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Post by Judge Sam on Jul 6, 2009 20:05:21 GMT -5
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Post by Judge Sam on Jul 6, 2009 20:07:53 GMT -5
The time had come for one of the most important events in the history of the Burg Factory to take place: the authorization election for the Union.
Yes, the members of the International United Brotherhood of Accomplished Auto Assemblers – Burg Chapter, had been assembling and organizing for a long time. But the group, also known as IUBAAA, was not an official, authorized union in the eyes of the law.
Right now they were just an informal group, a collection of kids meeting after school in a teacher’s classroom. In order to use that all-powerful PA system and gain the benefits that come with it, they would need to become an official, school-sponsored club.
And to do that they needed to have an election. In the election the workers of the Burg Factory would vote whether to give the union authorization in negotiations with the owners on all matters of pay, job conditions, and employment details.
A union election for authorization is one of the biggest events that takes place in the struggle of employers versus unions. Once the union gets that authorization everything is on the table and it’s just about certain that lot of things are about to change. It is for that reason that the management will do everything in their power to get 51% of the workers to vote no on the election. They need that ‘no’ vote. The election is the climax, the ultimate moment, the final battle.
And McNeal and his cronies were ready to fight.
SAFE:  VULNERABLE:    |
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Post by Judge Sam on Jul 6, 2009 20:13:01 GMT -5
“I don’t know…” Boris said, eyes wandering off into space, as he tried to vocalize his initial opposition to union authorization. “I mean what we have now, is it really that bad? Supervisor Amy told me that if the union takes control, everything goes on the table… from my hours, to my pay, to even holidays. I’m living paycheck to paycheck, I don’t know if I can afford a sudden change.”
“Boris that’s ridiculous,” responded Pete, who was in line to become a union officer if the elections came through. “You don’t really listen to all those propaganda-filled newsletters they send to our homes every week do you? Those ‘factory updates’ are designed specifically to weaken our morale!”
“Well, at the last employee meeting Overseer Vivian called, she told us that…”
“I can’t believe anybody listens to that crap!” yelled Pete, stomping his foot and turning away. “Those ridiculous meetings the management forces us to go to every week… they are engineered to take control away from us and give it back to McNeal. It’s filled with lies, bullying, fear… I never really thought anyone took them seriously, but I guess…”
Pete was cut off by a loud explosion that took place in a far away part of the factory.
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Post by Judge Sam on Jul 6, 2009 20:17:15 GMT -5
“I can’t believe you people!” McNeal screamed at the workers who had assembled to view the carnage. “Are you really that despicable? It is unbelievable that the union would go this far - egregious vandalism - to get what it wants! What kind of people would do such a thing?”
The workers looked at each other questioning, wondering if one of their own had set off the bomb and caused this mess.
No one owned up to anything.
“This is going to cause huge setbacks in production. Setbacks like you wouldn't believe. We’re going to need all of you to work overtime until I figure out which one of you made this mess and vandalized my property! Whoever did it better fess up!” McNeal said.
Silence was the response.
“Oh, you’re going to get it, that’s for sure.” McNeal continued. “Until I figure out who it is that did this, everyone will be punished.”
The workers looked at each other, wondering which of them would go so far as to set a bomb in the factory. Sure people were angry at what had been happening lately… but was someone really this deranged? Someone could have gotten hurt! The workers looked at each other suspiciously, fearful. And upset, that now they would be forced to work overtime for someone else’s criminal activity.
Meanwhile in the background, Pinkerton agent Charlie brushed the soot off his fingers, threw away the leftover fuse and matches, and cackled.
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Post by Judge Sam on Jul 6, 2009 20:22:49 GMT -5
It had been three weeks since the bomb went off in the factory. The immediate aftermath of the explosion was bad, to be sure, but it was the long-lasting effects that got to Georgia. Security had been ramped up. Additional private police had been brought in, not to protect the workers, but to watch over them. Georgia was under surveillance constantly as she went on her daily activities. Now she was forced to carry a hall pass if she wanted to walk around, a pass that would rarely be signed by the supervisor.
The constant presence of security guards created an atmosphere of fear which lowered the morale of the union significantly. Everyone became more suspicious of each other.
The union authorization election was now only a week away and the tension was palpable. The workers felt the tension of the bigwigs as power seemed to be slowly but surely switching sides. With each day that passed, the silent resolve of the workers put the management on edge. McNeal didn’t like to think about what would happen if they lost the election.
It gave him the heeby-jeebies.
In fact, through some nefarious methods*, McNeal had discovered that the outlook for him to defeat the authorization election was not good. It was going to be close but the advantage was in the worker’s favor. It was now time for McNeal to pull out all the stops. Full on no holds barred do everything they can to get that 51% and maintain complete control.
