What DH found out...

DH went to a union meeting on Saturday. The layoff is gonna happen but they are trying to figure out what the exact number is gonna be. But, I don't think it's gonna be better for him if he gets to stay--even after the layoff, they were told that 1st shift will still only be working 2 weeks a month! So, I told him last night, that if it came down to it and he was gonna just happen to get to stay, to take voluntary layoff. At least that way, he can find another full-time job until things pick back up and he gets called back. We just can't make it with him drawing 2 weeks a month unemployment.

Anywho....I'm going to a big 2-day crop this weekend! Met a lady at Willow Traders who is also going. But she will only be there on Saturday. We are gonna try to find each other so we can "play" together! I love meeting online friends IRL! I'm hoping a get LOTS done at this crop...I've planned for probably 25 pages or so...I wanna get them ALL done!

Forgot to add!

Gave Pierson his first little bit of COW MILK today! Hope he does well with it...I didn't make him go cold turkey--just mixed his formula bottle with half formula and half cow milk.

Oh the rumors!!!

You really never know what to believe at DH's work...but of course all kinds of crap is flying around about this layoff. But, something interesting happened yesterday. A guy that DH worked with in another department was going to volunteer to be one of the ones that get laid off (some people do this--they probably have a side job or something!). So, he goes in the office to put in his request, and they tell him to wait because it's not set in stone.... Okay...

Well, the biggest rumor going around is that the layoff isn't happening because of the reasons given by the pres. (economy, low orders, etc.) that the greedy SOB's on first shift decided they didn't want to "share" their time/money with the guys on 2nd shift. (See, the union and company agreed last year to let 1st/2nd shift rotate weeks worked so that 2nd shift people wouldn't lose their jobs.) Which, I don't know how that could've happened without it going thru the Union. I could be wrong, but there are some greedy people there. What ticks DH off, is that Freightliner has always based layoffs (and everything else) on seniority. DH thinks (and I agree) that they should change this "strategy" and base layoff's on job performance and attendance! They would produce a better quality product because people would be held accountable for what is in their job description. DH's friend is on 1st shift and he said there are two women there that MIGHT do 8 hours work in a week! They are there strictly for the paycheck. I guess they aren't held accountable, so they don't do what they are supposed to and when the truck comes off the line, it has to go to Off Line to have the parts put on that are missing! No wonder Off Line hasn't missed a day's work since all the layoff's started last year! HEck, they get OVERTIME!
And Freightliner employees with 10 years of service get 3 weeks paid vacation, I don't know how much sick time (I think 40 hours--which can be rolled over to the next year), a week off at July 4th and Christmas, plus a 4-day weekend at Thanksgiving. There are guys there who have used ALL this time plus 40, 50, 60 hours more!!! And they STILL have a job! That is CRAZY! I know no job I ever held worked that way! I think this issue should be addressed the next time their Union contract is up! Since their union is 90% 2nd shift workers, they could decide how the lazies with more seniority have to DO their job to keep it!

I'm not getting my hopes up about there NOT being a layoff--preparing for the worst, hoping for the best!

Didn't post before...

because this news came to us two days before Pierson's first b-day. I didn't want to bring the festivities down too much, if I could help it. But Mark is getting laid off. When he first told me, I cried. I was mad. I felt helpless. I was worried. But after sleeping on it, I know there's nothing I can do about it and whatever happens is gonna happen. We'll deal with it one day at a time. At least they still have 2 more months of work and there's still the possibility that not all 1500 will get booted. When the company gives word of a mass layoff they have to give a #. They can't lay off more than that #, but it could be less. Mark is in the top 500 of the 1500--I guess he still could squeak by. But that is yet to be determined and we aren't counting on it! Good thing is that he DOES have his CDL's. If push comes to shove, he COULD go on the road driving, but I sure as HELL wouldn't like it!

Thanks to my friend Alicia for having a nice chat with me the night I found out! She really helped lift me up a little! I've also already got a friend whose gonna let me borrow some clothing for Harrison (since he's the only one who will need clothing this year!) Mark's highschool friend is talking to an uncle about getting Mark some work. And there is a rumor of a drywall manufacturer in the area that pays $18/hour--they are supposedly hiring. We're planning on planting a BIG garden this year (pray for rain!) and we do have chickens that are producing eggs. I don't think we're gonna starve! LOL!

Mark has to stay at Freightliner until the layoff or he looses his call-back rights and everything! So, he won't really start seriously looking for something for another month probably.

Now, onto happier things!

WEll, I think they are happier! Pierson turned a year old! (I'm not real happy about it!) He's such a little stinker!