Lill has a few words for the tea baggers who spoke against unions and collective bargaining last night.
Fred,
To anyone who “doesn’t believe in unions or collective bargaining:” Union members and collective bargaining set the standards you enjoy at your place of employment, whether or not you belong to a union. The forty hour work week, scheduled lunches and breaks, workmen’ s compensation, and a five day work week are all standard employment practices because men and women who labored before us stood together and fought for them.
My grandfathers toiled the the coal mines in Virginia and on the assembly lines in Detroit during WWII. Their unions, United Mine Workers of America, and United Auto Workers, made it difficult for them to be fired if they were injured on the job, and if they were hurt, they had medical benefits, sufficient time to heal, and an income to support their families. The unions demanded that their work environments be made as safe as possible.
Several years ago my cousin was trapped in a coal mine cave in. Fortunately, he was rescued some hours later, but unfortunately, his back was broken. During his recovery and rehabilitation, the UMWA was right there with him, making sure he received the best care possible and support, both financial and emotional, for his family. If it hadn’t been for the UMWA, my cousin would have had a much more difficult time recovering from the trauma. Thank you, unions and union members.
My father was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police for thirty-three years. When he was injured on the job during the late sixties after his patrol car was turned over by rioters, his FOP brothers took up a collection for him, brought food for our family, visited, and took him back and forth to the doctor because my mother didn’t drive. Thanks to the union, he had negotiated medical leave, negotiated health benefits, and friends who stood by him in a crisis.
Union members stick together when the going gets tough. We fight to preserve the working conditions that others before us secured for us, and we have to fight to hold the Illinois Legislature to the promise of a pension that is guaranteed by the Illinois State Constitution.
-Lill
This is the same Lill who was ignorantly brushed aside by IEA President Ken Swanson and labeled “Klonskyesque” for her comments. This post, in fact makes it clear that Lill has a life experience behind her feelings and beliefs about what defines unionism. Too bad IEA leadership is too full of schmucks to take the time to respect the individualism of its members.
I neglected to mention that my father was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police for thirty-three years. When he was injured on the job during the late sixties after his patrol car was turned over by rioters, his FOP brothers took up a collection for him, brought food for our family, visited, and took him back and forth to the doctor because my mother didn’t drive. Thanks to the union, he had negotiated medical leave, negotiated health benefits, and friends who stood by him in a crisis.
Union members stick together when the going gets tough. We fight to preserve the working conditions that others before us secured for us, and we have to fight to hold the Illinois Legislature to the promise of a pension that is guaranteed by the Illinois State Constitution.
Klonskyesque means pensive poets who painful vigils keep, sleepless themselves to give their readers sleep. Whether you choose Mike’s serious air, or laugh and shake in Fred’s E-Z chair, they stuff the head with all such things as we never dread before.