Monthly Archives: February 2011

Action

Comment from a Reader

I support the Union’s whole heartedly I only wish I could go to stand in support with those brothers and sisters in Wisconsin. Opponents seem to be people that I know,that are here in Oregon, they are angry at their own lack of income, and seem to be willing to blame and be angry at the unions, State employee’s, and the politition’s that are, thank-goodness,standing up for us !! yes. Wake up America and smell the coffee.
To the people that do not ‘get it’,if we lose ANY collective bargining rights we are headed in reverse to the times like the coal miners had livivg in a company town and buying from a company store, working any amount of hours/ day for all days of the week, no overtime low pay, and low or no benefits. We the people are what keeps this economy going. My Union wage provides me a living wage. And the money I spend goes into the economy, and feeds the economy.
And puts healthy food on my table if I choose, affords me a nice lifesyle if I manage my money right. My quality of life would be bad without the Union.
The Republican’s would seem to be quite content and set on owning [like]walmart and having the blue collar workers [or whats left of the middle class] supply the labor. Just think- the whole family could work there. That’s what it will take to support a family, even a very small one. And the Republican’s are going to use this a wedge, I can see it coming, lets put a stop to it. SOLIDARITY !! LETS STICK TOGERTHER AND NOT MAKE THINGS WORSE.NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY LOOSING OUR BARGINING RIGHTS,AND ORGANIZED LABOR IS NOT THE SOLUTION.AND ONCE THEY ARE GONE DO YA REALLY SEE ANY CHANCE /OR CHOICE OF GETTING THEM. BACK ???
Kimberly

Action

Moneypolitics

Moneypolitics:  Noun. A political system created in the United States by the Supreme Court circa 2010, whereby wealth has nearly the entirety of the political power.  The system is characterized by large numbers of television ads which mislead the people into believing that the candidates who are best for wealthy interests are actually best for the people.  This political system only survives as long as the people are distracted, uninformed and inactive.
Ken Gordon

Union

Hey, They Split Out My Route

       I came to work the one day and my route had been split out. I was told that I could run the trash truck that was being loaded but I wouldn’t like it, or I could go home without pay. I thought this all sounded kind of heavy handed, so I went straight to the authority on such matters: my contract book. I sat down with my steward and we read through Article 3, sec. 9, parts a and b of the Central States Supplement. This article addresses Temporary Route Changes.
I see a problem here       I discovered that I had rights. I had the right to follow my work. If 50% or more went to a lower seniority driver, I could bump that driver and he would work as directed that day. If the work went every which way but loose, I had the right to follow any part of it that went to a lower seniority driver and that driver would have to work as directed that day instead of me. Maybe they wanted to go home that day and I didn’t. A lot of drivers jump at the chance to go home, I needed to work and my seniority guaranteed me that right.
        If I had not gotten my steward involved and had we not had a Teamster contract in place, I would have been at the mercy of the whims of management.
        I have power, I have a contract.