The last time I wrote anything here I was still at school studying Industrial Robotics Programming and I started this blog as a place for my own expression. My first blog was Post Genfast Nation, which was meant as a communication point for the former employees of our defunct company.
I took the opportunity on the Nation blog to rail at the local politicians a bit and then turned it over to Brian VanTilborg who was our local NDP candidate in the last election and is also running the Action Centre for the former Genfast people. Brian is doing a great job along with those helping out there.
I myself have been in a bit of a limbo. Unemployed and looking but fully aware of the state that the manufacturing segment is in. I have to consider that at this time there is a pressure to get 'a job' and yet there is a need to escape from the control over my future that 'a job' gives someone else.
I've had two plants close out under me with a third former employer gone down the drain this year as well. I have former co-workers that have been through five and even six closures of major businesses. So what do we do? The sad thing is that many of the people that I worked with were very committed employees. Twenty to thirty and some with forty years of service. These people devoted a major portion of their lives to a company and contributed meaningfully to the economic base of the city only to be told 'too bad, so sad'. Nothing can be done and your employment insurance that you paid into for all those years will still run out before you get a job and all the available training is geared for minimum wage, entry level jobs back in the same sector that just killed your future. Oh, and welcome to temp services, your twenty-first century sweat-shops.
Do I sound down? I guess I do. I guess I'll have to do something about that. Time to find that project that I started this blog for. Time to pick up my tired backside and get it into motion.
Stay tuned !
later......................dave
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