Trailer Park Casanova
10-14-2003, 09:38 PM
When I got out of the Marines, I got a job for Budweiser. A former commanding officer I was under in Viet Nam was now the personel manager for Bud, so I got hired on the spot.
It was good for a while,, sometimes it was great.
We had tropical birds around that could immitate anything like garbage trucks backing up, delivery drivers yelling out my name "Is Ross Here?", pagers going off,, the birds had the sounds down perfect.
You could bring your dog to work, you could drink beer on the job,, and yes, the story of a 6 minute beer break every hour is true. It ended when an employee ran down some kids in a crosswalk in front of the brewery.
OK,, that really sucked, awfull and tragic,, and it brought about needed changes for the good.
The point of this post is that while I worked there,,,, we were almost always on strike.
One barganing unit would settle,, then the bottlers, or warehousemen or some other bargaining unit struck,, and we would honor it. It was on and off for years.
I started up my own Air Conditioning biz during this time and finally never went back to BUD.
Talk about turning a lemon into lemonaide.
Some of the property Budweiser owned is next to the nearby Van Nuys airport. The aircraft controllers had a building that the Feds rented from Bud and they manned some air traffic control equipment there.
When we were on strike,, we asked the Air Controllers to not cross our picket line. Their answer:
"We're under contract to not strike,,, we have to cross"
OK, a short time later the Aircraft Controllers held a wildcat strike and asked us not to cross their picket line,,, we mentioned to them what they had told us on our picket line a few months earlier,,,,
Bottom line:
The controllers were asking for the same pay as pilots,, in those days over $50 an hour and they lost. You know the story, no sympathy from anyone.
Think about that, probably the equlivant to $150.00 per hour today.
I think the grocery workers aren't asking for very much. Mostly holding on to benefits. Several newservices are reporting different things the union wants. Damfino.
If you don't like unions,, then let me point to Disneyland.
Until the mid 70's, Disneyland was an excellent place. The management busted the Union in, I think it was 1976. The super, excellent, dedicated career employees left,, and now the place is a mere shadow and nothing like what it once was.
Some of the regulars on this board are absent because they're walking the picket line at their store.
I've been in their shoes and I feel for them. No paycheck, the prospect of reduced pay and benefits, not a very bright future.
Damfino if unions are any good, just my observations.
[ October 15, 2003, 04:55 AM: Message edited by: Trailer Park Casanova ]
It was good for a while,, sometimes it was great.
We had tropical birds around that could immitate anything like garbage trucks backing up, delivery drivers yelling out my name "Is Ross Here?", pagers going off,, the birds had the sounds down perfect.
You could bring your dog to work, you could drink beer on the job,, and yes, the story of a 6 minute beer break every hour is true. It ended when an employee ran down some kids in a crosswalk in front of the brewery.
OK,, that really sucked, awfull and tragic,, and it brought about needed changes for the good.
The point of this post is that while I worked there,,,, we were almost always on strike.
One barganing unit would settle,, then the bottlers, or warehousemen or some other bargaining unit struck,, and we would honor it. It was on and off for years.
I started up my own Air Conditioning biz during this time and finally never went back to BUD.
Talk about turning a lemon into lemonaide.
Some of the property Budweiser owned is next to the nearby Van Nuys airport. The aircraft controllers had a building that the Feds rented from Bud and they manned some air traffic control equipment there.
When we were on strike,, we asked the Air Controllers to not cross our picket line. Their answer:
"We're under contract to not strike,,, we have to cross"
OK, a short time later the Aircraft Controllers held a wildcat strike and asked us not to cross their picket line,,, we mentioned to them what they had told us on our picket line a few months earlier,,,,
Bottom line:
The controllers were asking for the same pay as pilots,, in those days over $50 an hour and they lost. You know the story, no sympathy from anyone.
Think about that, probably the equlivant to $150.00 per hour today.
I think the grocery workers aren't asking for very much. Mostly holding on to benefits. Several newservices are reporting different things the union wants. Damfino.
If you don't like unions,, then let me point to Disneyland.
Until the mid 70's, Disneyland was an excellent place. The management busted the Union in, I think it was 1976. The super, excellent, dedicated career employees left,, and now the place is a mere shadow and nothing like what it once was.
Some of the regulars on this board are absent because they're walking the picket line at their store.
I've been in their shoes and I feel for them. No paycheck, the prospect of reduced pay and benefits, not a very bright future.
Damfino if unions are any good, just my observations.
[ October 15, 2003, 04:55 AM: Message edited by: Trailer Park Casanova ]