I grew up in an anti union home:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=367&topic_id=11906A few months after we got married, Marta was hired by Northwestern Bell as a temp (for up to 6 months). The first thing I said was join the union (CWA 7400). My sister was there and had already stayed out on strike a few years before. Marta had good pay and benefits. It more than helped us raise 3 kids through thick and thin.
I started working in a print shop that had beat the union out a few years before. I didn't learn about that for some time. The scabs weren't proud of being scabs. The day came when the company broke another rule in the handbook. I contacted the union that had been tossed out. I started to organize a shop full of strike breakers. They too were tired of broken promises. As soon as I had enough votes to win for the union, I was fired. Very effective tactic. Even though the union had 20% more signed cards than needed, no election was held.
It was the early 80's and the Reagan recession. Nobody hires a union trouble maker in this town. 50 years earlier Omaha was a union town. Packing houses. A dozen railroads. All union jobs. By the 80's the packing houses were mostly gone. All but 2 railroads went under. The heyday was ending around the US in much the same way. These were lean years for our family. I did get 10 weeks work as a paid picket for the Hinky Dinky strike. That was MY major income for over 3 years. Marta's union wage and medical benefits were all that kept us afloat.
Right after I got a 9 month seasonal job, Marta (and my sister) went out on strike for three years. My first check had been held up for several weeks. That helped us get through the strike. So did having my mother in law living in a separate apartment in our house. Bought it before we graduated and got married.
Years later I won my day in court. Years of back pay and benefits. I was working and turned down reinstatement to avoid the company dragging it out with another appeal to the SCOTUS.
Odd jobs, part time, seasonal work, and unemployment for years. A work comp accident that prevented me from working for 2 years. Long story. The odd jobs at the city finally paid off and I started as a full time park caretaker with full benefits. I joined the union at the end of my 6 month probation.
Many of you may remember 4 years ago when I posted I was losing the job I loved for cutbacks. My union contract actually required a small promotion. I filed an EEO complaint for things the city mishandled while we lived in a caretakers provided residence. By law that is a protected activity that must be retaliation free. I was fired. In less than 4 months time the city settled, days before binding arbitration was to begin. Back pay and benefits.
Anyway you get the idea. Union wages and benefits were all that kept us from being out on the street at times. I'm active in all levels of union activity and politics. I'll be that way every day. Day after day for the rest of my life. I skipped over a lot of things. It is hard to put 35 years in under so many words.
I posted a few weeks ago that the State of Nebraska wants to end all public unions in the state. It made the greatest page. Thank you my friends. :-) Now the scope of what is going on is out in the open, most DUers get it.
I had no idea last Sunday of what was to happen this past week. As the story broke on Wisconsin, the DU was right there. As the story grew 5 or 6 of us worked our buts off (sometimes in rotating shifts by coincidence) and told the breaking story at a level well above that of the MSM.
Google searches started bringing in new unionized and non union people in solidarity with the movement. Wisconsin became the largest labor story since Raygun fired the PATCO members. Protesters in several states were turning to the DU for news. We became the brain central and for the first few days and didn't know it. When it sank into me, I had a long hard cry. I almost left the DU several weeks ago in a hissy fit over something stupid. Whew! The DU is helping set the stage for the 2012 elections in a way not imaginable a week ago.
I don't know how many of these new readers are registering. A few are posting already. I hope when it is all over most will continue to stop by. I know OUR party is stronger today because labor, it's friends, and 14 Wisconsin State Senators that refuse to lay down and die. And we played a huge part in this.
Just like last Sunday, I don't know what this week will bring. I know we will continue to be a large part of the 2011 uprising of the middle class.
Thank you for letting me play a part in ALL of this.
In solidarity,
Omaha Steve
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