tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231037340068853572.post-78030097015597664842008-05-22T13:18:00.000-05:002008-05-22T13:18:00.000-05:00Hey Todd,<BR/>Nice and comfy where ever you're living now are we?<BR/>It's so likely that you're not union and never have been. As a born and raised Iron Ranger who's lived in Alaska, Oregon, Texas and now in Minneapolis, I was elated to hear of the prospect of the good old Iron Range coming back into it's glory.<BR/>So many people around this country have no concept of the work ethic that we Rangers grew up with. It's easy to sit back and armchair quarterback, but when you live there it's quite a different story.<BR/>It took a lot of organized effort for the trades to STAY together during economic hardships, to hold onto their fought-for wages.<BR/>I remember working for a friend's boss one time who exclaimed, "no man is worth that much" when I told him my union wage (at the time) was $23 an hour. Meanwhile he owned his own sporting goods company and made well into 6 figures a year himself.<BR/>It seems nobody wants the blue collar guys to get ahead, like there should be some kind of financial line in the sand for "us and them".<BR/>Fighting to keep your job and situation is what every serious worker does everyday. Having someone outside of the game making rules against you just shouldn't be tolerated. <BR/>A local job should go to a local person first which is the most likely outcome of hiring union. Going nonunion in this situation is like tearing the doors off your own house and not having a say about who comes in.<BR/>West Duluth is not the Iron Range, go live there a while and get a real feeling for what it's like to (1.)find and (2.)hold onto a job.<BR/>And thank you for your support.MarkDeenoreply@blogger.com