A recent string of protests outside of the Trolley Car Diner & Deli were both a blessing and a curse for owner Ken Weinstein.
On Thursday, a small group of electricians with IBEW Local
98 showed up at the Mt. Airy restaurant, armed with multiple video cameras and
flyers featuring Weinstein's face and cellphone number.
For four days, union workers urged customers to chide
Weinstein, a prominent developer in Northwest Philadelphia, for not using IBEW
workers on a multi-million project in neighboring Germantown.
They also filmed the diner and Weinstein whenever he
emerged.
"At one point on Saturday, they tried to block the
driveway," he said.
The project behind the protests
On the corner of Wayne Avenue and Harvey Street sits St.
Peter's Episcopal Church, a vacant Gothic church that Weinstein is transforming
into a private school.
The two-acre site will become home to the Waldorf School of
Philadelphia.
The pre-K through 8th grade program has always leased space
at other properties, most recently at New Covenant Church of Philadelphia in
Mt. Airy.
The decision
McCoubrey/Overholser, the "open" construction firm
overseeing the $6 million project, opted not to use union workers. It came down
to cost.
President John McCoubrey said IBEW's bid was $100,000 more
than the outfit now working the six-month old job site.
"We don't have a problem hiring union contractors, but
it doesn't happen a lot," said McCoubrey.
Weinstein said he can't stop IBEW from protesting outside of
his business and he won't try to. But, he added, they're "barking up the
wrong tree."
"This is a great community project that we're working
on and they need to just back off," said Weinstein. "You got to be realistic
if you want work for your members."
He also reached out to the community via email and posted on
neighborhood list servs last week. His message was, in part, "I am asking
you to visit Trolley Car Diner in the next couple days to let the protestors
outside the Diner know that you don't agree with their position and that they
are doing a disservice to the community by trying to discourage people from
visiting the Diner and shutting down our Waldorf School development
project."
'A publicity stunt'
In an email, Frank Keel, spokesperson for IBEW 98 President
John Dougherty, said the "drama created by Mr. Weinstein is nothing but a
crass publicity stunt for his business."
"IBEW Local 98 is engaging in a peaceful, lawful
protest and exercising its First Amendment right of free speech to notify area
residents that Weinstein is helping to destroy area wages and benefits,"
Keel said.
As of noon on Monday, there were no protesters outside of
the Trolley Car Diner.
That's likely a relief for Weinstein, though he said IBEW
indirectly did his business a favor.
"Since Thursday, business has been way up because of
their protests," said Weinstein. "We're up 40 percent higher than the
same days last year."
Source: Newsworks.org
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