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  • This has got to be a first!!!

    Well, for all of you following my trials & tribulations with the F/M & other nonsense while trying to build a 30,000' sq. ft. haunt in under 100 days...I've got a new one for you! We were just handed a cease & desist order from the mall owners because of a labor dispute with the Union! Are you freaking kidding me...the Union has over 300+ men working on a $10m+ mall expansion here & their worried about 8-10 employees of mine fitting out a haunt? WTF are things coming to? Seriously...if the Union is that worked up over 8-10 men for a 5-6 week period, they have much bigger issues than my haunt...and they know it!

    While we just got the keys a couple weeks ago, we have been working non-stop for nearly a year pre-fabing everything in my shop. So sadly, after nearly $60,000. in soft cost alone, we are regretfully pulling the plug for this season. Our attorney is attempting a "sit-down" with the mall owners & the Union officials to see if things can be "worked" out...if so, we will continue our build out, & open for weekends only next July & August (since we are in a shore tourist town) we feel we can build as strong base over the summer. We'll repair/revamp in September & re-open for October. If things cannot be "worked" out than we are back to square one looking at another location! Freakin' heartbroken & mad as hell Much time and money flushed! Union taking on a haunt!!! ONLY in freakin' New Jersey!

    Well, best of luck to all of you hustling & busting your butts to repair, remodel & open for the season...I'm jealous Wish you all the best and hope to post some positives on here shortly along with pics & vids! Got to go now, I'm ordering a 60' tall inflatable cat that I'm setting up next to their 20' freakin' rat!



    P.
    Jim Pashley
    The FEAR FACTORY
    www.thefearfactorynj.com
    855-NJ HAUNT
    sigpic
    "WE MANUFACTURE NIGHTMARES"

  • #2
    Wow man so sorry to hear that. Unbelievable! You know, it isn't until I started researching and planning opening a haunt, that I REALLY appreciated just how easy I've had it in the massage business. A union taking on a haunt, that's just unreal..

    Comment


    • #3
      Now, I don't know JACK about unions and stuff, but seriously, WTF right do they have to complain about you?? What's their argument? Are they saying THEY should be getting paid to do your work? W/e the reason, it's freakin retarded! STUPID!

      THEY DON'T WORK FOR YOU!!!!!!!! If you have a spot, it's YOUR business, I feel that you should have 100% say in what your employees ... nvm. Forget it, I'm getting riled up over something I don't understand but ... anywho.

      I'm sorry for your troubles man, this country, these people we live with here, it's getting ridiculous. And I mean seriously! You can't do JACK CRAP around here, this isn't what I'd exactly call a "Free Country" when you have people ALWAYS telling you what you can or can't do. A friend of mine, lives in the STICKS! OUT of city limits, and he's got people trying to tell him to get rid of his project cars because he's 1. Not a business, 2. They're not running. 3. they're outside where people can see. His neighbors? Drive 2 minutes to even see his yard. Better than that? HE'S AT THE END OF THE ROAD!!!! They only see it when they drive to his house... unbelievable. Sorry, just that all this mess is really getting to me.

      Hope things turn around for you guys and you're able to open and have a great year.


      Dewayne

      Comment


      • #4
        "Rules"

        That only benefit a small group financially strikes most of us as phoney and unneeded, usually. We just get suspicious...
        I know an electrician who had his non-union crew pre-fab conduit and boxes that were then installed on a bridge over the Miss. .. I think he got in trouble for that? Didn't make sense to me, but it obviously made CENTS to someone. (Dollars too!)
        There will always be "Right" and "Wrong" but in these times there is a much larger area inbetween of grey and questionable dealings.
        There may even be a connection, family, politically between the players in this which influence these things moreso than not.
        hauntedravensgrin.com

        Comment


        • #5
          What!!!!

          Is it in your lease that you have to use the Labor Union for your TI's?? I cant believe that was not discussed with you prior to the lease. If it's not in your lease have your attorney tell them to piss off!

          And also it's normal only related to "permanent" construction like the fire alarm, partition walls, ceilings etc. normally any temporary or "decorative" structures are completely exempt (including workstations or cubicles which our maze's are basically the same thing) . Can you imagine Nordstrom contracting through he mall's union every time they move the shoe stands or clothing hangers around when they change the store layout a little bit??

          I am sure your attorney has looked into all this, but this crap pisses me off!
          What?? You dropped your cell phone in the Haunted house somewhere and wanted to know if I could go get it for you? Sorry, that's against the rules but I will let you go to the front of the line so you can go try to find it yourself. Just give me a moment to let the monsters know you are coming through again...Alone.

          Comment


          • #6
            Unions...

            Well to answer one question...yes, myself & our attorney carefully examined the lease agreement & NOWHERE did it say there was a PLA (Project Labor Agreement) all it referred to was to "work in harmony with all trades" which my attorney said did NOT imply we MUST utilize Union workers. My non-union company has always worked in harmony with all trades, it is the Union who chooses to not work in harmony with other non-union trades! I asked the mall owners..."have you ever seen a non-union picket line"?

