An Open Letter From Speaker Gerald Polley
God's Candidate For The Presidency Of The United States In 2,012
To The World

06-08-02 AJ

   I'm asked to give another example of the trouble I had with unions.  Well, here's another little story.  I was working one year bouncing around doing little jobs and not really taking anything full time.  A very dear friend of mine owned a trucking company, and he was desperately short of help.  So a couple of days a week I was ferrying trucks for him.  Now, I can't back up a semi.  It's my dyslexia or something. But I can drive 'em straight from point A to point B.  So I was getting rides with drivers to some of the outlying terminals and bringing back tractors and trailers to the main terminal.  I got back one day and the union boss came up to me, as I was headed into the office.  "Gerald!" he called, "We'd really like you to go on full time.  It's not right that you're being paid far less than anybody else. We'd like you to join the union and make some long hauls."  I  told him "Not interested. I'm just picking up some extra money.  I won't pay a Mafia boss to work."  The union boss got totally irate.  "We don't like people saying that!"  he snapped.  "You have no right to say that!  Our union is in no way connected with The Mafia!"  
    I laughed and told him to get out of my face. I picked up my pay for that day and noticed the union boss having a heated discussion with the owner, and the owner only grinned.  A couple days later he told me "Sorry, Gerald, can't use you any more.  The union's causing too much trouble."   
    A month or so later, as winter was coming on, I took a permanent job.  Almost immediately I was put in charge of receiving the stock. Don't know why I always got this job!  But in almost every restaurant I worked I ended up doing it!  One afternoon a truck pulled in that was one of my old friend's. The driver immediately recognized me, and as we were unloading kept staring at me.  Finally I said "What is it?"  "Who in the hell do you know?" the driver asked.  "What do you mean?" I inquired.  
   "Our union rep has been transferred to a very undesirable location in The Mid West, and the new one is far more cooperative to the employer!  This all happened a little while after the union rep sent a complaint in about you!  Obviously somebody didn't like that complaint.  You gotta know somebody!"  
    I laughed. "A few people!" I told him.  That was about the only truck from my old friend that ever came in there.  I think somebody just wanted to let me know!  But as you can see, I've had my problems with union people.  
    There was another incident where I was receiving stock and the driver informed me that he just left stuff on the dock  "You'll take it to the storeroom," I told him, "or leave it on the truck."  He called his shop, somebody there argued with me for a few minutes on the phone, then the driver took the stuff to the storeroom and put the other stuff in the cooler, ranting and raving all the time.  A couple days later I got an annoying call from the man's supervisor saying he wanted to explain the principle to me of drop shipment.  I told him I needed no such instruction, and hung up.  A few hours later the warehouse foreman called wanting to discuss the same thing with me.  I told him the same thing.  Then I called that company's representative who was a very good friend, and told her I wanted this harassment to cease.  The next shipment I got from that company was a very polite young man who remarked "I understand this stuff has to go into the storerooms." I told him yes, and we had a very pleasant time putting stuff away.  When we got done he remarked "I understand I have to thank you for getting this route!  I really enjoy coming up here.  None of the other union drivers will deliver here. And the front office said find somebody that will.    They really don't like you!"  I grinned and answered "Good!"  The young man laughed and took off.  I never had a problem with that company delivering again!  Considering how much I purchased from them each month, I don't think they wanted me going to another supplier.  
    There was another small incident, too, same place. I was getting a delivery one day when the guy looked around and said "You didn't see this!"  He took a tub out of his truck, took a case of whiskey, threw it down into the tub and let the contents of the broken bottles drain out.  He put the box back in the truck, produced a big bottle with a funnel and filter, and poured the whiskey into it.  When he was done he looked at me and asked "You want some?" I shook my head.  He then proceeded to deliver my supplies.  As soon as he was gone I called that company's rep.  "Thank you!" he remarked.    Two weeks later my delivery was way late.  It came in so late I had to stay a couple of hours to take care of it.  The young man who was driving apologized when we were done.  "Really crazy day at our distribution center!" he remarked.  "Feds came in, arrested half the loaders, the supervisor, and half the drivers!  I don't think they'll be coming back!  I got started late and am unfamiliar with the route.  Can you tell me where the state liquor store is?"  Wisely, he had a map of the city and I was able to show him the quickest route of getting to the liquor store. "But they'll be closed now," I told him.  "Oh, no," the driver told me "they're waiting for me. They gotta have the stock.  Thanks again!"  
    As you can see, I've had more than my fair share of run ins with unions!  On average they have not gone well for the unions!  And I love it!  

THE END