May 2004

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Landmark Union Drive

Filed under: Imported

Workers at the three Landmark movie theaters in the Twin Cities voted against joining UFCW Local 789 on Wednesday. The tally was 20-13, with three eligible employees not casting a ballot.

Posted by Paul Demko at May 28, 2004 3:15 PM

 

Landmark Press Release II

Filed under: Stories

For Immediate Release

May 27, 2004

Contact: Chris Conry at (612) 221-4852 or chrisconry2000@hotmail.com.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 789

Dan Schneidkraut at (612) 870-3483 or xgraveviolatorx@yahoo.com

Uptown/Lagoon Theater

Movie Theatre Workers Four Votes Shy of a Union Victory

United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 789 supports workers' right to choose.

On the evening of Wednesday, May 26th a majority of the workers at Landmark Theatre's three Twin Cities theatres, the Edina Cinema, Lagoon Cinema, and Uptown Theatre decided not to form a Union. Among the 36 eligible voters, turnout was very high with 33 workers showing up at the polls. The vote tally was 20 'No' and 13 'Yes'; a change of four votes from 'No' to 'Yes' would have reversed the decision.

"Obviously, we are disappointed by the outcome. However, we applaud the workers who had the courage to make this happen. They took real risks, hoping to improve their workplace and they deserve recognition for that," said Don Seaquist, President of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 789.

The election is the culmination of a campaign that began on April 14th, 2004, when the Twin Cities movie theatre workers petitioned the National Labor Relations Board requesting a union election. Throughout the last six weeks, workers continued to talk with each other and built massive community support with hundreds of movie patrons signing petitions of support. On Tuesday, May 25th supporters attended the 7:15pm screening of the popular documentary Super Size Me at the Uptown Theatre. Ticket sales more than doubled what's expected on a Tuesday night; concession sales were tripled.

"We wholeheartedly support a worker's right to decide whether or not she wants to form a union. We're glad this campaign went to a vote. We are glad people got a chance to participate in the process," explained Bernie Hesse, Director of Organizing at UFCW Local 789.

The UFCW Local 789 is part of the 1.4 million United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO. Local 789 has 7500 members and represents workers in the grocery stores, drug stores, nursing homes, meat packing plants, manufacturing facilities, laundry facilities, and the Borders Bookstore in Minneapolis' Calhoun Square.

In September of 2003 Landmark Theatres was purchase by 2929 Entertainment Company which is co-owned by Dallas Maverick's owner, Mark Cuban. Landmark Theatres Corporation was founded in 1974 and operates 57 theatres with 204 screens in 14 states across the U.S.

# # #

Posted by Paul Demko at May 28, 2004 3:02 PM

 

Rocks Off

Filed under: Imported

"Finally, Roger, let's get something straight. Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the finest, toughest, rock 'n' roll bands ever. Queen was an overblown, crappy pomposity of an outfit that performed show tunes covered up with a buncha overdubbed guitars and vocals. And as I type this, I sincerely hope that wherever they are ... Ronnie Van Zant is busting a pool cue over Freddie Mercury's skull."

Posted by Paul Demko at May 27, 2004 2:06 PM

 

Burning Down The (Big) House

Filed under: Imported

I think I'm beginning to understand Team W.'s logic here. They're telling the American public that the building was somehow karmically tainted by the atrocities committed there by Saddam. It was only this legacy of torture that allowed good, upstanding, Jesus-loving American soldiers to become sadists.

Therefore, if we simply raze the building (and replace it with a SuperMax prison!) no American will ever be induced into acting in such a manner again.

In other words, it's the building's fault!

(Unfortunately this does not explain the allegations of torture and murder in Afghanistan and at Gitmo.)

Posted by Paul Demko at May 25, 2004 1:32 PM

 

A Bold New Plan for the Future of Iraq

Filed under: Imported

The plan to raze Abu Ghraib prison is brilliant! (Now if the President could just learn to pronounce it.) If the facility does not exist, no one will remember that we tortured, sodomized, and murdered Iraqi prisoners there!

