires two thirds to make an endorsement of a

[00:53:56] politician no that doesn't sound awful well it sounds well intentioned got a

[00:54:01] hundred different unions I'm a hundred different agendas I'm a fan of the

[00:54:05] 60% because threshold threshold threshold threshold for that should be 80

[00:54:11] because if you're not completely united behind a candidate why bother well

[00:54:16] why bother because then you're talking about the joint endorsement yeah I'm

[00:54:20] talking well for example you can have Mike or or not Mike yeah and a lot of

[00:54:25] people take the no Mike thing but you know it's if you're not completely

[00:54:29] united behind a candidate what it means is that if you're divided the unions

[00:54:35] that really wanted this person maybe they're gonna do precinct walking maybe

[00:54:39] they're gonna do some mailers but you know the ones that were against it

[00:54:42] aren't gonna do shit right so what's the point so why have the labor council put

[00:54:48] their legitimacy out there when it's not gonna be a you know full-blown campaign

[00:54:52] for this which is true because the individual unions will endorse anyway

[00:54:57] right and they do they do and they'll still get out there in March and but

[00:55:02] they won't have the full support of the labor council right it's not a true

[00:55:05] endorsement right unless everybody's on the same page and you know that happens

[00:55:09] more times than not it's only the big battles that you remember yeah usually

[00:55:14] those battles are you know fought and won or lost long before anybody votes

[00:55:18] on anything though pretty much until it gets the delegates yeah what how is

[00:55:23] Alameda labor council lately I think they're doing better than they've been in

[00:55:27] a long time I think the Alameda labor council is probably doing better in

[00:55:32] 2021 than they were probably for most of the 80s and 90s well 80s and 90s dark

[00:55:40] days man and early 2000s you know the new leadership Liz is really good it's

[00:55:45] weird I feel the it seems like there's more of an interesting unions and people

[00:55:51] realize that unions if if you're a working person unions are really the only

[00:55:56] only people on your side you know so we're down to 7% of the private sector

[00:56:01] okay so with the addition of the public sector that brings it up to like in

[00:56:07] California which is a you know highly unionized state that brings everyone takes

[00:56:12] 14% or something everybody takes it for granted God yeah but I think this

[00:56:16] couple things and I'm I want to find out more about the pro act and I know

[00:56:21] the infrastructure is going to be a lot of project labor agreements and stuff

[00:56:26] like that so yeah no those two bills are really going to be well infrastructure

[00:56:30] passed so you keep up on this stuff so infrastructure passed are they gonna

[00:56:34] are they gonna push the rest of the stuff through on reconciliation or no so

[00:56:39] the I'm hoping yes the infrastructure partially passed the hard

[00:56:43] infrastructure yeah the real infrastructure they're called oh how dare you call

[00:56:47] the non human capital are you telling me child care is not infrastructure no I

[00:56:53] think that argument it pretty cool certainly can't but it's not yeah it's not

[00:56:57] bridges and buildings right all right bridges and this way like a like hard

[00:57:00] infrastructure and soft infrastructure yeah so human infrastructure and right

[00:57:04] infrastructure so the infrastructure passed so now the human

[00:57:09] infrastructure probably will be passed on a reconciliation vote which is fine

[00:57:13] hey yeah who cares get it passed do it and that's but that's also to you got to get

[00:57:20] cinema from Arizona and mansion from West Virginia that's a heavy lift on this

[00:57:24] stuff although I guess mansion is indicated he's going to vote for it chose okay so

[00:57:29] I don't know about a lot of beef with mansion but then you have the pro act so

[00:57:32] the pro act would basically revolutionize labor relations yes it would do what

[00:57:39] labor law reform should have done in 78 under Carter but Carter fucked it up and we had to go

[00:57:46] through some very very dark days because of that decades yeah so but Biden understands that

[00:57:52] dude and and mansion I guess understands it too because he's indicated he's going to vote for it

