Messengers in Chicago will be very familiar with 525 W. Monroe. If you stand in the alley behind the building any time on a workday, you will see messengers come in and out of the loading dock. It is one of the busier buildings in downtown Chicago. Unfortunately, it is also has some of the harshest policies toward messengers. Messengers enter the building through the loading dock, sign in with security, and until about a week ago, were not allowed to bring our messenger bags into the building. We were instructed to leave our bags hanging on hooks in the outer area of the dock. This was a similar situation to the one in 321 N. Clark, and when the new policy went into effect several months ago, CCU members started to oppose it. The following is an excerpt from a letter written to the building manager by the CCU:The Chicago Couriers Union finds this new policy unacceptable. Generally, messengers have multiple deliveries contained within their bags at any given time. A messenger has no choice but to leave these packages unattended within their bags while performing deliveries in your building. This is a serious security breach, one that cannot be ignored by the professional messengers of Chicago. We regularly carry payroll checks, bank deposits, confidential documents from attorneys, and many other types of important documents. During the summer months, the loading dock doors are left open, and couriers’ bags are hanging unattended in the outer are of the dock, easily accessible to anyone coming in or out of the loading dock, and even to anyone walking through the alley behind the building. If a couriers bag was stolen while hanging unattended in your loading dock, and it contained highly sensitive or confidential documents belonging to messengers’ clients, the consequences could be devastating for all parties involved.
At around the same time the letter was sent, CCU members started to refuse to enter the building through the dock and leave our bags unattended. Many of us started to enter the building through the front door, and call the receiving party in the building to come down and pick up their packages in the lobby. This was an effective strategy, because we could talk to the building tenants directly, and explain the situation to them. They also helped to put pressure on building management to change this policy. About a week ago, I was told by a co-worker that the building has changed their policy toward messenger bags. We are no longer required to leave our bags on the hooks in the outer area of the loading dock, but are now able to secure them in the guard's office.
This may seem like a small victory for the CCU, but it is an important one.
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3 comments:
One time at 550 west adams I had to leave my bag. Much to my suprise, the security gaurd (who was new on the job, but said he had worked in law enforcement) was really dis pleased. When I asked why, he told me that now he has to watch them and make sure that nothing happens to them. He told me about Bailment Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailment)
He said that if it's a protocol of the building for you to leave your bag, then legally they are the ones responsible for it. Even if they had a sign saying other wise.
anyone into personal property law?
Huh, thanks a lot, Video Drome. I have never heard of Bailment, and am certainly not a lawyer. The CCU does, however have a relationship with a few. I am going to run this by them and see what they think.
This is great news. Hope you can publicize this victory, however small it may seem.
Now if we could just get them to do something about the nauseating smell in that dock.
Seriously, what do they put in that dumpster, dead bodies and jugs of rotten milk?
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