Well, the Wincome 4-Star Hotels have hit a bump in the road

[Darkbeer1]

Also, you have Buena Park building Hotels.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-715501-hotel-million.html

And the city of Orange is also happy to build near the Angel Stadium.

Public Comments still going on, but looks like they are almost over, and the real meeting can start.

 

[Darkbeer1]

We are item #34, and 35 and 35 are the Wincome properties, so if someone wants to log in and check out the City Council live feed, here is the sausage making....

 

[Darkbeer1]

Well, we will have an election on the matter....And it will be on the General Election in November 2018.

 

[NobodyElse]

Well, we will have an election on the matter....And it will be on the General Election in November 2018.

2018? Yikes. Maybe tomorrow we can discuss the ramifications and possible scenarios.

 

[Darkbeer1]

So what did we learn last night,

First off, elections are expensive. The referendum coast the city about $120,000 to pay the county to verify the signatures.

The costs of a separate special election would be about $600,000

Adding it to the June 2018 would have been close to $100,000.

Adding it to the November 2018 General Election is only about $10,000.

So while UNITE-HERE wanted to just have the measures dropped, the Construction Unions made sure it got placed on the ballot, and political reasons made the November 2018 date about the only feasible choice.

Here is the OC Register article about last night..

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hotel-732572-anaheim-union.html

>>“This was solely about going after a hotelier to create leverage,” said Councilwoman Kris Murray, referring to the referendum petition organizer Unite Here Local 11, the resort hotel union.<<

And the very interesting thing to note...

>>The referendums wouldn’t actually prevent Anaheim from awarding the estimated $300 million in subsidies. Instead, the developer would receive fewer entitlement protections and have a harder time planning the projects.<<

So while the UNITE_HERE folks and their paid canvassers gathering signatures said the voters could rescind the tax rebates, and also claimed that Disney would also lose theirs to get the signatures needed, in reality, Wincome could start the projects tomorrow and get every thing they want in regards from the city.

So UNITE-HERE has 2 years to try and make a deal, and then disappear in regards to the election, pretty much guaranteeing the win, but costing the city $130,000 in election costs.

Or businesses (including Disney) plus the Construction Unions can support Wincome in the fight to get the measures passed in 2 years, and then UNITE-HERE will lose. But then, all that means is that those non-union minimum wage jobs that come with protesting in front to the properties on behalf of UNITE-HERE will be around for awhile. (You seen them in Anaheim in front of other Hotels being built, or just opened. These are not employees on strike, but just the Union making "noise" and trouble for the company involved.

Looking through the looking glass, I see Wincome telling UNITE-HERE to pound sand and get about 2/3'rds of the vote in the November, 2018 election

 

[TP2000]

Looking through the looking glass, I see Wincome telling UNITE-HERE to pound sand and get about 2/3'rds of the vote in the November, 2018 election

Let's hope that's what happens!

I particularly enjoy the construction trades unions siding with Wincome and the city and refusing to align with Unite-Here union. It's the skilled and well-paid union tradesmen (plumbers, electricians, carpenters, truck drivers, machinists, etc.) telling the unskilled low-paid union laborers (housekeepers) to go take a hike. That's rich, and I'm sure Ada Briceno and her Social Justice warriors are furious at the trades unions for refusing to take part in their theater.

When Ada Briceno and Unite-Here were protesting at the Disney owned hotels a few years ago, all the other unions representing twenty thousand other CM's in Anaheim refused to take part, or align themselves with Unite-Here, or even issue so much as a statement of solidarity. Unite-Here was on their own and the other rational and sane unions distanced themselves from Unite-Here. That hasn't changed with this Wincome issue.

With the way autonomous intelligence and robotic technology has evolved in just the last five years, I can easily see the jobs of hotel housekeepers being replaced by drones sometime in the next decade. Hotel housekeepers is not a growth industry by any stretch, and may very well go the way of the typist and the stenographer.

 

[Darkbeer1]

And while many of the Hotel Workers are at the low end of the wage scale, they also get tips, which are not reported in most cases.

Also many maids do get items left for them from guests, usually placed on the bed with a note, which tend to find there way to local garage sales and swap meets.

UNITE-HERE is well known for its dirty tricks and plying politics to get deals, instead of trying to work with the employers and the employees for the best deal for them. The Union bosses are looking out for themselves, which is a shame, as many Unions do a much better job for their employees, and not make deals such as being abled to pay less than minimum wage to Union employees.

http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-union-minimum-wage-20160410-story.html

>>Martinez, a 53-year-old bellhop, has hauled tourists' luggage across the flagstone plaza of the Sheraton Universal in Studio City for two decades. He said he was excited after the council's vote to raise the minimum hourly wage at large hotels to $15.37, which he expected to boost his paycheck by 71%.