Might not we do the same with the entire country?

Posted by Paul Demko at May 25, 2004 10:40 AM

 

Misc. Soccer Debris

Filed under: Imported

Adu's spectacular goal (click on "Adu Now Has Two")

Thunder play Milwaukee tonight, 7 p.m., Jimmy Griffin Stadium. Marco Ferruzzi will make his season debut.

Freddy's girlfriend?

Posted by Paul Demko at May 21, 2004 12:03 PM

 

We're Number Five

Filed under: Imported

New report from the Center for Public Integrity:

 

Posted by Paul Demko at May 19, 2004 12:48 PM

 

Hamburglar for Secretary of Labor

Filed under: Imported

This Naomi Klein piece brilliantly weaves together multiple threads--about the economy, Team W., and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal--in a way that I've vaguely contemplated, but am far too stupid to articulate. Read the whole thing, but here's my favorite tidbit:

Over the past year, 272,00 manufacturing jobs have been lost. No wonder the President's Economic Report in February floated the idea of reclassifying fast-food restaurants as factories. "When a fast-food restaurant sells a hamburger, for example, is it providing a 'service' or is it combining inputs to 'manufacture' a product?" the report asks. 

Perhaps Mayor McCheese can be the new "manufacturing czar."
 

Posted by Paul Demko at May 18, 2004 4:10 PM

 

In Case You Haven't Found Sufficient Ways to Fritter Away Hours Online ...

Filed under: Imported

The World Series of Poker is nearing conclusion at Binion's Horseshoe. So far 26 of 33 events have been completed. Scott Fischman is the top winner at the moment, having raked in $408,360 by finishing in the money in four tournaments. The main event, the $10,000 buy-in, no limit Texas hold 'em tournament--essentially the world championship of poker--gets underway Saturday.

ESPN is taping 13 different events and will begin showing them on June 8th. (Hopefully this means the station will finally stop airing last year's main event, which was on again last night as I channel surfed. Pathetically, I believe I've now watched Dutch Boyd bust out of the tournament on four different occasions.)

For those who can't wait, Poker Pages is posting clips of each final table. I just watched several of the videos. It's a pretty miserable viewing experience, frankly. The action is severly edited down, in most cases to just a few minutes. The camera bobs and weaves. The commentator, some Brit named Mark Napolitano, does little more than continuously update how much money each player has left.

I will say, though, that watching Annie Duke win her first bracelet (in the $1,000 buy-in, Omaha Hi/Lo event) was sweet. (Duke is perhaps best known for making the final table of the main event in 2000--while nine months pregnant.) She jumped into the arms of her older brother, fellow poker pooh-bah Howard Lederer, and then broke down in tears.

(On a related note, the third Lederer sibling, Katy, has written a fine memoir chronicling her odd childhood spent among card sharps, Poker Face. It will be out in paperback in August.)

Posted by Paul Demko at May 17, 2004 5:29 PM

 

Stalking the Bogeyman

Filed under: Imported

David Holthouse's harrowing first-person chronicle of rape and revenge:

I bought the gun last April. I had a few firearms in my closet already, but they'd all been purchased legally, in my name, from a licensed firearms dealer. So I flew to Phoenix and went to a gang barrio, where I bought a Beretta 9mm with a homemade silencer and the serial number removed. I took this gun to the local garage gunsmith and had him put dozens of deep nicks and grooves in the Beretta's barrel to corrupt ballistics tests. The gunsmith warned me that this would ruin the gun's accuracy beyond a few feet, but I didn't care. I intended to get up-close and personal.

Posted by Paul Demko at May 14, 2004 7:01 PM

 

Thunder Debut at Jimmy Griffin Stadium

Filed under: Imported

I have just returned from a reconnaissance mission to the Minnesota Thunder's new home at Central High School in St. Paul. It's a lovely little facility--but with a few flaws. On the upside: it's not in Blaine. In addition, fans will be much closer to the action than at the National Sports Center (where an eight-million-lane running track separated spectators from the field).

