Early Action

Tonight is the night my union goes head-to-head with the school board in what will hopefully be the final round of contract negotiations.  As an effort to bring attention to these negotiations,  in our 7th month without a contract, the union staged an awareness action for this morning.

Today is "Work to Contract" day, meaning that as a show of solidarity, we are not to be in the building before 7:16 am or after 2:12 pm.

I got a call last night, reminding me of the details of this morning's action: 1). meet in the parking lot at 7:10 am dressed in black so that 2). at exactly 7:16 am, the union can enter the building in our show of solidarity.

I woke ten minutes early so that I could start my hour commute earlier than normal and be in the parking lot by 7:10 am, dressed in black, to stand in solidarity with my fellow union members.

As I pulled into the parking lot at 7:08, I saw a black mass walking toward the entrance of the building.

As I got out of my car at 7:09, the last few figures were entering the building. I looked around the parking lot and counted at least 14 other people exiting their cars,  at what they thought was on time to join the beginning of the action.

Is the clock in my car registering the wrong time?  I double checked it against my cell phone, which I then triple checked against my watch.

All told the same time.

When I signed the attendance sheet in the main office, the time was 7:11 on the school clock, which I quadruple checked against my clocks. 

All told the same time: 7:11 - one minute after the announced parking lot meeting time and five minutes before the start of the contract.

So much for Work to Contract Day.

So much for solidarity.

Thanks, guys.