Dh still on strike

**lisettelovebug** · 08-30-2007, 11:49 AM

Update - Well... dh and the guys are still on strike. The company has not said it is willing to negotiate yet. THe union is waiting for the unfair labor practice charges to hit the courts or for the comp to call and say they want to negotiate. The comp is losing a lot of money. THey have "replacement" workers in there who are from out of state who can't run the machines. We've heard that a lot of toilets are stopped up because the guys who normally fix them are out on picket line.. lol. Can you imagine what that place will look like when they actually do go back. THey have at least 20 machines down (they're saying that they were sabotaged before the guys went on strike.. hahaha) but more likely it was the replacement workers who don;t know how to work those machines. They've had at least 3 occassions where the ambulance has hauled someone out of there, and even one time where fire trucks went in. They've even called some of the strikers and offered them big bucks to come in. - of course they said no.
I'm hoping that all this means the comp will soon be ready to negotiate - though I'm not betting the farm on it. We will be ok until dh qualifies for unemployment. We will be getting WIC next week and the union has a food bank every friday. Once he gets unemployment we will be really good and even able to put a little aside for the kids for Xmas - though we will not be able to buy for anyone else. But thats ok... the kids are what are important. I have clothes I got on clearance that they will get for CHristmas, and then I figure $50 for new baby (he will be only 1 1/2 months anyways), and then $125 for dd (1 yr old) and ds (9). I can do pretty good on that amount. I figure for ds I can get him one pretty cool electronic thing (like an Mp3 player or digital camera) and then get a few other cheaper things)... and dd is easy- tons of toys for her at the store - one could get carried away.. lol.
But that's what's been going on here. Really would like dh back to work before baby's born in November....

**leezza** · 08-30-2007, 12:14 PM

Lisette,

Hang in there Baby : ) sounds like you are pretty organized and have things pretty planned out. I wish your husband and his fellow workers the best........Why oh why do Companies have such a hard time getting it, "You get what you pay for". You want the best, trained employees you gotta pay them. Anyway, hope all is going well for you and yours.

Kind Regards,
leezza

**jamie79** · 08-30-2007, 12:18 PM

Sounds like you have a good plan. I hope they decide to negotiate.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 08-30-2007, 12:40 PM

You're doing a great job holding things together! Hopefully the strike will end soon...

**ktsmama** · 08-30-2007, 01:12 PM

I was just wondering yesterday about how things were going. You seem to have a great plan and that will help a lot.

Hang in there!

**Holly** · 08-30-2007, 01:36 PM

One question.( just curious.)
How can he get unemployment if he has a job he could go back to .

**annymoll** · 08-30-2007, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by Holly

One question.( just curious.)
How can he get unemployment if he has a job he could go back to .

If you are on strike you are refusing to work. You cannot draw unemployment.Hope the strike ends soon.

**sdrjeolsen** · 08-30-2007, 09:56 PM

Sounds like you are doing a good job there. Hope the strike is over soon.

**lisettelovebug** · 08-30-2007, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by annymoll

If you are on strike you are refusing to work. You cannot draw unemployment.Hope the strike ends soon.

New York state (and one other state) allows you to collect unemployment after 7 weeks.
WE just got word tonight that supposedly on Aug 15 Gov. Spitzer passed a law saying that if the comp brings in replacement workers that the strikers will automatically begin getting unemployment. I have not found anything on the internet about it but it may be that it is too new. I don't know. The union president said that he recieved a call today from someone he knows at the NYS dept of labor and told him about this. They will be backdating the unemployment so they should get the maximum amount for the last 2 weeks plus they would be getting another one next week. SO hopefully it is true. That would put a lot more pressure on the comp to negotiate, which they have not done any of yet. Paying not only the "replacement" workers the BIG BUCKS, but also paying the unemployment. The union pres told them that he wanted to set up a meeting for next week and is waiting for a reply. So, hopefully the guys will be back to work soon!! Either way I'm not betting on the unemployment check until it is in the bank! So we shall see.. the ball is in their court. I would love for the guys to go back to work!!!

**annymoll** · 08-30-2007, 10:47 PM

Seems like my sis got some kind of a check directly from the union, you might check into.(We live in Missouri). She is a dozer operator and has to deal with this B.S.(Excuse the French) on occasion. It is a real pain in the rear, so I feel for ya.

**Holly** · 08-31-2007, 08:53 AM

I hope your right about The Govenor.
He was always after the big guys when he was Attorney General.
Thats why we voted for him.
Good Luck and hope they are back to work soon