I left Erie, PA after midnight on Sunday to come for the March. The 12 Unions that represent the employees of General Electric had the Nation Contract Negotiation Rally which was hosted by my Local of the United Electrical Workers UE 506. The news there was no surprise, even though GE did not pay any federal taxes, they still do not have enough money. The want to shift the costs of healthcare and pensions to the workers. They want us to screw the new guy and sell her into a two tier wage system. And more...
The mood was the most militant I have heard in my 22 years of working there. We hope a strike is not necessary, but I won't live on my knees. And by the sounds of our Rally's roaring and chanting, I was not alone.
I arrived at around 11:00 am, and checked in. I am working with the media team and the transportation crew. I will be pulling the "honey wagon," the trailer with the porta potties for the marchers en route. I thought that would be a very exciting job, but they told me that I am to go head of the marchers and park it. I had promised not to go fast while someone was using the porta potty, but I guess that was not in the plan. They aren't as much fun as I hoped.
I have heard many different reasons for people participating in this event. In my case, I see it as a DFH trifecta of the Environment, Preservation of Historical sites, and Labor Rights, all defended against the depredations of the greed of the wealthy and the corporations. As a DFH, I feel compelled to get involved with such a group of worthy causes. But I also have some personal experiences with the hills.
I was born and raised in south western Pennsylvania, and grew up in Washington County. My old school and church were both for a time closed and repaired because of mine subsidence caused by the lack of pillars left behind. A mine ventilation shaft painted the trees white in the winter with billowing plumes of moisture saturated air, like the breath of a giant coming out of mother earth on a cold day. As a child, passing that landmark in the woods beside the main road to and from both church and school, was something that is burned into my mind's eye.
Little did anyone realize back then that the symbol of man having his way with mother earth would be the cause of the literal collapse of both the moral foundation and educational backbone of my community. But that literal collapse was not a figurative collapse, because our community was able to come together to surmount those adversities. Temporary alternatives were found while the fixes were decided and made. The social fabric was maintained.
Not all communities are so lucky. With MTR, the communities disappear. The land disappears. The water, the soil, the trees, the wildlife, all gone. These are the loom that is required for a social fabric to be created or maintained. And so, a culture is destroyed. A community disappears. And the people move on, to a strange and new life. Without the hills that had united us, nutured us, was our soul. Another mountain becomes a molehill.
I hope to be able to give a daily report on the March. I will include pictures. I hope you find this worth following, if not for my words, then for the actions taken here to better all our lives. I look forward to sharing this experience withyou all. I will leave you with a picture of our Rally in Erie.