I played phone tag with my Business Agent this week and the gist of it is that we're close on a contract, along with the Mailroom. The Pressmen have legal issues (currently unresolved) that are holding them up in talks. The BA expects us to take a vote on the new contract by the time the old contract runs out the end of next month. He added that we're not going on strike and we're not getting locked out.
I guess this is good news. I think the new contract is going to be a stinker, but we'll lie down like the bitches we are and take it.
One of the dealers in Menlo Park got let go this week. Dropping his stuff adds between 90 minutes and two hours to my day. He had the biggest two dealerships. I guess he went to the Company and told us he couldn't pay his carriers. Something about loan sharks and being upside down on rental property. And it wasn't the first time he'd come up short and needed an advance from the Company. Our management thought he was God's gift to the Mercury, but I guess the FSM smoted him.
