That County Employee Strike Thing
The Humboldt Consequential has another hard- hitting post. Today he rags on the state county employee's union over their threat of a strike if they don't get a pay raise. He uses stronger words than I might but still a fun read.
Decades ago I worked over 3 years for the county and actually was a member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). They're the local county employee organization threatening a strike. I normally wouldn't have joined, but the shop steward where I worked was an absolute fox and brow beat me into signing up. How could I refuse?
I don't know how it is now, but I got along quite well back then. I had no complaints and felt I was paid adequately and received health insurance.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 7:50 AM
11 comments
11 Comments:
A strike? Where did it say that? The letter was about challenging seats held by what they called "trust fund kids". Or did I miss something?
From the letter: "We have voted overwhelmingly to move forward to cast a strike vote if we don’t receive an acceptable contract"
In other words, they're voting to go on strike if things don't go their way. That pretty much jives with what I've read in local news lately.
That is discouraging. I would be embarrassed to be a part of a union that makes public statements in such a whiny childish tone. Any arguments made after that one will be difficult to take seriously!
The last comment to the THC post points out that AFSCME doesn't have a Yahoo account. Perhaps someone in our outside of the union wrote that and sent it on their own?
I might add, since I already made a similar comment on Lost Coast Outpost, I don't fault THC, myself or anyone else for taking an e-mail like that and running with it. Seems to me that e-mail was more of a prop and THC spent the vast majority of his rant ragging on the unions for wanting more money. I suppose I should read the e-mail again, but a quick look showed only the first three paragraphs commenting on the e-mail.
Not taking sides in the argument over pay increases right now, but I don't think you can blame someone too much for an e-mail that contained facts- minus the nastiness- already reported in the local press.
Dude, it was a fake email. Stop trying to excuse yourself. You messed up and printed a fake email as true. Why are you being righteous instead of humble? You were wrong. Admit it for once.
Fred, the email was a fake. 4:16 is right - you should acknowledge you understand this.
Or not. Whatevs. Here is what you got wrong..."Today he rags on the state county employee's union over their threat of a strike if they don't get a pay raise. "
This is untrue.
It was reported in local media just a few days ago that AFSCME was considering strike action, although as I recall the union guy was quoted he wasn't sure they had enough votes for that action. Call strike action a threat or ultimatum. Call it what you want. That's what unions often do if things don't go their way.
The e-mail wasn't exactly fake. It just had improper attribution. Still, it contained issues mentioned in local news and, most likely, was sent by someone within AFSCME, just not by their leadership.
There's likely many AFSCME members that share the sentiment of that letter, but only one or two that had the guts to send it, albeit under a phony name. There's also many members who don't share that sentiment, as we've seen in comments on the THC.
And BTW, I never mentioned the e-mail here as I thought that a minor part of THC's post and didn't pay much attention to it. More a prop than anything else. His commentary was the main gist of the post and he went on for some time after dedicating just three paragraphs to the e-mail.
You got punked. Man up and admit when you are wrong.
The email was fake. It would be little different than if I wrote a letter on City Cab letter head (when I worked there) that City Cab is of the opinion of crushing worker's rights.
Organizations have ways to decide upon their own positions and actions. This joker wanted to post an anonymous opinion but rightly knew that he would get more play if it could catch on that he was speaking for the union itself.
The e-mail was likely written and sent by a hothead within AFSCME. No big deal, as nothing earthshaking was revealed by it.
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