Saturday, April 04, 2009

Strike Stress

I'm a little antsy today. The contract between the Union and AT&T is up tonight at 11:59. If a settlement is not reached, there could be a work stoppage. I'm in management now and I'd be expected to work if they strike. Not only work, but work 12 hours a day 6 days a week. I'm guessing that would not be fun.
I'm one of the most positive people on the planet and when I told Jilda this morning over coffee that I was stressed about the possibility, she chided me mercilessly. "Where's the positive attitude" she scolded. I had to laugh because it's usually me that's after her for thinking negatively.
The last time the phone company struck, I was on the other side of the table. I was in the Union and I did my tours on the picket line.
I had the midnight shift and I took a cooler with sandwiches and a thermos of coffee. I also took my guitar and we sang protest songs all night. Whenever a car drove past our stations, we called them bad names and said unkind things about their parents.
I had been saving up for the possibility of a work stoppage so I didn't suffer too badly. There were others with larger families that had a harder time. I think that strike lasted about ten days and I was glad it was over.
It is my hope that cooler heads prevail and a settlement is reached avoiding a strike. In today's financial environment, I don't know many folks that can go very long without a check.

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