Unionizing Restaurants. Are you F****ing kidding me?

I'm sure I am not alone here with my feelings about unions, but thought I'd stir the pot a bit. I have some experience here and it's not a pretty picture. I am certain that in the early 20th century labour needed to be protected but come on, this is 2008 and we are talking about restaurant industry not sweat-shops. Okay, maybe unions have been great for the airlines industry and the automotive industry. Just look at how they are thriving! But restaurants? Can you say disaster?

I would love to hear your real world stories and open this hot topic up for discussion. Those in favor, here's your place to tell your side and, well, good luck. Those opposed (like ME) to unions, the platform is yours too.

Let me get this started by staying that unions suck and promote apathy. Employee groups are loyal not to the company that hires them and pays them. But rather, the they are loyal to the union that intimidates the company they work for. Union foster a culture that is counter to hospitality because it's all about ME and the unions. The manager is not in control, the employee is. The restaurant manager cannot do their job if part of their job is to be a part of the team in addition to leading that team.

For example, if a job classification (as dictated by the union agreement or CBA) states that there has to be two bartenders and a bar-back on shift, then the manager cannot just hop back behind the bar when its busy to lend a hand. He can't give them a break and if it slows down, cannot just send the extra bartender and bar-back home. Excuse me, but this is called management for a reason. Every restaurant on the planet operates in a similar manor. If it's slow, send people home. If it's busy, add more employees or as a manager, jump in. Labour is a big cost and unions don't give a damn whether your business makes money or not. In the guise of "protecting" the employee (from what?) unions wreck employee morale, destroy team spirit, promote low standards and are a leading cause of restaurant failure. Why? Because they don't care about the company they work for or the owners and management. They don't care about the businesses reputation or the capital the owners have at risk; the personal guarantees the owners have and the lost house that comes with business failure. They are loyal to the unions because they will "protect" them and keep them working when normally they would be fired becase the are lousy at their job. Job security for the losers.

The restaurant industry is a nickle and dime business meaning we make a relatively small profit by saving nickle and dimes wherever and whenever we can. If being union makes our payroll costs double what they would be normally, them I'm closed.

Folks, the restaurant industry is made up of millions of full and part time employees, many just passing though a town or working their way through college. The main reason they like working in a restaurant is because it is a very efficient use of their time. Minimum input, maximum gain. If a student can work just 5 hours and take home $200 to $300 in a shift, that pretty amazing for a low skill job and a great use of time.

I have seen unionized restaurant go from being a fun, high energy, efficient workplace to not fun, low energy, teamless, spirtless working environment in a matter of weeks. Then, when the employees the unions were "protecting" leave because it sucks to work there, even with a higher wages, we get crappy, lazy replacements that look for safe havens because they know the Darwin theory is not present. If you are lousy at your job, have no pride of workmanship, and have a bad attitude, have no team spirit and low aspirations and small goals, then the union is the place to be.

This isn't a partisan thing its a business thing and it DOES NOT WORK AND DOES NOT BELONG IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY.

Restaurants, with very little exception, cannot survive with ridiculously high payroll and benefits costs and poor customer service. When we have to hire and keep losers on the payroll, everyone suffers. I will tell you this. If the unions come knocking on my door, I am selling (assuming the greater fool theory is working) my restaurant leaving this industry for good.

What would you do?

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