My introduction to "the Union"...

[Noah]

First off, let me start out by saying how much I appreciate being able to "get out" certain stories that I often have a hard time describing verbally... This site has allowed me to record many of my adventures, some I would like to remember... some not so much.  This would be one of the latter, but a learning experience it was none the less...

... may take me a bit to put all the details of the story together...     so please bare with me HAHA.... 

Chapter 1:  Necessary Evil

... Having been hired by a certain maritime company(who had been forced by the union to hire union members exclusively)... I, in turn, was now a "union member".....  with a few signatures and a slap on the back... they told me it was only a formality, and, other than a nominal yearly due, I would never have known I was even in a union...  For the first few months the story held true... and then I was flown to union headquarters in Baltimore for a training seminar... my first introduction to "the Union"...

[Noah]

     As a naive "virgin" to the world of unions, I had no preconcieved notions as what to expect... other than what I had heard over the years... rumors, jokes, stories of the "mafia" type organizations...  to which I told myself, "surely, in this day and time, these are all just antiquated exagerations"... Myself, coming from a black and white, seemingly clear-cut free-market(non-union) background, well, I went in to this experience with my eyes wide open... as always... I would allow what I personally experienced to form my opinion of what it was to be in a union... without prejudice.

Upon arrival to headquarters, I was quickly sucked into the finely oiled machine that "processed" it's members as it had for many, many years I learned... When I say the atmosphere was strange... strange like being in some sort of time warp where a period in time was frozen, at a standstill...   The ambiance just had a "smell" of the early 20th century...   I quickly picked up on an "uneasy fear" that the "guests" of the union seemed to walk around with.... this chit was like nothing I had ever seen before.  I could immediately "sense" a bully behind the scenes if that makes any sense....

Entering the military-style check station at the front gate, it was immediately made known that the union was in charge of every move made... they had their own rules, their own regulations, and their own "enforcers"...  which I would meet soon enough...

[grittydog]

Question is are you still a union member? The union had a time and a place. I dont like the idea of time served gets you to the top, when Hard work should get you there.

[Noah]

HELL NO, not a union member... a man should get paid for what he deserves... nothing more, nothing less.

... I cannot sufficiently describe the "atmosphere" that existed within the headquarters... to see grown ass men, of all ages, visibly "scared" about what they SPOKE about... I quickly felt out what certain subjects on premises were "improper" to discuss publicly... again, being who I am... I could not resist this "pink elephant in the room that nobody wanted to admit to seeing"   .... and therein began my adventure....

[Noah]

Chapter 2 :  The Meeting

     So..  after my first day of odd warnings/introductions to this union I was apparently now a member of... I went to my (on-premises) hotel room for a night of sleep... no idea what was about to come....

... the next morning, I woke early and hit the gym, quite ready for my scheduled classes(which was the reason I was there to begin with).. during breakfast however, I overheard a few men talking about the "union meeting" that was scheduled later on that day... being a "union member" I immediately assumed I was invited and had my chair center front as soon as my last class ended...    ... I was intrigued by this "rogue" faction I had encountered.... and meant to study it's workings as thoroughly as possible while I had the opportunity...

... as men continued to filter in, the auditorium quickly filled to capacity... several hundred easily... now at this point, everything felt "quite regular" haha....  that is, till the "meeting" began...

... I'd never encountered such a "ritualized", old-school meeting such as this... as the "handlers/enforcers" entered the stage, 10-15 of them... I could not believe my eyes... the Italian "mafioso" stereotype was comical lol... greasy, pasta-fed good-fellas in appropriately matching obnoxious shark skin suits... "you've got to be F'ing kidding me".... I murmered to myself, as I sat there in my wranglers and cowboy hat.... 

... meeting was called to order in quite dramatic fashion...  with a loud "meathead" bellowing out, what was apparently the standard shpeal... went somethin' like this....

"This meeting is here by called to order blah-blah-blah... blah-blah.... blah... and so forth...." .... wasn't til I heard this last part.... "and if ANYONE would like to nominate a candidate for replacement of any board member or PRESIDENT".... my ears quickly tuned back in...

