GDG- LBGs

[John Wood (faculty)]

I'm a little confused on this one. I'm as pro-labor as they get - avoid
shopping at non-union stores, won't cross a picket line, etc. etc, - but I
don't agree with what I understand of the LBG's position. It's a national
park, it's the job of the national parks to run the national parks-its
what I pay taxes for. The parks are their to serve visitors. The visitors
are not there to serve the park or anyone related to its operation. It's
not a movie theater or even like a movie theater (an anology that defies
logic and reason). What could possibly be wrong with having visitors call
for a tour and then having the park match the group to a guide? As to
paying the guides, they should get paid when they do the work like anybody
else - that's a legitimate complaint if it is indeed possible that they
would not be paid promptly under the new plan. 
But I expect the national parks to exercise reasonable controls of who
provides the service and how it is provided. The GB LBGs are justly famous
and set a standard for that type of work and they clearly do a good job of
governing themselves within the framework of the park. But I would guess -
I of course don't know for a fact - that part of their success is based on
the fact that the NPS does have the final say.  

Incidentally, is it necessary to include all the previous posts when
replying? It makes following the digest a little cumbersome. 

John Wood
jwood at mcdonogh.org