Union is playing marbles while Subaru is playing chess
It has been a longstanding tactic of labor organizations to protest in front of places of business in order to draw attention to union grievances, as well as to deter potential customers from utilizing the establishment.
The vigor of these protests can range anywhere from a wild raucous affair, to the downright sad and pathetic.
This time, however, one Wichita area Subaru dealership has managed to turn a union protest into a funny form of free advertisement.
According to The Wichita Eagle, the United Brotherhood Of Carpenters And Joiners Of America Local 201 began a standard protest outside Subaru of Wichita last week with a “Shame on Subaru of Wichita” sign legally placed on the highway right-of-way in front of the dealership. (The union, which has not specified its exact complaint, may have been upset that the dealership’s contractor hired a non-union shop for renovations.)
The dealership responded instead with its own sign, turning the union’s charge into one of “having unbeatable prices.” Because the sign rests in the right-of-way, neither sign can be anchored in the ground — they must be held up by people, which Subaru of Wichita says on its Facebook page has been handled by student volunteers so far. (Other carpentry unions often recruit and pay their protestors, since the carpenters themselves have jobs to fill.)
Well played, Subaru of Wichita.
This isn’t the first time the union has engaged in intimidation campaigns similar to this.