...The intimidating fellow went on to "dare" any attending members to nominate any members to challenge sitting "management"(for lack of better term).... now at this moment, I was simply in awe of the brazen arrogance of the beginning to this so-called "meeting"....  after the hooplah... with much extravagent prelude... the "president" of the union made his entrance to the stage... an old, fat, short, grey-bufonte-haired Italian fellow... the frickin' godfather..... YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

.... again... I was oblivious to this new world... I was there to learn, period.    ..... and learn quickly I did... the president stepped to the podium and began his speech... a "rah-rah" speech that was only derailed by the "peculiar man in the cowboy hat front and center" HAHAHA.....    He tried to keep going... but I could see a visible twitch as he glanced at my hat... when he paused I knew what was about to happen....    ... my hat was off before he had to ask me... he thanked me anyways... as the whole building held it's breath.........   

I could tell right there this dude was a man that carried much weight... pictures of him cozied up with Obama adorned the grounds... re-inforcing his "aire" of power.... 

[Noah]

... after the meeting, I was swarmed by sailors/fellow union members who were "extremely entertained" by my "interaction" with the president... as he was known to be quite "distant" lol... I, of course, laughed it off... until I saw the men begin to scatter as two "enforcers" came up to "talk" to me....

They wanted to know who I was... I told them. ... They explained to me the "way things were around here"... and I listened...   These boys were dead serious.     Very strange feeling in this day in time... let me tell you...

... as they left, the men..... MY men now  , came back in to see what the hooplah was about... I was immediately known throughout the whole union headquarters from that point on... I had the management's attention... and thereby the men's respect...  a somewhat dangerous position to be in I would soon realize.

[Noah]

Chapter 3: Ripe for a Coup

    Having seen the reaction to any sort of non-compliance to the "regime" lol... I could see "the men" were (quite enthusiatically)open to the idea an outsider who wasn't afraid to stir the pot...WHICH JUST HAPPENS TO BE MY SPECIALTY 

... a few days went by, as I went through the motions of daily life on the compound, I could see the "word" had spread about the "troublemaker" and I recieved nods from close to a thousand men/women that were on premises as I went about my business.... there was "talk" behind the scenes... "rumors" that I was going to have to live up to at some point... as it seemed I had been apparently elected for some odd purpose which I did not yet know....

[Noah]

Chapter 4: Where REAL Business Happens....

.... just a few days in, and I'd already managed to garner the attention(piss off) of the union leadership... par for my life it would seem  ...  that evening, a group of the men approached me about joining them for a drink and conversation at a local union establishment... which I obliged unbeknownst to the ramifications that would ensue...

When I arrived at the bar, there was a large group of people there waiting for me... it was awkward to put it mildly... as it was obvious they were there waiting to hear me speak... I have always had social anxiety issues, regardless of no reason to have it.... but I still occasionally do lol...

... as soon as I got there, I was greeted like a hero... the men, through rumors and what not, had come to the opinion that I was the "breath of insight" that they had been longing for and I played right into it like a damn dummy... like I knew EXACTLY what I was doing HAHA.... 

... that was, until a group of the enforcers showed up... "tipped off" to the "leader of an uprising" that was having a "rally" at a UNION ESTABLISHMENT...        Let's just say things were about to get REAL tense...
 

[jdt]

i'd a told'em to kiss my ass and went back home to work 

[Noah]

i'd a told'em to kiss my ass and went back home to work 

These ain't the boys to tell to kiss your ass JDT... these are the type you end up, face down in a damn river if you cross them bad enough....

... the men filled me in real quick on "how things worked" with this particular union... BIG money on the line, and these people ain't afraid to do what they have to do to protect their "kingdom" if you know what I mean...  this was getting real, real quick.  SCARY, SURREAL $HIT, but FACT none the less.

... As the "posse" showed up to interupt any possible "treasonous" talk about to happen... I, being me lol.... went for the jugular... 

... I knew that these men that had shown up to "break up" our get together were nothing but a bunch of brain-washed meatheads... incapable of thinking for themself... incapable of logical, public debate... this was gonna be fun.... 