            The Union cannot shut me down, however there is a stipulation in the lease which says that the mall has the right to stop us should there be a labor dispute. The sad thing is not only going union (which I will NOT do) would cost me another $200,000. + to do the fit out, but it would take 4X the union workers & 3x as long to complete as my crew of honest, hard working Americans can do & is more than willing to do & is grateful for the opportunity to do it! But we now have greedy bastards wanting to deny them this opportunity? Total BULLSHIT! Free Country...doubt it! America, the land my father took a bullet for, is dangerously slipping away from its original roots and in a way I'm glad he is no longer around to have to see what has become of the land he loved so much! So freakin' pathetic I can't really put into words what I'm really thinking!

            I better get off here for a few before I go off in a bad direction!



            P.
            Jim Pashley
            The FEAR FACTORY
            www.thefearfactorynj.com
            855-NJ HAUNT
            sigpic
            "WE MANUFACTURE NIGHTMARES"

            Comment


            • #7
              because i love getting around things like this, what....

              ...... if they were all part owners and you had no hierd help?? it is a small crew

              Comment


              • #8
                hmmm.not a bad idea!

                Thats not a bad idea...may have to look into that, thanks.


                P.
                Jim Pashley
                The FEAR FACTORY
                www.thefearfactorynj.com
                855-NJ HAUNT
                sigpic
                "WE MANUFACTURE NIGHTMARES"

                Comment


                • #9
                  How can they call that a labor dispute anymore than someone being mad becaus they didn't get hired for any job at the mall???

                  I just don't think they want the headache which is BS and are just trying to scare you into making their lives easier. Have your attorney send them a breach of contract and harrasment letter with the possibility of a law suite for losses due to not runnIng this year and see how They respond...or add All your workers as partners... Don't give into this garbage. I bet they figured you would just roll over so they don't have to listen to the union complain.
                  What?? You dropped your cell phone in the Haunted house somewhere and wanted to know if I could go get it for you? Sorry, that's against the rules but I will let you go to the front of the line so you can go try to find it yourself. Just give me a moment to let the monsters know you are coming through again...Alone.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    In the same boat

                    I talked to the FM for my haunt on my walls and if there were any concerns on the material or ''style'' of walls that we would be using. The FM said they looked good and I should have no problems. Since I had to file my permits with a different county it takes a LONG time to get back to me [since the county I am in does not have there own FM the capital here handles it]. The fire safety department looked at my plans and told me the walls had to be made out of drywall and metal studs ran every 18 inches. To top it off I had to put in a new plan with the fire safety department and I wont get a answer till next week [I put it in last friday]. These people are CRAZY and they wonder why are country is so much in debt. Any person that tries to make something of there self in small biz [seems even more so with haunts] they tackle you to the floor and hold you down till you cant do NOTHING. I feel your pain and I hope everything turns around for everyone that is having problems and we are given our chance.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Wow!

                      Wow!

                      Words can not express how much I would love to lend my boot covered foot to you to use kicking the appropriate places.

                      This part I say gracefully (no offense was taken as I hear it/similar at least twice a week)....but retardedness of these people was mentioned above...but my retarded sister has more common sense than these union parasites.

                      Wicked Farmer

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I'm with you...

                        Son-of-Sam, I'm with you on that subject. I've been a general contractor here for more than 22 years & NOTHING has gotten better...only worst! From the zoning boards, planning committees, inspectors, now unions & the supposedly brains of this nation have the balls to wonder why the GD economy is stuck in neutral? Really you f*****g idiots can't figure it out? Get off your lazy asses, get out in the real world and see how things run! I'm convinced this country should be run entirely by small business people...they seem like they are the ONLY ones truly connected to the real world!

                        Wickedfarmer, no offense taken (LOL) I'll echo what you said. One has to wonder where things are headed anymore. In my years of general contracting I have had only two issues with the unions...& I owned the property so I dealt with them on my terms However, now I'm a tenant rather than an owner & my hands are tied! I would love to tell these mall owners to stick their lease up their lilly white asses but we have poured a ton of money into this thing right now. However, if the union doesn't back off & allow us to work than I am certainly starting litigation against the mall owners as NO Project Labor Agreement was disclosed to us in our lease agreement!

                        Freakin' insane the bullshit we must endure just to scare the shit out of someone! LMAO (crying on the inside)



                        P.
                        Jim Pashley
                        The FEAR FACTORY
                        www.thefearfactorynj.com
                        855-NJ HAUNT
                        sigpic
                        "WE MANUFACTURE NIGHTMARES"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Its called big goverment.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Private sector is making money, they better cut me in, or I'll shut them down. BIG GOVERMENT!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              This Union crap is BS

                              I hope you find a way around their crap and stick it to em'...

                              Don't give into the presure... Keep up the fight.
                              Chris Riehl
                              Sales@spookyfinder.com
                              (586)209-6935
                              www.spookyfinder.com

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