Back on the Road by Greg

We will be leaving the RV park tomorrow. We have moved up our leave date and decided to forgo the drive to Texas to change our domicile until we get back down this way again. Jimmy has taken a turn for the worse so we want to get to Reedsport as soon as possible. Another reason is much better news. I had talked with SEIU about the possibility of working a limited duration position for them and I received a call yesterday from Donna Glather, a woman I have worked with extensively in the past as our co-chief negotiator at the DAS bargaining table the three times I was co-chair of the specials bargaining coalition and long before that when I worked a 6 month MOC (member organizing committee)position. She has funding for a position to help with the Marion County workers contract campaign whose contract expires June 30 and she has offered me the position. I hope to start that job on March 17. I am excited to get involved with the Union again and the money will help replenish our coffers after the expense of buying the car. We then plan to get back to the travels that have been put on hold by the first of September or so.

Other good news is that the judge issued a summary judgment dismissing Joe DiNicola’s suit claiming that he was entitled to overtime pay for the work he does as elected President of SEIU 503 .

Yippee!!! I felt the case had no merit but you can never be sure what a court will do. It’s a major relief. Now we will see what he does. I hope the Board revokes their order to him that he only work 40 hours a week and requires him to match the kind of hours all our staff put in trying to build our Union.

So two good things happened this week but they are severely tempered by the news about Jim. It will probably not be long before he passes on now. The world will be a sadder place without his humor. I will be a poorer man without his friendship.

We hope to get to Reedsport before next weekend. The weather seems to be cooperating so we will take the shorter route through Nevada. At 250 miles a day we should be there by Wednesday next week, barring any trouble.

Greg