I'm glad to read that the French are resisting their businesses' attempts to erode their worker protection laws. As a member of a country that excels in fake work for little wage for long hours, I am glad that there are folk that won't put up with it. There were articles this past week talking about the riots that students (backed by unions and other groups) participated in that were incited by Chirac enacting a law that enables employers to hire and fire on an at will basis. In the past there had to a reason for an employee's dismissal. Now that protection was taken away for those under 26. Interesting some say. So what other's say. I find it disturbing. At first the young will be hurt, but if the common folk will put up with it and the companies see that, even the older generations will be in danger of their protections being taken away.

Think about it. Companies have figured out that the American public are tolerant of crap work for crap pay with no benefits. We as a nation are steeped in "Temp" culture. Trogolidites of the workforce, we are. We despise workers that find no reason to do their work properly since the worker knows that their hard work won't protect them from a "layoff". I'm guilty of that philosophy.

I have a strong work ethic, but my past luck had it that I didn't get well paying jobs. I've been lucky enough to find a permanent job with benefits with an ok starting wage. However, we'll see how lucky I am when I get to start my chemo and radiation. We'll see if the benefits cover the medical costs or even if I'll be able to keep that job. I don't know how my body will handle the drugs and radiation, so who knows? Maybe I might not be able to fulfill the requirements of my job even though this not under my control, but the company knows of the issues that I'm facing. So we'll see.

Now back to my being guilty of judging fellow disgruntled temp workers. I'm not begrudging of single parents. I know what a burden it is to be the main caretaker for a household. The person I'm thinking of was a single man with no kids who half assed his projects/assignments thus creating more work for the rest of us. Ok. He's not innocent either, but what I'm getting at is that the rest of us were being complaisant in the treatment we received from the company by working the overtime and following the rules of no food or drink at our work stations, no slouching, no searching through our cds for music( no down loading of mp3's or you'll lose computer privileges for good at the company), and no talking in between breaks. I hate the cubicle world. It was all grey with no windows to outside world.

Oh yes. The job was easy. We were in the lax department. I just couldn't stand the lack of paychecks and when we got them there were always hours or stipends missing from them. Why not get a better job? There are very few good paying jobs in this area. Why not move? It costs money to move. This is a very good place to raise a small family. Kansas does not for the most part hold to what I consider good family values or progressive, intelligent views of science and social issues. This is an oasis in a desert. Lawrence has a multitude of good and likeminded folk raising their offspring here. The Goddesses are a good example of that.

Now back to this gentleman. He hated the lack of concern that the government contracted company bestowed upon its workers. He acted out in his own subtly rebellious way. I applaud him for it and wish that more blue and white collar workers (myself included) stood up to our jobs leaving and wages and benefits being slashed like a Walmart sale on a Saturday afternoon.

Ok I'm done bitching. I'm just going to leave you with a poem that I found and gave to you a awhile back...

Little silver fish
Pointing upstream
Moving downstream
In clear quick water