[Noah]

.....  ...  I proceeded to call out my oponents.... and promptly bought them all a drink so as we could discuss our issues like gentlemen publicly(MAN I'm glad I had a crowd in this instance...  )

I went on to, basically, humiliate the "management" in their inneptness in describing how their abuse of power helped the average union member... let's just say, IT GOT UGLY.   By the end of our debate, I was literally hefted up on the shoulders of the opposition as the enforcers reluctantly left the building.... to go tattle on me to the boss....

With this great "win" in debate... I cannot deny I basked in the glory for all of about 5 minutes unitl I heard the first man mention something about nominating me for PRESIDENT the following day at meeting....       WHHHOOOOAAAHHHH  SON..... say WHAT.....

... a cold chill ran up my spine as I suddenly realized I, again, had managed to somehow get into chit WAAAAAAY over my head....

[Reuben]

I hope you finish the story tonight...

[Noah]

... I did not sleep a wink that night... I actually wedged a chair against my F'n door and called one of my most respected peers, who from Jersey, has/does still deal with this type of people... a people I had always joked about.... having had no contact with... but suddenly, things became much more serious... thoughts of my wife and daughter back in Florida flooded my mind. 

... as much as "idealistically" I wanted to be the person to "reform" this antiquated "parasite" of a union... my good friend helped me understand I was SERIOUSLY in over my head... I had been "chosen" by an opposition to the current leaders as a "figurehead" by which to express their agenda.... all while hiding behind me... 

.....didn't take much convincing to talk me into declining the nomination that was coming the next day at noon...

[jdt]

[/quote]

These ain't the boys to tell to kiss your ass JDT... these are the type you end up, face down in a damn river if you cross them bad enough...


[/quote]


 id'a still told'em to kiss my ass and ducked around a corner with a good noggin nocker     you handled it better than i would have . i've only had to work with horses mules cattle and dogs , and diplomacy don't go far with them 

[hogaholicswife]

I hope you finish the story tonight...

Mee too this is good reading....I have never understood unions although President does have a nice ring lol that is a sure way to really piss them off haha

[T-Bob Parker]

C'mon Hemingway, wrap it up! 

[Reuben]

C'mon Hemingway, wrap it up! 

well...he is still pecking away cause he is online...

[Noah]

Chapter 5:  0630 hours... Hell of a start to the day...

     I was sitting in a chair, facing the door  when the knock came... unsure of what would happen when I opened the door...

When I opened it, I was greeted with an entourage of meatheads who politely asked me to come with them for a "requested" conversation with the president...  Man this was intense $hit.

... he greeted me warmly, as any old, wise warrior would.   He looked me in the eye and studied me as we talked.   He asked me my intentions, and I explained that all I wanted to do was go back to my ship and do my damn job...  He proceeded to ask me if I was interested in joining "the family" and I VERY delicately declined... not my cup of tea...  could not (safely) tell him ideologically we did not agree...

... the "closed door meeting" ended as quickly as it began and I counted the days until I was finally able to fly the hell out of that "underworld bull$hit" and get back to REAL work...  it was simply one of the most "eye-opening" experiences in my life... there is bad, bad chit that goes on in our society to this day... hand in hand with our own government.... 

     I learned something on this adventure about myself...  until this point, I have always been a "burn it down" personality.... never afraid to go with my "instinct", which is to inspire and conquer...

... however, the seriousness of this particular "game" had possible implications on my family... which has become the defining variable in my life these days...

... was a ride that's for sure... 

(I apologize, in that, sooo much more happened that I'm still trying to comprehend... taken me several years to where I'm even comfortable talking about this for fear of retaliation.)

[T-Bob Parker]

Noah, brother, for some strange reason, your longer stories make me want to find a chzecoslovakian mime and roundhouse kick him in the face, just so I could do something more crazy than you.

I challenge you to a bucket list item. You must snare a bobcat and give him purple nurples till one of you cries uncle!

[chads7376]

Noah, brother, for some strange reason, your longer stories make me want to find a chzecoslovakian mime and roundhouse kick him in the face, just so I could do something more crazy than you.

I challenge you to a bucket list item. You must snare a bobcat and give him purple nurples till one of you cries uncle!

LMBO. Funny stuff there