Thursday, September 20, 2007

I need to start reading the newspaper.

So here's the dealio. GM workers are working twelve hour days while the UAW and GM are having negotiations regarding their contract. The old contract expired September first, and there isn't a new one yet. GM employees are working without a contract trying to avoid a strike. Is a strike inevitable? Most likely. That's problem number one.

Problem number two? Michigan may not have a budget soon. If the legislators keep leaving the capitol with nothing settled by the deadline (which is dangerously close and it doesn't sound like they will), all state workers will be out of work until they reach a new budget agreement. The reason they will be out of a job, is because the state won't have money to pay them...and who want's to work for free? The state will have no money what-so-ever. The legislature needs to raise taxes in order for the government to get out of debt, but the legislature doesn't want to do that, either.

Problem number three: My mom is a research assistant for hte legislature. My dad is an electrician for GM. Now, if GM goes on strike, my dad doesn't get paid. He gets to stand out on a picket line( with me right beside him if I don't have class), get free donuts, and then come home. Not a big deal-- my family can live off one paycheck, we've done it before. However, if the legislature doesn't reach an agreement before the deadline, and both my parent's are out of work? That could be a problem. My family will be scrimping off the edges, and I'll be the only one working. Thank God my schooling is paid for already, so I can stay and continue studying...but, when I do get a paycheck, it would go to help my family out. I remember scrimping in 8th grade, and although we can do it, it wasn't pleasant. No extra things like movies, going out to dinner, and we only got the bare minimum when we went shopping. Jay was so young he doesn't remember that-- Jack kind of does, but I really do. I don't want my brother's to have to know what scrimping really is. I don't even really know what it is, but if it comes down to Michigan not having a budget and GM being on strike, they'll know scrimping like I never knew.

All I know right now, is, that GM and the Union need to come to agreements on a new contract, and the Legislature needs to come to agreement on a new budget...SOON.

Plus, if my dad gets hurt on the job and he doesn't have a contract saying he gets health insurance from it--not only will he be pissed, but so will I. That contract really helped us out when he fell off the 40 foot ladder and broke his foot.

No comments: