As a pre-event for the Velo-City race, the Chicago Couriers Union organized a poker run on Friday night. We had over 35 participants in the poker run, and managed to raise over $400.00 for the Ryan Boudreau Messenger Relief Fund, a local fund set up by the CCU to help injured messengers get back on their feet. Everyone who participated had a good time. The format of the poker run was pretty simple. Riders had six stops to make, and they received a card at each stop. Riders received one more card at the finish, for a total of seven cards. They discarded two cards, and handed in their best five-card hand. Three people turned in full houses, with the top hand being a full house, three aces and two nines. That hand belonged to a guy named Matt. He and his crew had done the whole ride together and they were all super nice to everyone who volunteered to help work the checkpoints. We realized how nice Matt was when we tried to pay him the cash for winning the ride. He gave it right back to us, and said that he wouldn't accept it because the money was for a good cause. Thanks a lot, man!
A couple pictures from the Blind Robin:
Thanks to everyone who rode, everyone who helped out with handing out the cards, and the bars who participated: The handlebar, the Blind Robin, the Cobra Lounge, the Green Eye, Happy Village, and most of all thanks to the Gold Star , Pabst, Yojimbos, and Chrome.
2 comments:
Hey there Chicago dudes and dudesses!
I used to be a courier in Pgh a while back, with Triangle Messenger Service (which was the largest in Pgh, now defunct).
I rode for Triangle for more than 10 years all together.
We at Triangle were reletively content, though we had no paid vacations, no paid sick days, no official paid holidays... we showed up and worked and that was it.
The boss was reletivley content, except that he had a hard time keeping riders, especially the good ones. It was a revolving door really.
I had a great relationship with the boss (owner) though, and one day he was complaining about this to me. I thought, "Hmm, well, lets see here..." I held a meeting with the riders (actually, several meetings over time), I met with the Boss. I went back and forth and negotiated between us and him. After about 2 months of talks privately to establish what we wanted and what he wanted - and what each side was willing to give - we all got together and sat down and met.
It worked wonderfully.
We wound up getting PAID vacations, PAID sick days, PAID holidays... in exchange HE got a bunch of riders that were MUCH more enthusiatic about working for Triangle, riders who showed up on time and consistantly. He got riders that stayed for years - with benefits that grew over time on the job - it really worked out well for all involved.
Yeah, there were riders talking about a UNION, but we really didn't need one at all.
All it took was for a dedicated rider (me) to sit down with all parties and work it out - WIN/WIN situation.
Who could ask for more?
Before you go and invoke UNION at the job, ask yourself this: "Is there a way I or a group of us, can just work it out the good ole people to people way: By TALKING it through?"
Yes?
Do it then.
No?
UNION!
Hey Mick, thanks for your comment, and thanks for reading this blog. I respect your opinion, and it sounds like that was a pretty good situation in Pittsburg. That is a perfect example of solidarity unionism that you had at Triangle, which is pretty much how the CCU operates. Your strategy was to meet with your co-workers and decide what you wanted to change at your workplace, the present it to the boss. Our strategy in almost every situation is to present the company owners with perfectly reasonable demands, maybe a 25-cent commission raise, or to stop illegally mis-classifying the employees as independent contractors. Unfortunately, these requests have always been met with resistance and sometimes retaliation, regardless of whether they came from a concerned employee or a union representative.
The CCU uses a strategy of solidarity Unionism. There is no heirchy in the CCU, it is completely democratic, and everyone’s voice is equal. The CCU has never sought a union contract at a company, and most likely never will. If the majority of employees at a company want something changed, they present their demand to management, whether it is a small commission raise, or getting NICA out of their company. If the employees demands are not taken seriously, direct action is taken against the company, in the past either a picket or strike.
It sounds like your boss was pretty amazing. I have never heard of any bikers getting paid vacation, paid sick-time, or health insurance. Unfortunately, none of the company owners in Chicago are that cool. We have had to battle for the most basic things here, such as: minimum wage pay, workers compensation insurance, and accurate settlement reports.
You finish off your comment by stating:
“Before you go and invoke UNION at the job, ask yourself this: ‘is there a way I or a group of us, can just work it out the good ole people to people way: By TALKING it through?’
Yes?
Do it then.
No?
UNION!”
Here in Chicago, it seems that we have arrived at “ No? UNION!”
I would also be interested to hear the rest of the story on Triangle Messenger. I looked the company up after you posted your comment, and it looks like the company folded in 2002. The owner said that he couldn’t afford to pay workers compensation insurance for his employees, and that is why they had to close the doors. I am curious to know how a company goes from having a great staff, who they provide good benefits to; vacation, sick time, and health insurance, to having to go out of business because they cant even pay workers compensation insurance for their employees, which is required by Pennsylvania law.
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