Home very early

[valarltd]

For those who don't know, UAW is on strike at GM.

I haul GM parts.

Ergo, the only thing I am delivering are parts not from the union warehouse.
I was done by 12:30.

This means, I will be home early until the strike settles.

On the plus side, I get paid and I will get to go to reannon's Thursday chat to launch Abbadon on Thursday!

Comments

[leebenoit.livejournal.com]

Hey there,
I thought of you early this morning when I heard the news of the strike on NPR, and later on my way home from work when Talk of the Nation was doing a call-in segment about the effects of the strike - I was gratified when someone in a position like yours called in to give his side of things (and disappointed when the union representative on the show didn't take the opportunity to remind him of labor solidarity in the face of divisive management tactics). I've no idea where you stand, opinion-wise, on any of this, but I think it's pretty momentous and fraught and I'd love to hear your opinion.

Cheers,
Lee

PS-I'm glad you're getting paid!
PPS-I read your Blue Collar story and loved it! (So I guess that makes three times I thought of you today. Are you charmed yet? (grins disarmingly)
PPPS-Here's the TOTN link if you're interested: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14692400

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I'm not union. I am just down the distribution line from the union.

I'm still running the non-union parts, so of course I get paid.

And you want divisive management? My boss called and said "Pick up T's truck @ the terminal and take it to the drop lot in the morning." He forgot to tell T I was bringing it over.

Where I stand: I have a job to do. If GM folds, I lose it. If the strike goes to long, some people I like are going to lose their jobs. I have a lot of sympathy for the workers who are seeing their jobs go overseas. I think that's wrong. But if they hurt the company badly financially, it's only going to send more work abroad.

[(Anonymous)]

I agree on that last point. I was surprised not to hear more voices sounding that particular note. Even GM seems to pussyfoot around it (bad political karma, I guess).

I was so proud to join a union when I took my present job, but the bloom is off the rose in some ways, but I still have a soft spot for the labor movement, wilted little thing that it is.

[leebenoit.livejournal.com]

Not anonymous. Lee. :)
(Damn internet connection is shitting the bed on me again. Time for bed, I guess.)