He soon found out he wouldn't be getting a raise after all. Under an obscure provision of the city's wage hike, unionized hotels were granted an exemption allowing them to pay their employees less. The result is that Martinez, who pays $56.50 every month for membership in the hotel workers union Unite Here, now makes less than those doing the same job in non-union workplaces.

"That's what really makes me mad," Martinez said. "I just wanted to be treated equal. Don't exempt us, because we're the ones paying union dues."<<

 

[Darkbeer1]

https://voiceofoc.org/2016/10/anahe...s-against-hotel-projects-for-the-2018-ballot/

>>
Although the referendum would make it more difficult for Sanford to build the hotels, Wincome could begin construction before voters even have a chance to vote on the referendum in 2018.

The company already has the land use entitlements that it needs to pursue project approvals and begin construction on the property, said city spokesman Mike Lyster.

All the development agreement does is lock in current zoning on the property, establish certain public benefit agreements, and allows a longer period of time during which the company can preserve its rights to develop the property.

And though the city would have the power to change the zoning on the property, changing zoning is not easy and takes a long time, Lyster added.<<

>>Meanwhile, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which supports the development deals, bristled at the actions of UNITE-HERE, saying that they too deserve their say as residents of the city and county.

“The building trades worked long and hard to get a deal. I don’t know where [UNITE] HERE was,” said Mangione. “I’m a little offended we’re not included in ‘the people.’”<<

I think Ada has picked the losing side on this issue, and has burned a few bridges, though it might play into the upcoming City Council elections next month.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Gee, look what just popped up...

http://www.wincomeanaheimrisks.org/wincome-labor-dispute-with-unite-here/

>>Wincome has yet to sign agreements with UNITE HERE Local 11 that would grant 400+ future workers of their redevelopment projects a fair process to decide on whether to unionize. This has generated a labor dispute. Left unresolved, that could lead to protracted conflict in the future, including picket lines, boycotts, and other union-related activity that could adversely impact the daily operations of the hotels and ultimately hotel revenues.<<

I think we all saw that one coming....

 

[TP2000]

And while many of the Hotel Workers are at the low end of the wage scale, they also get tips, which are not reported in most cases.

Also many maids do get items left for them from guests, usually placed on the bed with a note, which tend to find there way to local garage sales and swap meets.

UNITE-HERE is well known for its dirty tricks and plying politics to get deals, instead of trying to work with the employers and the employees for the best deal for them. The Union bosses are looking out for themselves, which is a shame, as many Unions do a much better job for their employees, and not make deals such as being abled to pay less than minimum wage to Union employees.

http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-union-minimum-wage-20160410-story.html

>>Martinez, a 53-year-old bellhop, has hauled tourists' luggage across the flagstone plaza of the Sheraton Universal in Studio City for two decades. He said he was excited after the council's vote to raise the minimum hourly wage at large hotels to $15.37, which he expected to boost his paycheck by 71%.


He soon found out he wouldn't be getting a raise after all. Under an obscure provision of the city's wage hike, unionized hotels were granted an exemption allowing them to pay their employees less. The result is that Martinez, who pays $56.50 every month for membership in the hotel workers union Unite Here, now makes less than those doing the same job in non-union workplaces.

"That's what really makes me mad," Martinez said. "I just wanted to be treated equal. Don't exempt us, because we're the ones paying union dues."<<

Wow.

Of course, the whole story can be summed up in this sentence... "Martinez, a 53-year-old bellhop, has hauled tourists' luggage across the flagstone plaza of the Sheraton Universal in Studio City for two decades."

A 53 year old bellhop. Let that sink in. And the poor guy is forced to give 57 bucks in dues per month to the Unite-Here union for that privilege, because California legislators paid off by the unions refuse to pass right-to-work laws in this state. Meanwhile the same union bosses allow those same legislators to pass laws paying the union employees less money, just as long as they keep skimming their dues money off every month which is all they really care about. And Mr. Martinez's union bosses laugh all the way to the bank, while they send him a union calendar every Christmas for his troubles. Sickening and sad for Mr. Martinez, but he doesn't know any better.

Meanwhile, Ada Briceno holds another faux press conference on the steps of Anaheim City Hall, with all the usual folks as paid audience members. I would love it if Wincome had the guts to stand up to these union thugs and racketeers.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Amazing, during the Public Comments at Tuesday's City Council meeting, a resident came on behalf of her neighbor in regards to her housing an unsafe Wheelchair ramp. Before she could finish speaking, construction union workers ere giving her cards and after that, arranged to make sure the ramp was repaired or rebuilt as a donation. This is what I think of with many union employees, they do donate and help the community.

Alas, the UNITE-HERE folks didn't even try to help out, seems like all they want is a hand out for themselves. So the city is stuck with about $130,000 in additional costs plus the time for the staff to deal with the issue.

