Barstool Sports President Stands up to Union Thuggery

  |  
Aug 13, 2019

On August 12, 2019, sports website The Ringer announced that it would be unionizing its staff.

However, Barstool Sports President David Portnoy was not impressed. Portnoy mocked The Ringer’s decision to unionize.

 He stated the following:

 Listen I’m sure there are reasons for Unions to exist in some companies.  Like inhumane working conditions, bosses who get their jollys filming their employees dicks in the shower, bosses who makes girls cry, fat pens etc.  But for the most part Unions are a fucking joke.

Portnoy then added that unions have outlived their original purpose and only serve to satisfy the whims of spoiled millenials:

Just crybaby millennials who think the world should be handed to them on a silver platter.  That if you cry loud enough the world will hand you a cookie.  Listen if you don’t like your job or don’t think you get paid enough than quit and go find a new one.   If you are as good as you think you then your current employer will give you a raise to keep you or you’ll find a new job that gives you what you want.  It’s simple Capitalism.  Supply and demand.

This blog did not sit well with left-wing Twitter activists.

A writer for Live Science, Rafi Letzter, stirred controversy by trying to reach out to Barstool workers.  He tweeted, “If you work for Barstool and want to have a private chat about the unionization process, how little power your boss has to stop you, and how you can leverage that power to make your life better: my DMs are open.”

https://twitter.com/RafiLetzter/status/1161092601036058625

This prompted a firm response from Portnoy, in which he said “If you work for @barstoolsports and DM this man I will fire you on the spot.”

https://twitter.com/stoolpresidente/status/1161268795278790658?s=12

Andy Campbell, a senior writer for The Huffington Post, piled on the calls for unionization stating that “If you work for @barstoolsports your rights are under attack and you should organize to fight for them.”

https://twitter.com/andybcampbell/status/1161317080874065921?s=21

The New York State Department of Labor also chimed in on this exchange declaring that “It is illegal to take any unfavorable action – including termination – against employees for union-related activities under the National Labor Relations Act. New York is a proud union state. We say no way, no how to intimidation, threats and union busting.”

Barstool Sports was founded in Boston, but is currently headquartered in New York City.

Soon, this Twitter exchange ended up drawing freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez into the mix. She declared that “If you’re a boss tweeting firing threats to employees trying to unionize, you are likely breaking the law &can be sued, in your words, “on the spot.” ALL workers in the US have the protected freedom to organize for better conditions. See @NLRB &union orgs like @AFLCIO for tips.”

So far, Portnoy has not given into the pressure and has maintained a firm stance in not unionizing his employees.

 

 

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