Posts
The Changing Landscape of Labor
In this hour-long presentation Jay Dahlke shared with the students insight into how unions and the AFL-CIO effects the work place. Dahlke presented to the audience a history of unions and presented many examples of unions that re in place today. He shared interesting statistics about the decline in union membership through the course of history. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 35% of employed wage and salary workers were under union leadership in 1954 compared to 20.1% in 1983, and a staggering 12.1% in 2007. Another alarming statistic that was presented referred to the amount of union members by state. Half of the 15.7 million union workers in 2007 resided in six states, two of which are our neighbors, Illinois and Michigan.
In addition to a comprehensive look at unions, Mr. Dahlke shared with the assembly a look into the future of unions by sharing information regarding the Employee Free Choice Act. He emphasized that the passage of this bill into law would make it much easier for unions to form in the work place as only a simple majority would be needed. In addition, the Employee Free Choice Act would eliminate the use of a secret ballot and would only require employees to sign a card.
As far as the Employee Free Choice Act stands today there has not been much action. Mr. Dahlke was adamant about sharing that President Obama was an original co-sponsor of the bill. However, the President has yet to act on the EFCA since being inaugurated. While there has been no mention of potential action candidate Obama had promised to make it a priority while in the White House.
Dahlke is the Resident Manager of the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club, and Spa in Point Clear, Alabama.
How We Survived The Republican National Convention
Mr. David Miller, a 1992 graduate of The University of Wisconsin-Stout provided a unique look into what it takes to maintain the St. Paul Hotel prior to and during the 2008 Republican National Convention. The planning process begins a long time before any attendants even step foot on their property. Mr. Miller shared with the crowd how he and his staff had to work very closely with the tourism bureaus of St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Bloomington. While the event took place primarily in St. Paul, the large scale of the event made it necessary to house delegates and guests in all three of the cities. A committee would meet bi-weekly about a year prior to the event, and a few months prior, weekly. This, Mr. Miller believes, is what helped to contribute to the overall success of the event.
In addition to the planning of the event with the local tourism bureaus it was also vital for the hotel, itself, to be prepared. This included the addition of many security officers and security equipment. Mr. Miller shared with the crowd a motivating moment that assisted the hotel in determining its level of security prior to the event. Long before the event occurred, a protester, climbed out of the window, crawled up the side of the building, and posted a anti-RNC banner on the building's roof. This was a reality check for the crew of The St. Paul Hotel, and helped them to ensure that they would 'up the ante' on their security for the event.
The St. Paul Hotel is located steps away from the Xcel Energy Center, where the RNC was held, placing the hotel under strict guidelines for the duration of the event. Police from all over Minnesota and the neighboring states were brought into to insure the safety of the city. This provided for some obstacles for The St. Paul Hotel. Those wishing to drive to the hotel were stopped first by a police blockade to ensure that they had clearance. Because the officers manning the blockade were unfamiliar to the area, The St. Paul Hotel made the strategic move to post a couple of their workers at the blockade to ensure that their guests were headed in the right direction.
Another issue with being so close to the event were the protesters. St. Paul was happy to allow protesters to be stationed near the event, and in effect, near Mr. Miller's hotel. He shared with the group many pictures that were taken during the course of the event. Police in riot gear, protesters with creative outfits/signs, and smashed police car windows highlighted the screen. While some of the actions taken by police officers during the event made the national news, Mr. Miller was quick to show his appreciation for the positive work that the law enforcement carried out during the course of the event.
Mr. David Miller is the General Manager of the St. Paul Hotel in the heart of St. Paul's downtown (www.stpaulhotel.com).
Restaurant Business Entrepreneurship
My favorite presentation of the day, as I am a restaurant student, highlighted Rick and Susan Roman, owners of The Signature Room. The Signature Room is a contemporary American restaurant atop the John Hancock Center building. Rick and Susan shared their story of how they became executives of The Signature Room and how they reached success.
Rick's story begins, as many of ours do in the restaurant business, as a busboy in high school. Susan, on the other hand, gained her experience at a much younger age when her family operated the Peninsula Lodge in Door County, Wisconsin. They met at The University of Wisconsin-Stout while pursuing their degrees in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Mangement. Upon graduation they set their sites on Chicago, where they worked with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation.
Rick then went on to work for Aramark at the 95th, and quickly made his way to becoming general manager. It was in the 90s when Aramark refused to continue management renewal, and thus opening the door for Mr. Roman. Along with a business partner, Nick Pyknis, Rick bought the location, and the dream began. Susan would become the pick for human resources manager of the 95th, in which she would oversee 87 employees. At the confrence Susan shared her experience with union relations, fitting in nicely with the previous performance by Mr. Dahlke. Rick also shared his philosophy that "If you're not at the table, you're on the plate."
The Romans shared that The Signature Room has become a 250+ employee operation, pumping out $## million dollars a year in revenue (they asked not to share the specifics). I, along with much of the crowd, were in awe at the amount of economic impact this single restaurant has. In addition to the contemporary American cuisine, The Signature Room serves an award wining wine list and has recieved praise from the local critics.
Rick Roman is the Chairman and CEO, and Susan is the Corporate Director of Human Resources of The Signature Room Restaurant atop the John Hancock Center in Chicago, Illinois. (www.signatureroom.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment