Markley's Blog

As I sit here in front of my screen, I’m still in a quandary on how to approach this subject.  It has got me in such a state that I’ve not been able to blog for the last two weeks because it weighs so heavy on my heart and fills my thoughts constantly. So with this being the Labor Day weekend I feel it only appropriate to share. This may not go over very well with some readers and could produce anger and hatred for the thoughts I feel very strongly about. That aside, may I say that these feelings are a very strong conviction on my heart and are things that I see both pro and con. I have been on both sides.

I was raised with a work ethic that was if I work hard, I will benefit. One of my first bosses once told me to never be ashamed of what I looked like at the end of the day.  Be proud that it shows you put in a good day of work. What has happened to that philosophy?

The more I look back to my 38 years of being a member of the American work force I see things in retrospect that makes me have these strong convictions.  My first job was for a small private company that was a non-union shop.  As a young and impressionable man, ok teenager, I would hear others proclaim the advantages of union representation. The biggest always being higher wages.  So as a young high school student I was excited to be hired by a company whose labor forced was represented by the AFL-CIO.  I had heard that name on many news broadcast. So now the big money would start to roll in.

I worked there or should I say “was employed” for five years working only half that time.  The union could not stop the decline in profitability which leads to layoffs.  When I did work I used the work ethic I was taught and worked hard to receive my paycheck.  No problem.  As I became more familiar with my co-workers the talk would always turn to how bad the company was and how they are cheating us out of more money.  Still being young and having the influence of my first exciting me more than my present co-workers I really didn’t let the talk bother me.

With being out of work more than in, I never returned when called back from being laid off.   I had returned to my first job where there was no union and had steady work plus overtime for the next nine years.  In that time, my wages increased dramatically and I was promoted to department head and later to Production Supervisor.  All without the help of a union.  So at this time unions and the benefits of being a part of one did not seem to be needed and just a waste of my time.

Then when new management took over, the realization and importance of unions became a reality and was something that needed to be addressed.  The new managements work ethic had changed drastically and I felt that there may be some benefit to being represented by a union.  So the workers voted to be represented by a union.  After the vote came the long disruptive and name calling (and not a constructive way of doing business) proceeded to take place. I was contacted by another local company in the same field in which I was now working in and was represented by the same union. Now I was back to working with union representation and being protected against the type of management I just left.

So everything would be better.  I would have a better job, more pay, and not have to worry about being treated as a second class citizen again.  The people I made alliances with would be like those I had earlier in my working history who I tried to stay away from and apply the work ethics I was raised with.  But just coming away from a job where I lost money, (by reduced wages and benefits) I was easily influenced to join the train that would rear its engine whenever there was a so-called injustice in the work force.  I was becoming a strong believer in the union and its philosophy.  I was an active member.  I became an Executive Board Member.  Later became Vice President and later the Secretary Treasurer.  I was in for the long haul.  Job security and the backing of the union.  I would be in good shape all the way to retirement.  It has been said that there are no guarantees in life. Part two will show how that is true.