So how to explain... Well the place I work with is... argh... I don't even know how to begin. Things are screwy there. I work in the office of a grocery warehouse. I hand out the orders, make sure the right products get shipped to the right stores, make sure pallets get put in the right place and basically act as the go-between with Management and the Union. Things have never really run smoothly here and there are MILLIONS of reasons why, most have to do with attitudes.

No one ever seems to really know what's going on, it all just kind of happens and we hope for the best. I've kind of learned to live with that. Recently things have been getting pretty busy. We've had more receiving this week than ever before and shipping has been pretty out of control too. Usually you would suspect that this is because 1. there's a holiday coming up (Easter) and 2. because our centre is expanding. Which are partly true. But the real reason that we are having so much increase in work is because the union in the warehouse in Whitby is probably going on strike soon. (As in SUNDAY soon). So they have been sending more of their stuff to us as a precautionary measure. Which is fine. We have the staff to take care of it and everything is pretty much under control.

Last week they put a fence around the parking lot. Today the office staff had a meeting with management. They told us that its almost a sure thing that Whitby will be going on strike. Because our union is seperate from their union our guys are still expected to come to work. However, Whitby will probably have guys picketing our warehouse because the union is stiking against the company which we are part of. I guess it also has something to do with us shipping and receiving to them as well. I don't really know much about the union situation but in any case, this is bad for me.

Managment is not expecting anything too difficult to happen. Some of the people I work with think differently. The Whitby union is part of the Auto Workers Union (CAW) which is a very strong union. I have heard people say that things may get violent. Which would suck.

I have family who are in the (IBEW) and have told me that crossing a picket line is asking for trouble. There is a good possiblity of your car getting dented or dinged (at the least) or totalled (at the worst). You can be marked as "anti-union" and targeted even after the strike is over.

I'm not really sure that my job means that much to me. And as things stand now, I'm not in a position where I NEED a job. I'm not paying rent, utilities, food, or any of that. I have student loans and if as a last resort I can always put that on intrest relief for a few months.

But I also don't hate my job, and I enjoy MOST of the people I work with. I get paid pretty fairly. And I don't really want to find another job. Plus because I'm going home eventually I don't want to start a job and then leave right away.

I hate starting a new job and not knowing anything. Being the new girl. But I don't want to cross a picket line either. But if I don't then I won't have a job anymore.

The negotiations go until Midnight on Sunday so I will be able to get to work ok but they might be there, picketing when I leave. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if there will be a lot of people who want to picket the midnight shift. So while they might always be there when I'm leaving, they won't nesiccarily be there when I'm going in. So in theory this is not crossing a picket line.

I dunno I guess we'll have to wait and see. But I don't want to leave it too long because I don't want the people I work with to be left without an extra hand when they need it most but what else can I do?! OH STUPID "POLITICS" YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN!!!! WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?!

IN other news, I have learned today, thanks to Xu that my plunger bunny, who I thought was just some random brilliant creation is in fact some type of Anime character:

hey, i randomly picked this ultra cute site. the plunger bunny's name is MASHIMARO [we chinese dig this guy] and his worst weapon are his farts. -Xu

While this explains ALOT... (eg the plunger and other random comments in my guestbook and my notes that I didn't understand.

So thank you for clearing that up for me Xu! YOU ROCK.

Ok that's enough babbling for now.