Muscatine

The information is also in the newspapers and on the local TV news. "The streets" must read the papers and watch TV.

I think that most of us thought months ago that this situation was not a good one and it certainly appears to have no solution that the locked out workers were hoping for. Now they won't even be counted as 'unemployed' in the stats that we hear on TV all the time. All the libs will say that unemployment is going down, when actually so very many workers are in the same boat as the 'locked out' folks - not working and unemployment benefits have run out so now they aren't even a statistic. No wonder they feel s**t on!

   My husband worked for GPC for 30 years.  He retired several years ago because we read the contract with a fine tooth comb.  (The job I have requires that "fine tooth comb" reading its important in major contracts).  I told my husband in the last contract that we needed to make adjustments and get him out of there because a plan was in action.  I knew that they would try to bust the union...etc.  We were lucky enough to be friends of a "big wig" in the company many years ago.  He told us that we really needed to protect ourselves, that the men that started this company had values; but that their children that were to take over did not.  They were "college educated and "worldly".  YEP!

  My husband worked shift work in a very hot place.  He had to take salt pills to work.  Because he worked shift work, I can't tell you how many family events he missed.  He was paid well, that is for sure & he deserved every dime.  Not many people would have wanted to do the job that he did.   He had perfect attendance for over 10 years.   He worked inside in 110 degree weather & outside in minus degree weather to make a living for his family. 

  The people who started GPC cared & appreciated the efforts of all of the employees.  There were perfect attendance dinners, rides on the Kent Feed Boat... bonuses @ Christmas when a profit was made.  Appreciation was given. 

  The kids came in & decided that the union needed to be broken, (I guess they learned that in school).  All those extra bonuses & WE appreciate you bonuses need to be shut down.  "After all, profit is the bottom line". 

  A "Union Busting attorney was brought in early in the game.  I say game, because to them, that is what it is." 

  To the Union, I say, "SHAME ON YOU, and you all missed the boat!"  Game over, check mate... You should have made the stand that you are now in the last contract!  I'm a freaking peon... and I saw what was gonna happen!!!  You say you have professionals on  your team???  I don't think so.  My husband is retired & thank God we have benefits.  How many of your people can say that now?  Why the he## didn't you read the fine print earlier?  AND HOW DARE you ask "everyday people that are just trying to raise their families", to suffer through this lockout? 

  To Kent, how dare you live the life that you are living & make the very people that built your father's company & have given their blood, sweat & tears to GIVE you the very priveledges you & your family have suffer?  God... I just wish that this world would just go along with the 10 commandments.  It's so simple.  "Treat others the way you want to be treated".  All I see in this whole mess are a bunch of Toddlers.  Management & Union... ALL OF YOU NEED TO GROW UP! 

tlou i agree with you on this, no one wants to take responsibility for their own choices. gpc is just one corporation, they all want lower wages, no benefit, no retirement, no health care and no job security. that is what NAFTA, CAFTA  and all those other free trade agreements are all about. where were we in the sixties and seventies. well we had lots of work, we had lots of different stores( meat markets, shoe stores, clothes store, lots of little neighborhood  grocery stores) what happened, I'll tell you what happened, we did not pay attention to what these elected officials did. Now we are in the worst shape ever. We have the highest debt ever, we are in two wars, are industry has been shipped over seas, our elected officials spend like there is no tomorrow, criminal immigrants stream over the board, we have the highest incarceration rate and the education level is at the bottom. yet no one cares who they vote for they will not check these people out. So this is why we are where we're at because no one reads the fine print. If you don't think the fed does not effect your local community just look what NAFTA and CAFTA have done for us. hey remember when this area grow tomatoes hmmm where did they go, next time your in the store just look to see where it was grown. I bought Mexican mangoes in Hawaii, C'mon they grow every where in Hawaii, how can it be cheaper to ship these across an ocean! Did you hear GMC is going to build a car in china to import to the U.S.A. C'mon they just took billions from the taxpayers. G.Kent is just doing what every corporation is doing, not giving a rats butt about the American worker! stop voting blindly and check these people out....

I heard it on TV6.