Union Pickets Springfield Hotel Construction

Virtually every weekday at lunchtime, informational pickets set up signs along Sproul Road in front of the Springfield Country Club accusing the developer of the new Marriott Courtyard Hotel of "Destroying Area Wages and Standards."

When Patch asked picketers what prompted the protest, an organizer referred Springfield Patch to a letter to the editor posted on the Delaware County Times website on Monday.

In that letter Membership Representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 654 in Aston John Bondrowski says non union workers on the project are selling themselves short.

We have been standing out front of the country club with a banner that says “Shame On Pat Burns for destroying area wages and standards.” They have argued that “such an allegation to be arbitrary and capricious.” The workers on that project do not follow our wages and standards. They are accepting a lower standard. We received a copy of a pay stub from an electrician on that project that reflects $16 per hour with no benefits. New Jersey taxes were being withheld, not Pennsylvania.

This person worked 38.5 hours on that site and not one penny was paid locally or to Pennsylvania. How can Pat Burns or Blue Hen allow this to occur on their project? It is my opinion that people accept a lower standard because they just want a paycheck. They want to feel relevant. They do not seem to realize their true worth, and they are selling themselves short. The only thing I could say to them is that you are better than that. The contractors know that as well, or why else would they spend so much time and energy trying to keep you from organizing.

Read the entire letter to the editor of the Delaware County Daily Times here.

Patch contacted project devloper Pat Burns last week for a comment. His spokesperson said "we have no comment with regards to the pickets."

The new hotel is scheduled to open in the summer.

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