[00:57:57] boy if we could get the pro act going yep yeah it would revolutionize organizing and just about

[00:58:03] every other thing to do with unionism it would be great now that I'm not an active

[00:58:09] union rep for you know union-repping to get yeah you could just you could just watch a squander

[00:58:15] all our possible I can see you know it'd be like like you know playing for the raiders through the

[00:58:21] 90s yep when all the advantages come come labor's way and you know I'll miss it so all of this you

[00:58:30] know that all the stuff about the raiders moving to Vegas the A's wanting the Howard terminal

[00:58:35] right yeah it's really not sports it's entertainment well they're talking about about a wmba

[00:58:40] expanded franchise out here which would be great and be awesome yep yep and then you know that's

[00:58:45] our members there in the I don't know if the coliseum would be the place to be but well

[00:58:50] they did a pretty good job of remodeling that thing right they've really kept it up you know

[00:58:54] the warriors leaving was a big disappointment to a lot of people yeah that hurts

[00:59:00] you know but a wmba team I just don't see them you know the coliseum what's the capacity there 45

[00:59:06] or something so that would be inside I'm not sure what is I think it's around 30 30 something like

[00:59:10] that it seems like a little overcapacity for the wmba so for that building you have concerts right

[00:59:18] you got monster monster trucks they go inside yeah oh that's awesome yeah that must really be loud

[00:59:25] the monster jam so yeah I think there's a viable future for that facility you have they've

[00:59:31] also got this soccer team roots have you heard about them no I haven't heard about it so

[00:59:35] they're the oakland whatever the major league soccer you know you didn't even think about that

[00:59:40] used to be n a s l and now it's m i s l i guess it's the same thing as the earthquakes oh okay

[00:59:45] so the earthquakes have that state of the yard stadium yeah and uh say how is that say how does

[00:59:50] so these Oakland roots so there's been some insurance issues they haven't been able to play in

[00:59:56] the city of Oakland yet oh gee yeah it's kind of like a team without a sea so right in any case

[01:00:02] well we'll see how it goes you know I mean they couldn't go with the oaks yeah well it is an oak tree

[01:00:08] that has roots but the you know I didn't even think about it but if you took the the baseball

[01:00:15] field out of the coliseum complex I mean you could basically redevelop half of the parking lot and

[01:00:21] half of the you know in that whole area or the one of the baseball field is right you know so that's

[01:00:26] so that's the other half of the Howard terminal argument so the a's bought the county share

[01:00:31] the coliseum site okay and the cities share is out to bid right now so there's a group called

[01:00:37] African-American sports entertainment group and you know they're friendly with the teamsters

[01:00:42] right and they approach doesn't they they want to buy the city's stake in version so interestingly

[01:00:47] enough you know the a's who you would think you know they want to control everything right they

[01:00:53] says no work perfectly uh fire with that we could work with anybody unless develop this site for

[01:00:58] something that works for the city nice so we'll see what happens you know now they're that group

[01:01:06] a a s e s e g what they what their ultimate goal is is to get an NFL franchise so I think that

[01:01:15] might be setting setting kind of a high ball yeah the bars would be awesome well look at look at

[01:01:21] Baltimore you know yeah although they get the Browns the Ravens are the Browns right no the

[01:01:25] what the hell no the Colts went to Baltimore Colts went to Indianapolis right yep in the Cleveland

[01:01:33] Browns the Browns good Baltimore to come to Ravens Browns would Baltimore become became the Ravens

[01:01:39] and then eventually they got a new branch in team the Browns yeah yeah that's so that worked

[01:01:43] he's cake yeah it only took like 25 years we could have two teams cut the ribs yeah awesome

[01:01:49] all right man well hey I gotta go Mike okay thank you for sitting down we got to do this

[01:01:54] again it's been a slice of heaven it was completely an hour of incoherence but the listeners enjoy it

[01:01:59] that's what I do all right all right thanks Mike thank you