Obama forced to move Chicago fundraiser from non-union venue

Chicago's Park West night club has been an excellent spot to enjoy up-and-coming musical acts for decades, as well as for seeing a comedy show, such as when I saw Monty Python's Graham Chapman do a one man show in 1987.

What's not funny to some people is that the Park West, like most restaurants, clubs, and bars in Chicago, is non-union.

From Lynn Sweet's Chicago Sun-Times blog:

Chicago Federal of Labor President Dennis Gannon told the Sun-Times that a variety of unions "expressed concerns" to the Obama campaign over holding the fund-raiser at the Park West. Gannon said a "host of folks" complained from Actors Equity and unions representing stagehands, musicians and ticket takers.

Said Gannon, "We got a call here. We made our calls. Other folks made calls to the campaign. That’s how it went down."

Actually tonight's fundraiser is one of four to be held in Chicago for the Obama campaign. He'll be raking in a lot of cash in his adopted city.

As for the last-minute move, there is one positive: The on-street parking situation is much better at Carnivale, the replacement venue. But since the cheapest ticket to get in is $1,000, the attendees won't care.

From what I can glean from Sweet's column, it was local Dems, not the Obama campaign, who booked the Park West. But since Obama is supposed to be so smart--with so many smart people around him--this stuff just isn't supposed to The Messiah.

Here's a post about Dennis Gannon, the Park West party-pooper:

Chicago big box wage dispute highlights union fibbing

Thanks for the link:

Backyard Conservative

Technorati tags: Obama politics Barack Obama politics 2008 election unions Chicago labor metroblogging