Ah, yes! One day as a tribute to the American worker when the other 364 days he gets downsized, rightsized, laid off, pissed on, and pissed off!
Yeah - and I am working my 17th day in a row (no overtime) because of the lack of knowledge our technical staff posesses. Say what you want about Unions - but I will take a union trained craftsperson over one trained in a school. At least the union has pretty stringent requirements during their 4 year apprenticeship. (which requires night school and hands on) Hats off to Unions - without them you wouldn't have ANY health or vacation benefits - and law enforcement wouldn't have their 3%/50 retirements.
Re: Re: Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker Amen brother! Thanks for your support! Give us time, Unions will begin expanding more and more as people realize corporations are robbing workers blind (and getting corporate welfare to boot). Let us not forget most of the labor laws in this country were brought about due to the blood and sacrifice of unions. Abner
Re: Re: Re: Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker that is true. I am looking into using some of those labor laws myself. Lets let - 60 hours a week - 20 hours a week backpay (with overtime) for 12 month -- times the 6 other engineers I work with who are in the same boat. The video game industry tired to play the "salary" game with their software engineers and lost - lets see if it works for me. That - and I am thinking about filing a grievance against the Latina VP - I heard that she made a snide remark about us "White boy engineers" - humm - I wonder if what would happen if I said something negative about a latina if I would last long? Just food for thought
Re: Re: Re: Re: Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker You should file a grievance for backpay and reverse discrimination with your Job Steward or Labor relation Rep. You can also file a complaint with your State Department of Fair Employment and Housing. They will initially investigate, then refer it over to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commision. Here is another possibility for complaints: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileWageClaim.htm I hope this helps! Abner
Re: Re: Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker Ted, You forgot to add upchucked!! He, he he! Abner
Re: Re: Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker Amazing, ain't it? One brief comment regarding an American holiday and the negativity exudes..................
What negativity? I'm not a big fan of unions but the historical points are quite well taken. My only gripe with Labour Day is that it oughta be 1 May. (I have to take that POV as an act of filial piety toward my '48er ancestors.) Have a safe holiday.
Re: Re: Re: Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker My point is merely that you indicate far more about whether you truly respect the dignity of the laborer by how you treat him/her (and by how you allow your elected representatives to treat him/her) every day of the year than by giving just him/her one day off a year (if he/she still actually has a job) and making bombastic preachments about the dignity of labor when labor is routinely degraded by capital.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker We are not unionized therefore there is no shop steward. I can't think of a single tech company in the valley except Lockheed that is unionized. I am going to check out hte EEOC as well as the FLSC to see what my rights are. Thanks!
Another link with the world of education: At Vanderbilt University (at least when my wife attended), the fall semester classes always started on Labor Day itself, to 'honor' the Commodore's virulent anti-union stance. (The Commodore never saw the university he founded. Wonder if he would have liked the women's cheerleading squad, The Commodorables.)
Happy Labor Day to all! Like so many other entities in American history, labor unions have all but outlived their usefulness. I used to be a big supporter of unions and actually liked Walter Reuther. But, I was in a union many year's ago and saw the politics first hand as well as the greed. We went on strike. We got what we demanded. We were ready to go back to work. The union said "No," that we could now get more. So to the union movement I, in John McLaughlinesque fashion, said "Bye, bye!"
Hi Jimmy: I am sorry you did not have a good experience with your particular union. However, not all unions are the same. Just like any organization, there are good and bad. Also, perhaps your particular district labor council (DLC) was not up to par. Please don't paint all unions with the same brush. I believe now, more than ever, unions are needed in this country. To those who do not like us, I would simply say "Don't apply at a union shop". Thanks for your comments, Have a great Labor day! Abner
You too, Sensei. When I get a chance I'll post or PM you about them samurai books. Interesting stuff.
Glad you are enjoying them Sir. I thought you might like this version of the original writings of Chun-Tzu: SAGACITY THE CHUN-TZU THE SUPERIOR MAN: All goodness, truth, beauty are combined in the ideal of the superior man (Chun-Tzu). Noble both in birth and endowment, he has the manners of a gentleman and the wisdom of a sage. …The superior man becomes what he is through self-discipline. "To have the truth is the path of heaven, to seek the truth is the path of men. He who has the truth finds the right action without pains, achieves success without reflection." But he who seeks the truth chooses the good and holds it fast. He investigates; he questions critically, ponders the truth and resolutely acts on it. "Perhaps others can do it the first time; I must do it ten times; perhaps others can do it the tenth time; I must do it a thousand times. But he who really has the perseverance to go this way-be he foolish, he will become clearheaded; be he weak, he will become strong." The character, cast of thought, gestures of the superior man are described. He is contrasted with the inferior man. The superior man is concerned with justice, the inferior man with profit. The superior man is quiet and serene, the inferior man always full of anxiety. The superior man is congenial though never stooping to vulgarity; the inferior man is vulgar without being congenial. The superior man is dignified without arrogance; the inferior man is arrogant without dignity. The superior man is steadfast in distress; the inferior man in distress loses all control of himself. The superior man goes searching for himself; the inferior man goes searching in others. The superior man strives upward; the inferior man strives downward. The superior man is independent. He can endure long misfortune as well as long prosperity, and he lives free from fear. He suffers from his own inability, not from others' failure to understand him. He avoids all competition, but if it must be, then only in archery. He is slow in words and quick in action. He is careful not to let his words outshine his deeds: first act, and then speak accordingly. The superior man does not waste himself on what is distant, on what is absent. He stands in the here and now, in the real situation. "The superior man's path is like a long journey; you must begin from right here." "The superior man's path begins with the concerns of the common man and woman, but it reaches into the distance, penetrating heaven and earth." Source: "Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus: From the Great Philosophers, Volume 1", Jaspers, Karl. Pgs.41-63. Copyright 1957 by R. Piper and Co. Verlag, Munchen I hope you had a good weekend Father! Abner