It was time for the ultimate offensive. It was time to throw out there the most meticulous strategy, to pull the trump card. It was time for the full force of the Pinkertons to shine.
It was time to whine.
SAFE: VULNERABLE:   *more on this in an upcoming post |
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Post by Judge Sam on Jul 6, 2009 20:28:17 GMT -5
“Please, my friends, please!” McNeal whined plaintively as he stood in front of a podium before the entire workforce of the Burg. “Please don’t do this to our beloved company! I know I have wronged you in the past. More than wronged – I have done terrible things, to this company and to your families. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”
McNeal wiped away a tear as he held his audience’s rapt attention. With every word he spoke so passionately, more and more became enthralled in his speech.
“I am so sorry. Please give me a second chance. I was new to this whole management thing… I didn’t know what I was doing. I made so many bad decisions. I took you all for granted… I am so glad that you decided to work together and form a union. It was the right thing to do. Because you know what? If you hadn’t, I might have still gone with my harmful ways and never realized how wrong I truly was. It took your persistence, your courage, your heart and soul to show me the right way to run this company.”
“Because in the end,” McNeal continued. “It isn’t about record-setting profits, or company expansion, or me and my lieutenant’s personal bank accounts. This, this whole thing,” McNeal motioned to the factory around him, “This whole thing is about one thing: The Burg. You. Our home.”
A rapturous round of applause filled the room as smiles broke out over everyone’s faces. Maybe McNeal had come around, maybe he had learned his lesson. Maybe things were going to get better.
“That is why I have listened to the union leaders, listened to their concerns and am proud to announce that several of their recommendations will be taken on board. Most of their major concerns will be addressed and implemented. The thing is, you know, these things take time… while we will be working non-stop to make these changes I ask your patience as we work our hardest to put all of them into force.”
The audience nodded.
“But before we can do that we have the union election coming up in a few days… and if the union were to take over control before we could implement all your suggestions, it would all be for naught… So please, give us one more chance. One more chance to bring things back to where it was when Peabody was here.”
"I promise you, everything will go back to the way it was. Things will get better. Already things are changing. Just give us a chance."
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Post by Judge Sam on Jul 6, 2009 20:34:03 GMT -5
Would the workers believe McNeal’s sudden change of heart?
Can the management be trusted with all their oddly-timed concessions just days before the union authorization election?
Of course not.
And to punctuate the point, as soon as he stepped off of that podium, McNeal decided he had a special kind of revenge in store for one member of the union.
He gave the orders to an agent and the bomb-making evidence was planted in this worker's locker.
And someone was going to jail.
Ariel has been fired and Imprisoned by the Spies.
You will never see her again. [/b][/center] Ariel : please post Final Words in your confessional immediately. Judge Sam: “Another star has fallen. Ariel your star burned brightly from day one – literally! You came storming out of the gates with your relentless determination to remain active in an internet chat room longer than anyone else. You weren't even sure what you were going to win - you just knew that you wanted to be the winner. With that win it catapulted you into the public eye – and put the focus on you again when you chose to save Roxy at Exile #1. You rode that wave until Yvette got Exiled and you went on vacation, and when you came back, things didn’t seem the same. Bickering was omnipresent and your suspicions of Rey were discarded. It wasn’t until just recently that you were restored to your previous place (and did very well in another challenge), and it’s depressing that this time the Spies got you before the restoration was complete. =/ It was really great having you play, Ice Queen. You brought so much positive energy and just so much fun to the game it will be missed. From your trivia games in chat, to your friendships, your great confessionals, to constant activity. I will miss your little red-headed character in the game but I’d love to chat with you more outside the game, that is if you aren’t still upset at me for that little immunity trick I played haha. Sorry about that!"  Judge Sam: “And with that Ariel joins Rey in the loser’s lounge, where I’m sure there will be a joyous reunion between the two at last. The Time Capsule will be posted shortly, with a few entries going up today and more forthcoming over the upcoming days. We now have another chance to catch a Spy and reduce their numbers to two. Episode #9 is a standard voting round. Exile #9 will be held live at Wednesday 9:00 PM CDT– votes will be due before then.” Ten thousand times has the labor movement stumbled and fallen and bruised itself, and risen again; been seized by the throat and choked and clubbed into insensibility; enjoined by courts, assaulted by thugs, charged by the militia, shot down by regulars, traduced by the press, frowned upon by public opinion, deceived by politicians, threatened by priests, repudiated by renegades, preyed upon by grafters, infested by spies, deserted by cowards, betrayed by traitors, bled by leeches, and sold out by leaders, but notwithstanding all this, and all these, it is today the most vital and potential power this planet has ever known, and its historic mission of emancipating the workers of the world from the thralldom of the ages is as certain of ultimate realization as is the setting of the sun.
-Eugene V. Debs [/size] |
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