h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What does "union" and "non-union" mean in this context? And why the flag and what's the parade for? Is this veterans day stuff or summat else?

B

Labor and professional trade unions, Ben. Union workers have more holidays, better pay and benefits. Us non-union folk have no one to speak for us, and because of this tend to have less of everything.

Yes, the flag and parade is for Veterans Day.

In this context it means he is a member of a union, specifically the Teamsters, and he got the day off. My workplace is not unionized, Veterans Day is not a day off, so I went to work like every other day.

Unions aren't necessarily beneficial all of the time. In my town, one of the unions has been in negotiations all year with the town administration. The sticking point is medical insurance. Up until now, the employees have had full family medical coverage at no cost to themselves but for a $5 co-payment per appointment. That means the taxpayers are funding this. In the real world, most employees pay a good chunk of their pay towards medical insurance premiums.

Municipalities in NJ are currently operating under cap of 4% on increases in property taxes which fund the towns. Costs are running much higher than that and the administration is asking the employees to pay $11 per biweekly paycheck towards their premiums and to increase the co-payment to $10. For comparison sake, my family is contributing several hundred dollars per month for the cost of the premiums, slightly more than one half the total premium.

Since the union won't budge on this, 53 employees will be laid off on December 31 so the town can balance its budget. Why won't they make this reasonable concession? Because they don't want to be the first union in the state to do this and set a precedent.

They need to wake up and smell the !

Belated happy birthdays to Kerr and David!

One of my grandads was in the RAF ground crew during World War II. He's never really said much about it, although he did get bombed on Skegness beach, apparently. My other grandad was a policeman, so he was a reserved occupation person. I never met him, but I like to imagine him as being a bit like Foyle in Foyle's war, although I don't think he was that senior.

I also heard yesterday that there is just one American veteran surviving from World War I: he's 107.

oops, i thought i had made a mistake when i said which bit i wanted to scribe this time, i of course meant 1500-1900. The fact that i realised this mistake yesterday when i had no computer access is beside the point. I should have corrected it this morning for the inconvinience.

mini

What's the Teamsters' Union? It's always sounded like a baseball or football team to me.

Lil, the last three British WWI veterans were at the Cenotaph ceremony at the weekend. Astonishingly there was one from each arm of the services.

B

Are there any remaining Chelsea Pensioners?

Lil, there were 18 months ago. I hope there are still a few.

>>You are truly a landshark now, Irv...
A true landshark would find a way to turn a profit. I just do it for fun, and for the English language. Though it's a fun fact that I am allergic to both kittens and Christmas.

>>Unions aren't necessarily beneficial all of the time.
Is anything? Even water and oxygen have their downsides.

This post has been removed.

Morans! OK, who crossed the line this time?

That was flagged within one minute of being posted.

Me apparently. Not sure why.

yet it looks like a mod has removed it rather than it being yiksed, hmm c'est bizzare (its strange)

mini

I'm beginning to think that the Mods just like discussing whether posts violate the house rules or not.

We marked 11 o'clock at work as well, with an announcement on the PA system (and another for the end).

My father's parents met during WWII, both in the army in Somerset. Don't know about my mum's side.

Break a leg, David!

My maternal grandfather was in the RAF, was shot down on his very first go over Germany, bailed out, and spent entire war in POW camp, being taught law by another prisoner who was a barrister before the war. Grandpa passed the bar when he was released back to Blighty and also became a barrister and later a judge. Meanwhile, my maternal grandmother was a WAAF (Women's Auxilary Air-Force) and used to load and unload reconnaissance plane cameras. They met at an RAF reunion dance thing in 1946.

Meanwhile, my paternal grandfather was a student in London, and overnight became a German-Jewish refugee in London, and the British being slightly clueless about the Jewish refugee thing, they called him an 'Enemy Alien' and he spent a year or two in various internment camps before being allowed to go back to university on condition he reported to the police every week. My paternal grandmother was a nurse, and they met while both dodging bombs in London, and within six months HAD to marry, oops. My father and his elder sisters were born during the war and were registered as enemy aliens too. My father didn't become a British Citizen, despite being born in London, until he was two.

Complicated, huh?

My family has a long history of service.
My paternal grandfather sailed in the Great War on a heavy cruiser. One of my father's brother served in WWII on a ship. The other brother served in Korea. My father missed out on Vietnam by being sole bread winner in the family. My mother's brothers all served, mostly in the army. GDZ is one of my oldest and closest friends and was a marine. I have other friends currently serving. I was too heavy to join the Navy when I was a teenager, but would have served otherwise. I believe that anyone willing to serve is worthy of respect. We in the US owe our freedom to those who laid down their lived in service. Now those who send out the soldiers? That's another story altogether.