Unfortunately the pitch looks, to my eyes, extremely narrow. Thunder Coach Buzz Lagos was in the process of laying down new lines this afternoon to expand the playing surface as much as possible. The artificial turf also has permanent football lines on it. In other words, the field surface will be covered with more crap than a porta potty at the state fair. (Apologies for that analogy.)

But again: it's not in Blaine.

Coach Buzz Lagos revealed the starting XI for tomorrow's contest at this afternoon's rally in downtown St. Paul. Midfielder Marco Ferruzzi, unfortunately, is still not entirely fit. We'll get our first look at newcomers Godfrey Tenoff and Michael Wilson.

The Thunder are hoping for a sellout. (Or at least hoping to give away enough tickets to fill the stands). Tailgating details at Blue Sky Soccer. Game starts at 6 p.m. See y'all there. As St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly noted at today's rally, it's the world's "most favorite sport."

Posted by Paul Demko at May 14, 2004 4:11 PM

 

Soon To Be Glue, Vol. II

Filed under: Imported

Plans for the LNW! horse racing tip sheet were thrown into disarray following Smarty Jones' shocking victory in the Kentucky Derby. But after two weeks of reflection I've decided that--since I did not actually bet on the horse--my track record of prognostic incompetence remains unsullied.

Bring on the Preakness!

The big news out of Pimlico is that The Cliff's Edge (morning-line favorite in the Derby; lost two shoes in the mud and finished fifth) has developed a foot injury that may keep him out of the race.

My sentimental favorite is Water Cannon, the Maryland-bred gelding who lost his first six starts and has never taken on competition remotely of this caliber. I'll be throwing away at least $2 on him to finish in the top three.  

I'm intrigued by the two key newcomers: Eddington and Rock Hard Ten. Both are big, highly touted colts who had insufficient winnings to run in the Derby.

But I'm sticking with Smarty Jones, the clear-cut favorite at odds of 8-5. Even so, the horse continues to have his detractors. Prior to the Derby, the naysayers insisted that he couldn't hold it together for 1 1/4 miles. Now they're speculating that 1 1/8 miles might not be sufficient time for Smarty Jones to chase down Lion Heart, once again expected to be the front-runner.

I say: Hooey. Front-runners always lose. (No, I will not be providing any credible evidence of that assertion.)

You've been warned: "Soon To Be Glue" says Smarty Jones will win the Preakness.

UPDATE: The Cliff's Edge has scratched.

Posted by Paul Demko at May 13, 2004 6:15 PM

 

If You're Looking to Lose Money ...

Filed under: Imported

This weekend, in conjunction with the opening of the horse racing season and the running of the Preakness, Canterbury Park is hosting The Triple Crown of Poker. There are three events--Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, and Limit Hold 'Em--each requiring a $300 buy in.

If, like me, $300 is beyond your gambling resources, tomorrow is the day to head out to the track. That's because, starting at noon, Canterbury will be running $30 "satellite" tournaments. This means that you can win your way into the $300 tournament of your choice by knocking off nine other players. 

Sadly, work duties will likely prevent me from making the trek to the track. 

Posted by Paul Demko at May 11, 2004 10:04 PM

 

No Smoke, No Wine

Filed under: Imported

(LNW!'s tribute to No Force, No Fraud)

Each legislative session in Minnesota, there is a moronic debate over whether grocery stores should be allowed to sell wine. This seemingly benign proposal has somehow been repeatedly voted down. The reason: liquor stores fund one of the wealthiest and most effective lobbying operations in the state. Year after year, the liquor lobbyists show up at the Capitol spouting preposterous theories about the horrible things that will take place if folks are allowed to pick up a bottle of cabernet with their milk and meat--and each legislative session ends with the prohibition still in place.

This year will apparently be no different. A proposal by Sen. Steve Murphy, a Red Wing Democrat, to allow grocery stores to carry just Minnesota-made wines was overwhelmingly defeated in the senate today. It's this kind of stupidity that makes me drink.

Local governments in Minnesota are also actively seeking to curb personal freedoms. Both the Minneapolis and St. Paul city councils are threatening to pass prohibitions on smoking in bars and restaurants. The nannies on the Strib editorial board think this is a fabulous idea.

