new Starbucks coming to lower Brownsboro Rd.

Matthew:
I couldn't agree more with your analysis. I'm always amazed when CEO's that bleat "let the market decide" insist on blocking union organizers. If unions are useful in an industry, then the workers will support them and that's letting the market "decide". If the workers can't be convinced that the union is useful, then it shrinks.

More to the point, I had a terrific cup of coffee at Andrew's Organic today. Chris is cranking out amazing beans.

[Robin Garr]

I had a terrific cup of coffee at Andrew's Organic today. Chris is cranking out amazing beans.

You mean Jackson's, or has the name changed?

It's definitely Jackson's (I am pretty sure it shares it's name with Christopher's dog)! I was just there this morning as well. I have a slight addiction.....

It's definitely Jackson's (I am pretty sure it shares it's name with Christopher's dog)! I was just there this morning as well. I have a slight addiction.....

Love the Wendell Berry tag line, Heather.

Yeah, yeah, it's Jackson's. The aging process stinks. Maybe I should have gotten a large just for the extra caffeine. I can't say enough about the coffee from them, BMCH, and Sunergos. The town has come a long way from when Gary Heine had a pushcart inside of the Holiday Manor Kroger.

For anyone that thinks that starbucks treats it's employees well I advise reading : http://www.starbucksunion.org/.

As for Starbucks itself I wouldnt hate it half as much if it didnt spread like a cancer across the landscape. After seeing Chicago two weeks ago the whole country is going to be a landscape of nothing but Starbucks, McDonalds and Jimmy Johns unless people stop shelling out money for their lackluster crap.

It would be different if there were one or 2 maybe even 4 in each city, but they are hellbent on 100 locations in every frakin town.

O and I am sure that others including local places just treat there people peachy keen....You are always going to have people that like working at a place and not.....Thas whether it is a large company or a local Ma and Pop Store....You cannot please everyone....I wonder how many on the net that complain from working at a place are doing that when in fact they were not a very good employee in the first place and were let go....

Love the Wendell Berry tag line, Heather.

Thanks TP! It's one of my favorites and so is Mr. Berry! A true KY treasure....

Had some amazing coffee last week in of all places Salt Lake City.
http://www.jackmormoncoffee.com/

Give your biz to Highland Coffee, Day's Coffee, Old Louisville Coffeehouse, etc.

It's another local vs. corporate decision we can all make, and not lose any money or quality over it.

Putting the personal experience aside, I stand by my previous statements that in recent decades the unions have damaged some American businesses. We need only look to the auto industry, where health care costs add thousands of dollars to the cost of each auto, and see the sort of "uncompetetiveness" that a union can create.

While what you are saying could be part of the story, let's not leave out the role of the management in the downfall of these companies. Certainly, we see many cases where the management in non-unionized companies have burned themselves to the ground. Let's try to be balanced here -- the management in American auto companies have been less than imaginative or forward-thinking with respect to competing with the world.

Putting the personal experience aside, I stand by my previous statements that in recent decades the unions have damaged some American businesses. We need only look to the auto industry, where health care costs add thousands of dollars to the cost of each auto, and see the sort of "uncompetetiveness" that a union can create.

While what you are saying could be part of the story, let's not leave out the role of the management in the downfall of these companies. Certainly, we see many cases where the management in non-unionized companies have burned themselves to the ground. Let's try to be balanced here -- the management in American auto companies have been less than imaginative or forward-thinking with respect to competing with the world.

I agree and disagree. I'm not convinced that the management of GM and Ford was brilliant in the 50's and dumb as a tree in the 90's. Their very success at certain things led to their undoing. The fact that they made loads of money and paid their workers big bucks (thanks to union contracts) made it very difficult to be nimble later. That they built big, gas-thirsty cars made them a lot of money . . . and left them gasping when things turned the other way. They, like the legacy airlines, are in a very difficult position. If they become just like the competition, they lose the loyalty of their core customers. If they don't change enough, the imports kill them.

Ford's recent problems are especially dumbfounding. They were riding the SUV wave and got caught with their pants down. But GM's truck and SUV business, well-behind Ford 2 years ago, hasn't been hurt nearly as bad.

I'm not sure they would be doing better if Henry Ford himself were running the company. Hard times.

While what you are saying could be part of the story, let's not leave out the role of the management in the downfall of these companies. Certainly, we see many cases where the management in non-unionized companies have burned themselves to the ground. Let's try to be balanced here -- the management in American auto companies have been less than imaginative or forward-thinking with respect to competing with the world.

Can we stipulate that what I am saying IS part of the story? It is so widely documented I really didn't need to bring it up, but I was debating Robin so I felt a need to (if I used e-cons I'd insert a smiley here).

I don't disagree about management, either. But the confluence of events has destroyed (overstatement? not by much) an American industry. Without the union expense issue I suspect it would have just been a slower decline.

Steve, you should add Blue Mountain Coffee House to your list of local coffeehouses to patronize. I guess they were included in the "etc." but they are really head and shoulders different from most every other place in town. Not only it is locally owned, the coffee wonderful, but the decor is stunning. I will happily pay $5 for a fabulous coffee drink, but I will not do so while sitting on thriftt store castoff furniture.

[Robin Garr]

Without the union expense issue I suspect it would have just been a slower decline.

Yeah, but isn't this really where the rubber meets the road? What you're saying - and what Walmart and many other corporations say - is that labor is an expense to be trimmed as much as possible in the pursuit of profits. The two-way contract (not union but moral) between management and labor is pretty much out the window without a strong union movement to keep it so.

It could as well be argued that fossilized, stupid management (Northwest Airlines, to pick one sterling example) ought to be allowed to go out of business if they can't operate profitably without screwing their workers, busting their unions and stealing their pensions.