no strike in my future

Contract approved 83% to 17%.

contract

I voted on our latest best and final contract offer this morning.

I briefly talked with Michelle, our union president, before I voted.

It's a two-year contract with 2.25% and 2% raises. Health care goes up, but it doesn't look like it's by a lot. Overall, aside from the fact that the cost of living is more than 2% per year, it doesn't look too terrible. I think we also gained a couple things. One important thing we got is that all work between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM is worth an extra $.50/hour.

The executive board recommended approval. I'm pretty sure it'll be approved.

prestols, hiv, ford

The other day the one guy left on my bus came up to the front saying, "Prestols, prestols, prestols!"

???

"I love prestols, especially with a big bowl of chocolate! That's my favorite snack! I'm going to get me some prestols and chocolate! Prestols, prestols, prestols!"

Later, a guy who I've seen around before was headed back home to make sure he closed a window. He told me his short-term memory was pretty bad. But when he told me he's been HIV-positive for twenty-three years, I was pretty surprised. He looks really good and I told him so.

The most interesting guy who talked to me was the guy who's temping at the Ford plant. Yep. There are temp workers building Ford Rangers. He told me that all but about thirty of the workers there took a buyout when Ford announced that they're going to close the plant. As a temp, he makes $11.50/hour. After 90 days, he can get hired as a permanent worker and make a whopping $13.50/hour, which is half of what the original workers are making. In the meantime, he's working six ten-to-twelve hour days. If he refuses to work the overtime, he'll be let go and replaced with another temp. I was dumbfounded. That's insane. Of course, it just sounds like another union-busting success story. The New Gilded Age marches on.