In conversations with a few people, I’ve had the feeling that the underlying point about the union’s involvement in the auto industry collapse hasn’t quite hit. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t really explained that the problem is due to xenophobia, in essence. The union workers have been afraid of how new things (processes, technologies, etc.) will affect their jobs.
As a result, the union has been one of the hurdles toward producing better cars.
Here is where I could go on a long diatribe about suspension design in SUVs versus passenger cars and explain how the union has fought for the simplicity of SUV designs because they help ensure employment for everyone in the union.
But I won’t.
Instead, I’m gonna lay some pipe.
More accurately, I am NOT gonna lay some pipe because I live in Chicago where I am, by law, not allowed to.
As you probably know, Chicago is a union town. Darn near everything in Chicago has an associated union. I believe I might have earnings coming to me because I baked some 7-layer bars recently, and that automatically makes me a member of the Tiered Bar Workers of the World Local 532.
One of the more powerful unions in Chicago is the Pipefitters Union. These dudes (and yes, they’re basically all dudes) are plumbers.
Now, the Pipefitters are very protective of their workers, as most unions are. They want to make sure that their members will have work, will get paid fair wages, have benefits, blah blah blah.
So, the Pipefitters have informed Chicago’s building code quite a bit. This is pretty reasonable. If you want to know the right way to do something, you’ll talk to the experts in the field. In this case, plumbers.
But since they are experts in plumbing, they also know some specifics that will take money off their table. As a result, they’re able to get the building code designed to keep them in business.
How does this affect Chicagoans?
It means we can’t sweat a joint.
Let’s say I want to re-plumb my entire house. It was built in the ’20s and uses black pipe throughout. The black pipe is rusty, I’m getting brown stains in the sink. Blech.
Let’s say I also know how to do plumbing, and I’ve decided that I want to use something that’s better than black pipe. I also want to use something cheaper and easier to run through existing construction.
I’ll take PEX, a flexible PVC variant that is now extremely reliable. Great in cold weather, and is about 1200 times less thermally conductive than black pipe. Perfect! I’ll even save money on my water heater because I won’t waste cash heating my pipes when I turn the hot water on!
Well, you can’t use PEX.
First off, this is a "Pipefitters" union, and PEX isn’t quite pipe-y enough. It’s cheaper to install, which means a lower margin for the plumbers. The also argue that it’s an unproven technology–it’s only been around 20 years.
Okay, I’ll try CPVC. It’s 2500 times less thermally conductive than copper, and even though it’s not as flexible as PEX, I’ll still have fewer joints than copper or black pipe. My pipes will never burst if they freeze, and CPVC has been in continuous use for over 50 years.
Nope, CPVC is a no go as well. It’s also cheaper, and even though it’s a significantly better choice for Chicago’s weather than metal piping, it just won’t fly.
Fine, I’ll do it with copper pipe. I can run all the pipe myself, and I know how to sweat the joints of the pipe together with solder. I can then know where all my pipes are and will be able to fix them if the pipes burst due to the weather.
Yes and no: You can run the copper pipe, but you can’t run it yourself. You HAVE to hire someone from the Pipefitters Union, or else your residence can be condemned.
So now I have to pay significantly more for an inferior product that I can’t install myself. You can’t even find pipe in Home Depot because it’s illegal to sell pipe (any pressurized plumbing variety) to consumers in Chicago.
Why is this the case?
This approach supposedly protects its employees. Admittedly, these laws don’t affect many people. Few folks are interested in replumbing, and even fewer are going to take the time to investigate alternate plumbing materials themselves when they are going to hire someone to do the work anyway.
But the process of preventing advancement and adoption of new technologies has been set in motion. Rather than accepting that copper and black pipe will eventually be phased out and preparing for that, the union has strong-armed Chicago into being permanently stuck in the 1960s. At least, as far as plumbing goes. And plumber’s fashions.
Although I have no research for this, this approach is most likely already causing problems for union members. With the cost of iron and copper going through the roof recently, many home-builders are looking for ways to bring their costs down. With the housing market in turmoil, I would imagine that the increased cost of materials and labor in Chicago makes this area less appealing for new construction.
Additionally, with lower funds available for maintenance/upgrade projects, people are more likely to accept problems with their existing work rather than spend the outrageous sums for replumbing their house. Honestly, the cost difference between replumbing with copper pipe versus PEX is enormous–something like 10-20 times as much for the copper.
So, fear of losing work due to a new technology or process combined with a monopoly on the labor force has allowed the Pipefitters Union in Chicago to keep us stuck in the past with higher costs, less quality, inflexible regulations, and poor customer service.
Sounds familiar….
Yr fthfl bddy,
Mike