Newsflash: Any bar or restaurant is completely free to prohibit smoking right now. And any person who wishes to avoid places where smoking takes place is completely free to do so.

Please worry about filling the potholes and leave us poor taxpayers alone.

Posted by Paul Demko at May 10, 2004 6:23 PM

 

Slaughter at Buffalo Lake

Filed under: Imported

Terrific piece on union drive at the Minnesota Beef Industries slaughterhouse in Buffalo Lake in today's Pioneer Press. (Must register.) Here's a few key grafs:

Meatpacking once was one of Minnesota's better-paying manufacturing jobs, earning an average wage in 1982 of more than $17 an hour, as measured in today's dollars. The slide in current wages coincides with massive industry changes, including more dependence on immigrant workers and the waning power of labor unions. ...

Wages for many jobs start as low as $7 an hour and rise to between $8 and $9 an hour, said several workers, with the highest-paid jobs at about $11 an hour. Family health insurance costs $126 a week, workers said.

In contrast, at Long Prairie Packing — whose workers are represented by Local 789 — the base wage rate is $10.70. Top wages at that central Minnesota plant are $13.20 an hour.

Unfortunately, U.F.C.W. Local 789 got trounced in today's election. Workers rejected union representation by a margin of 67 to 32 (with one spoiled ballot and nine abstentions).

Local 789 organizer Bernie Hesse blames the outcome on intimidation and harassment of workers by the company. He charges that the plant manager told employees, most of whom are Hispanic immigrants, that if they voted to unionize the police would be called in and people would be deported. "They were scared shitless," Hesse notes. "The last two weeks they've been just verbally harassing these people, intimidating them."

Local 789 has already filed several complaints with the National Labor Relations Board alleging unfair labor practices. The union now intends to petition the N.L.R.B. to have the election invalidated. "I think we will get this overturned, but the well's been poisoned," says Hesse. "Even if they're ordered to rerun the election we might have a totally different workplace in the plant."

Posted by Paul Demko at May 5, 2004 3:22 PM

 

Killers and Stars

Filed under: Imported

Patterson Hood, frontman for the greatest rock n' roll band on the planet, released his first solo album, Killers and Stars, yesterday on New West Records. Hood's hawked copies of the disc for years at DBT shows. I picked one up last year in Athens. It was recorded over two nights in March, 2001 in Hood's living room. He'd just gone through a divorce. The band was on the verge of breaking. He didn't have no money.

Not surprisingly Killers and Stars is a somber affair, laden with tales of  dumb, broke misfits and set to nothing but Hood's ragged acoustic guitar playing. The full-throated yelp of Hood's DBT songs is nowhere to be found. On these tracks he sounds less like a Southern evangelist than a guy on the wrong end of a knife fight watching his guts seep out onto the sidewalk. Each raspy breath sounds like it could be his last. These songs aren't anthems. They're more like whispered confessions.

There are several rough gems. The opening track, "Uncle Disney," is a scabrous poke at modern America, sung to Walt's cryogenically frozen corpse. "America's just a giant theme park, put on them mouse ears and get in line," Hood sneers. The hilarious "Belinda Carlisle Diet" consists of not much more than Hood shouting "cocaine n' milkshakes" over and over again. My favorite track is a cover of Tom T. Hall's poignant portrait of an alcoholic, "Pay No Attention to Alice." It's filled with the kind of unsentimental details of a life lived wrong ("she cooked that chicken too long, she don't know it") that's a hallmark of Hood's own songwriting.

Unfortunately, Hood's solo tour isn't hitting Minneapolis. The latest DBT release, The Dirty South, should be out this summer.

Posted by Paul Demko at May 5, 2004 10:22 AM

 

Back From New Orleans

Filed under: Imported

Can anyone recommend a good colon hygienist in the Twin Cities?

Or a reliable means of preventing the imminent onset of gout?

Posted by Paul Demko at May 4, 2004 5:28 PM

 

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