So there are a lot of good unions, alas Ada doesn't run one.

One of the things brought up at the meeting was a report on the city's parks, and that Disneyland and its employees donated over $500,000 to help improve the neighbor hood parks.

http://3blmedia.com/News/Disneyland...uild-Five-New-Anaheim-Playgrounds-Three-Years

>>In the last five years, the Disneyland Resort has donated $16 million to Anaheim programs benefiting children and families with $1.5 million specifically dedicated to enhancing Anaheim parks.

The first of the new playgrounds will be built in February 2017.

“Our city is in need of more places for children to play,” Mayor Tom Tait said. “This is a very welcome addition of not just one, but five new playgrounds that will be coming to our parks. I want to thank Disneyland Resort and KaBOOM! for giving back to Anaheim. We are a city of kindness, and this is kindness in action — volunteers coming together to make communities better.”<<

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pickleball-730950-court-new.html

 

[FerretAfros]

The referendum coast the city about $120,000 to pay the county to verify the signatures.

$120,000 to verify 18,000 signatures!? Assuming they're checking each signature individually (and we all know that it will really just be a random spot check), that's $6.66 per signature! Unless they're going door to door to meet each signee in person, I can't imagine what could possibly cost so much

It's times like this that I'm so very glad that I no longer live in California. Yah, the weather is lovely, but the government and politics - from top to bottom - are just insane, and nobody seems to mind. California: great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there!

 

[Darkbeer1]

$120,000 to verify 18,000 signatures!? Assuming they're checking each signature individually (and we all know that it will really just be a random spot check), that's $6.66 per signature! Unless they're going door to door to meet each signee in person, I can't imagine what could possibly cost so much

It's times like this that I'm so very glad that I no longer live in California. Yah, the weather is lovely, but the government and politics - from top to bottom - are just insane, and nobody seems to mind. California: great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there!

Actually, it was 2 sets of 18,000 signatures each, or to be more precise....(Anaheim Plaza and Anabelle)

>>Approve an increase to the City Clerk’s fiscal year 16/17 budget by $59,741.40 to cover the cost of certification of the referendum petition by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.<<

>>Approve an increase to the City Clerk’s fiscal year 16/17 budget by $59,024 to cover the cost of certification of the referendum petition by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.<<

 

[TP2000]

So there are a lot of good unions, alas Ada doesn't run one.

Agreed. Ada just wants the dues money.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Oh, and I should add, that the OC Registrar of Voters office doesn't verify every signature, instead they use a "sampling".

http://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Recall_Process.pdf

>>VERIFICATION Signatures are verified, typically using Statistical Random Sampling. [§11222-11226]<<

So it could be $40 or more per actual signature counted (say 10% of the petitions looked at).

Isn't sausage making fun.....

And as for Ada, it isn't just the dues money she wants, she wants the power that goes with it. Never is a bad time for her to go for a press event and make noise.

https://lbpost.com/lgbt/2000002633-...ommunity-to-boycott-local-hiv-aids-fundraiser

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-ocamb/unite-here-local-11-to-pi_b_782161.html

And this is interesting, amazing how much money UNITE HERE Local 11 makes... over $14 million in 2015, out of which over $5 million is just for "fees for services"

https://www.citizenaudit.org/organization/952938571/UNITE HERE/

 

[Darkbeer1]

http://www.anaheimblog.net/2016/10/19/11519/

>>Contrary to Mayor Tait’s euphemizing, the referendum was not the work of a “group of folks.” As noted, it was paid for by UNITE-HERE. Their goal was to force Wincome Group into signing a collective bargaining agreement rather than risk losing a referendum. The blackmail attempt failed, and as UNITE-HERE Local 11 leader Ada Briceno admits, their scorched earth goal is now to “halt Wincome’s projects.”<<

What a shock..... It isn't like she has a track history or anything.....

 

[VJ]

Honestly, Unite Here can go fly a kite (and yes, I do mean that personally ).

They just want to seem to cause trouble for Disneyland and other hotels in the area. Not actually want to help anything, just trouble.

 

[TP2000]

Ada Briceno and her Unite-Here officers want dues money. They don't want to help the local community, they just want that dues money. At any cost.

 

[Ismael Flores]

And this is why I hate unions, yes there are some good unions but overall unions do little for their members anymore. Unions are an old idea that worked and should no longer be allowed to survive

 

[NobodyElse]

Isn't sausage making fun.....

I've been thinking about this trusty analogy. Some people want to know how it's made, while others don't (and just want to enjoy the delicious end-product). I think many visitors to this forum probably fall somewhere in the middle. While they may not really want to know what each ingredient is (nor their origins), they like learning about how sausages are stuffed, packaged, and sent off to market.

END: random observation.