I shirk work to lurk.
Just to clarify: the "98% Chimp" T-shirt situation from yesterday seems to have been somewhat misunderstood. Nobody was offended by it (or if they were, it wasn't apparent), but rather many of my co-workers were set off balance by the tone of the joke; it is very much a geek sense of humor, they just found the idea of joking about comparative DNA to be extremely odd.
So... our contract is up on August first. Our chief came down to the office yesterday to bring us up to speed and inform us of how the union is approaching the situation and what is expected of us. The strike votes have been sent out (I had already gotten mine in the mail), and there is a rally at the West Street central office on the 26th (I'm working that day). The fact that we have one and only one rally scheduled thus far actually implies that things aren't going so badly for the union. It's all rhetoric; if you listen to the managers talk, the collective bargaining negotiations are going wonderfully, if you listen to the stewards, they are going terribly. I think the doom 'n' gloom is more about ensuring that we authorize a strike, which (of course) gives the union leverage.
I could be wrong, of course, but the company is really banking a lot on FIOS and probably can not afford a prolonged labor dispute. I'm really hoping that is the case, as I am not looking forward to the prospect of going on strike again. Sure, picketing is fun for the first two or three hours, but then your voice gets shot and you start baking in the hot sun. And you don't get paid until the strike fund kicks into effect, which is even more frustrating.
After an unavoidable hold-up, The Early Mixes is proceeding. I have scheduled a rehearsal on Sunday evening, and I'm really looking forward to it.
Alphabet meme nudge - G H I K L M N Q Y Z