This is a pretty complete rewrite of a diary I had posted after I got to Marmet. I plan to rewrite and expand those I finished and to write those that I had no time or connection to continue from the last three days. This is the second of what should be eight installments. The first is here. It is a story of one of those that was in the March on Blair Mountain.
Before I left for Marmet to come to the March, my Local (UE506) held a Contract rally in Erie, PA. I work for General Electric, and we have a contract that expires on the 19th of this month. We hosted this Rally in Erie for the 10 unions and 15,000 members that are still employed by GE. It is a tough time to be negotiating, and GE seems to think that this would be a good time to screw us all. Here and here are a couple of links to articles about that.
We filled the gymnasium at Gannon University, and held a rousing rally. The number of members attending from locals that are far away was impressive. The crowd was loud and proud, and the festivities were led off by a 250 motorcycle cavalcade from our Hall to the Rally.
photo by Al Hart of the UE News
The mood was the most militant I have heard in my 22 years of working there. We hope a strike is not necessary, but I won't live on my knees. The message at the rally was no surprise, that even though GE did not pay any federal taxes, they still do not have enough money. The want to shift the costs of healthcare and pensions to the workers. They want us to screw the new guy and sell her into a two tier wage system. I did not like GE's offers. And by the sounds of our Rally's roaring and chanting, I was not alone.
Different Locals had different shirts supporting the Contract Rally and negotiations. We had several designs that we used for my Locals shirts. I videoed the Rally, but also took some pictures.
Usually, the Rally is followed be a cookout in Perry's Square. However, this year the Erie Cookoff and Ribfest was in the Square, so we arranged to have $10 worth of Ribfest coupons for each attendee. For a lot of us, it is a chance to talk to those from other locals and Unions. And the weather was cooperative. Hopefully a sign of the future of the Contract, but with GE, always be looking for the knife.
This was the last picture I took as I left Perry's Square. Little did I realize this was a foreshadowing of what my future duties would entail...
I left Erie, PA after midnight on Sunday to come for the March. I got to Greene County and decided I would make a U turn in one of those cross overs the State so courtesy provides for emergencies like missing your exit, going back to get something you forgot, or, in my case, so a south bound driver can easily get to the north bound rest stop to take pictures. This memorial is why.
This rest stop is above the site of a 1962 mine disaster that killed 37 men. Greene County is the county on the southern border of my childhood home, in Washington County. Which was, of course, the "Home of America's first armed insurrection, the Whiskey Rebellion." And now I head to the home of America's biggest insurrection, other than the Civil War. Coincidence, or Kismet...
There is a small miners museum in the rest stop.
While I was there, I made some espresso to wake myself up.
I also took several shots of the scenery along I-79 in West Virginia as I drove. These hills are beautiful.
I arrived in Marmet around 11:00 am, and checked in. I will be working with the media team and the transportation crew. I will be pulling the "honey wagon," the trailer with the porta potties for the marchers en route. I thought that would be a very exciting job, but they told me that I am to go head of the marchers and park it. I had promised not to go fast while someone was using the porta potty, but I guess that was not in the plan. They aren't as much fun as I hoped.
I hope to be able to give a daily report on the March. I will include a lot of pictures. I hope you find this worth following, if not for my words, then for the actions taken here to better all our lives. I look forward to sharing this experience with y'all. A link to the set of photos I took this day is here.