Alcatraz now a quadrathlon... Swim, Bike, Run

Cross Picket Lines.

Posted today on another tri board, new user, first post (emphases theirs):
If you are considering participating in the 2009 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, take note. On February 24th, workers at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf, the event hotel location, along with 700 supporters announced their call for a boycott of their hotel.

During the boycott, hotel customers are asked not to sleep, eat, or meet at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf hotel until the workers call off the boycott. Workers at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf are seeking respect for their choice to decide whether to have union representation through a majority sign-up process. Workers at many other San Francisco hotels, including the InterContinental and St. Regis hotels, have been able to use the majority sign-up process to choose whether to have a union.

Even** the Hyatt Corporation** has adopted this procedure for all hotels they open in the future. Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf workers want the same respect and equality that other Hyatt workers have in the city and county of San Francisco and San Mateo. Elected officials including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and San Francisco Board of Supervisor President David Chiu, 50 community organizations, over 200 community and religious leaders, and over 1,000 individuals have already endorsed this boycott and pledged to not eat, sleep, or meet at this hotel.

IMG has repeatedly been informed of the labor dispute at the hotel through letters, emails and phone calls. Since June of 2008, assistance has been readily available to IMG to help them prepare and protect themselves from any escalation that might have occurred. Despite this, IMG has yet to take the proactive steps needed to address its role as an active customer of the Hyatt and are in danger of violating the boycott. Additionally, IMG has neglected its responsibility to inform the sponsors, vendors, and participants of the event, of the labor dispute and the possible impact that violating a boycott might have on the event and your collective reputations.

San Francisco has a strong union tradition and in the past labor dispute actions have taken the form of **leaflets, marches, rallies, demonstrations, picket lines, and early morning bull horning actions. **This serious and uncertain situation may continue to escalate. Event relocation is the only way to ensure that the Triathlon will not be marred by any labor dispute related disruptions. Please contact IMG for information on its decision to violate the boycott. Urge it to honor the boycott so the Triathlon can commence disturbance free.

this is why I hate stupid people
.

I have a feeling the hotel will still be completely booked that weekend (if not already).

As I said over on BT,

Not being a big fan of unions myself, I would not stay at the Hyatt anyhow, but if I am in the middle of my race, and some picketer got in my way, he would shortly have 210 lbs of pissed off Marine making sure he got out of my way as quickly as possible, including me picking him up and throwing him out of my way.
I hope that cooler
minds prevail and realize that trying to actively disrupt a group of
rather athletic folks might just lead to disaster.

It’s one thing for organizers to ask IMG and others not to make FUTURE plans, quite another to ask everyone to cancel plans and reschedule. If the union organizers want public sympathy, wrecking people’s vacation plans is a lousy way to get it.

Let’s be clear, this is a unionization drive (who do you think the 700 “supporters” are).

if I am in the middle of my race, and some picketer got in my way, he would shortly have 210 lbs of pissed off Marine making sure he got out of my way as quickly as possible, including me picking him up and throwing him out of my way.
I hope that cooler minds prevail and realize that trying to actively disrupt a group of rather athletic folks might just lead to disaster.
Fisherman’s Wharf isn’t even on the course. In fact, the course travels the exact opposite direction, so you don’t have to worry. The only issue will be getting to the ferries from the transition area, and you take event busses, so I’m pretty sure you’re not going to get left behind.

As I said over on BT,

Not being a big fan of unions myself, I would not stay at the Hyatt anyhow, but if I am in the middle of my race, and some picketer got in my way, he would shortly have 210 lbs of pissed off Marine making sure he got out of my way as quickly as possible, including me picking him up and throwing him out of my way.

Yeah, there’s a great solution. Let us know how that works out for you.

"Workers at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf are seeking respect for their choice to decide whether to have union representation "


Hopefully workers at the Hyatt will respect an athlete’s choice to decide whether to participate in the event…or to frequent the hotel.

"Workers at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf are seeking respect for their choice to decide whether to have union representation "


Hopefully workers at the Hyatt will respect an athlete’s choice to decide whether to participate in the event…or to frequent the hotel.

Since when have unions ever respected “choice”