10-30-07

Hello. Been a long time, yes?

Life is going as usual. Well almost. We are on the verge of falling back down, but not entirely. Scott's job may be in jeopardy, so we are doing what we can to prepare for the downfall, but not so much until it is officially announced. So we shall see what happens. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Here's a story and I really need to get this out as it has been in my head for quite a while now.

January 2003: The last week of the month, Scott (Tool and Die tradesmen) gets sent home. His hands look like they had been dipped in a vat of acid. Its horrible. He hurts. He cant put his hands in water of any temp, but cool/cold is the one that hurts the least. I am 6 months pregnant.

February 2003: File for Workman's comp and find a lawyer. By the end of Feb we still haven't seen a check and its starting to hurt.

May 2003: Scott is told to return to work on the 19th. By the 21st he is sent back home. Hands are back to square one. Nathan is born on the 22nd.

June 2003-July 2004: Work with lawyer on getting everything set up, payments are coming just very sporadic. We get a monthly check, or a bimonthly check, hell we sometimes end up with a two week check. Makes for paying the bills oh so much fun.

Aug 2004: Workman's comp says you last payment was in July, we are sorry you misinterpreted our letter, but in layman's you are now released to look for a job and no more money for you.

Oct 2004: Settled. Received settlement check. Yay! Pay off my car, a few other bills and sock the rest away.

Apr 2005: Woot. Scott finally found a job. (Yes 8 months later, and no money inc. Good thing I socked some of that money away.)

Apr05-Apr06: Struggle with bills, as our savings is depleted. Scott is only making $8/hr and it is rough.

April 2006: Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Scott got a job at Chrysler. That is the place to be. And its permanent too. OMG. His first paycheck with 3 1/2 weeks pay at his previous place of employment.

May 2006: Chrysler says, "We lied." Sign this 2 yr temporary contract or lose your job. That's okay we say. We can do what we need to in the next 2 years. Hopefully.

Aug/Sept 2007: Rumors start flying as the national contract is up. The rumors are the ETE's (Scott's formal position) will be hired.

Right here......this is where it all goes to hell. GM gets their contract that says temps will be hired. Woohoo. Scott and I finally let ourselves down in the respect of money, and start talking about fixing up the house, and possibly getting it ready to be put on the market. 5 years is our goal. We talk about the vacations we will be able to have, everything. We actually start to dream about the future.

Oct 2007: Contract signed for Chrysler. No temp to perm status ever mentioned. Then it starts. The rumors of the parts suppliers being told that 3rd shift is getting cut on Christmas Eve. Now the rumors are ETE's and then the extra 400 more will be let go, starting around Nov 15 through the end of the year and 3rd shift gone.

We knew it was temporary, but howdy fuck you. It was nice not having to worry about money for a damned change. It was nice being able to go out to dinner on occasion, let the boys go and do fun stuff. Not ever having to see the look on their face when you tell them you would love to do this, that or the other but you cant because we have stinking money.

Scott has a horrible time finding jobs with the tool and die maker label on there. No one wants to hire him because they feel he will leave if he finds a job back in the skilled trades line. He even tells them, I cannot go back into tool and die, I have psoriasis now and I cant work in the fluids. Doesn't matter.

It was a 2 yr contract, we are only 18 months in. The UAW or Chrysler should at least confirm or deny the rumors. Tell us the damned truth. Don't lie to us anymore. We were prepared for the boot at 2yrs. Not now. We were also hoping for a perm position after two years. Especially if 3rd was being kept open. Just confirm/deny something please. Let us know. I hate living like this.

And pray that my husband can find a decent job quickly after he has been let go. $14/hr to stay with what we have. And that will not allow us to go out to eat or anything like that. I have one out and that's the truck we purchased after Scott started at Chrysler. Got it at my work. Paid $16k for it. It was worth (blue book person to person value $20k) I owe $11.5k on it, and blue book shows $17.5k value. I really don't want to sell that truck. I hope for everything we have one of three things happens. He gets perm at Chrysler (on the line), he gets perm at Chrysler (non core), or he finds a damn decent retire from job, within a month of lay off.

For the love of all that is holy, don't make me go through hell again. Please?