Strike in Terre Haute

[LOsborne]

Have y'all heard about the Bemis strike? About 750 folks walked off the job last Tuesday.

http://www.tribstar.com/archivesearch/local_story_202215949.html

As I understand it, the two sticking points are the company wanting to be able to hire temps during the summer months when many people go on vacation, to avoid paying overtime, and the new requirement that the spouse's of employees submit to physical exams before being accepted into the health insurance.

With unemployment more than 10% in Terre Haute, do you think this strike has a chance of succeeding?

[Palehorse]

Ice cubes chance in hell I would say.

Idiots. . .

[Exterminator]

I saw this last week and immediately thought of the Firestone plant in Noblesville.  You can't fix stupid.

[Palehorse]

It will take the company all of about 7 days to replace every single one of these cock roaches. . . Indiana is an "at will" state and they'll argue that they are "not willing" and so the company is free to rehire. . .

Beanies and wienies only go so far, and after that they'll be eating road kill stew. . . 

[Mr442]

Terre Haute is steeped in union traditions, so this strike may have some effect.  Eugene Debs was a hometown boy who organised the first union, and they still look up to him.  http://www.eugenevdebs.com/pages/history.html

[Mr442]

Bemis has started running ads for job openings.  Looks like they are going to hire new employees and get back to work.  That should make for interesting times as new workers try to cross pickett lines.  Glad I'm not part of that mess.

[LOsborne]

Scuttle-butt in the Devil's Playground says there is a new offer on the table, and the vote is tomorrow. Any truth?

[Mr442]

According to the Tribune Star, they are voting today.

[LOsborne]

They rejected the contract again.

[Santiago]

I hope this isn't too far off topic.  Unions in general...
As most of you know Texas is not a union state.  O, the teachers have the NEA, but I was never pressured to join and I never did.  My main reason for not joining was at election time, from local up to national  the NEA endorsed the same party's candidate.  When approached to join NEA, my response always was the first time they endorse a Republican even on the local level I will join.  That never happened during my 30+ years of teaching.

A personal experience with no Texas unions.  About 10 years ago while visiting South Indiana, my relatives had friends whose20 something son was having trouble with the low paying job in Vincennes at the Overhead Door Company.  My wife and I invited the young man to come live with us while he looked for better pickin' in San Antonio.  He applied with the local OHDC which is family owned.  Not that it matters, but the owner is female.  She hired him on the spot because most of her employees came in needing to be trained.  He had three years experience and knew the ins-and-outs of hanging garage doors. His hourly  pay  for doing the same job in Vincennes nearly doubted--from $9 per hour to $16, with time and half for overtime.  Business was so good that about 50% of his annual income came from overtime pay.  When the housing market colapsed last year she had to stop all overtime, which meant he and others  made 50% less last year.  She has worked hard to keep everyone employed.  She also cut out all bonuses which had been generous especially at Christmas.  Some with famlies had to look for a better paying job.  Our Indiana friend is holding on.  He now has a place of his own and since he has no family is making it.  My point is: had they had a union telling her what she could or couldn't do, I'm sure she would be bankrupt and about 70 employees out of a job.

[followsthewolf]

Bet ya didn't turn down any of the benefits the union negotiated for ya, though, did ya?

Bet ya took 'em and didn't even think about contributing to the people who made it possible through their efforts.

So ya freeloaded for 30 years and justified it to yourself because the union never supported one of your political candidates?

And they never did anything else to make your job better?

I seriously doubt that.

[Santiago]

What you are talking about is past ancient history.  I started teaching school at the grand ol' salary of $3200.  That is not per month, that is PER YEAR. 'Taint easy to teach school all day and then go to a part time job working 24 hrs. per week.   After teaching over 30 years my final years salary was just 10 times that amount. Keep in mind this is with two degrees and several  college credits of post graduate work.  No, I don't think the NEA did a great deal for me.  My greatest pleasure was the year that their endorsed candidates lost on all levels...local, state, and national!

[LOsborne]

You're right, Santi. Part of the problem with the union-management antagonism is that the personal factor is suppressed, or even eliminated. I'm in HR. I work with people -- with persons! Once we start talking to symbols, the communication ceases.

[Santiago]

Hi good friend,

He ignored the main thrust of my post.  I could have left myself out and emphasized the fact that this young man's boss running a small company is very concerned personally with each employee having a job.  Business is so slack she really should let at least one, maybe two,  of her sales force go, but instead she may have to go on a 4 day week in order to keep everyone.  This act will probably cause some to look elsewhere anyway.  She is very willing to give advanced payday loans when anybody is in trouble.  I think she's remarkable.

[followsthewolf]

What you are talking about is past ancient history.  I started teaching school at the grand ol' salary of $3200.  That is not per month, that is PER YEAR. 'Taint easy to teach school all day and then go to a part time job working 24 hrs. per week.   After teaching over 30 years my final years salary was just 10 times that amount. Keep in mind this is with two degrees and several  college credits of post graduate work.  No, I don't think the NEA did a great deal for me.  My greatest pleasure was the year that their endorsed candidates lost on all levels...local, state, and national!

Was there, did that, got the t-shirt. Maybe if a few more people would have joined the union, instead of wussing out, things might have changed for you.

Where I was, we went through 5 strikes, were put in jail, and increased my starting salary from $5590/yr to over 10 times that amount when I left.

Instead of moaning, maybe ya shoulda done something about it yourself.

Oh, and p.s., I didn't miss the "thrust" of your message. Any union is its members. And where were you when you got bypassed for good raises? Sitting there begging for some republican candidate to help youi?
Did they? Apparently not, because your salary really begged for help, didn't it?

We went on strike, took the risks, got thrown in jail, and changed our state's way of funding schools.
All while teaching, holding down part-time jobs, and being family people as best we could. We fought the fight; did you?