My wife, the Republican, is turning into a labor activist!

[Aristus]

My wife is a dental hygienist. She's working right now for a community health non-profit. They're doing great work for the underserved and underinsured, but they're really pushing their people hard. Dental Assistants have a union, SEIU Local #1099. Dental Hygienists don't have a union. But both hygienists and assistants are getting pushed to and even beyond their limit in order to increase production. Stress is up. Harassment from supervisors is up. Absenteeism is up. Morale is down, and production is headed that way as a result. My wife, who is very strong and stands up for herself (and for others as often as possible) has advised the Dental Assistants to file grievances with their union, and to have union representation present at any and every meeting with management. And she has started to organize the other hygienists in standing up to management who try to force the dental hygienists to work beyond agreed contractual limits. She is promoting a slow-down at her clinic. Not a slow-down to inconvenience patients, or to cost the company unnecessarily, but a slow-down to bring production back to agreed-upon and contracted limits.

I've been going through this with her for months. But it was only just this week that she acknowledged the importance of organized labor in the workplace. Quite a turn-around for a woman who was brought up in the home of a wealthy, anti-union contractor. She was already on the path away from right-wing horseshit; she went out to make her own living and get her own education when she could have taken her parents' money and had an easy, idle life.

I'm so proud of her. Personally, I peg her as a right-leaning moderate Democrat. But when you come from a family of rich born-agains, you check "Conservative Republican" on the questionnaires.

Oh, and I think the gay singer on "Glee" is making her more gay-friendly, too. But I won't hope for too much just yet... B-)

Edited to correct the chapter number of the local union.

[JVS]

1. SEIU? They'll make a Socialist of her yet.

They're quite activist.

[Aristus]

3. That's the union for the dental assistants, not the hygienists. If there is a local union for RDH's,

I don't know what it is. But I was a member of SEIU for a few years while I was a Medical Assistant. It was great to have them in my corner. Quarterly cost-of-living raises, rigidly enforced sick and vacation pay rules, good overtime pay. It was great.

My wife didn't magically turn into Che Guevara, but she's taking important steps...

[tmyers09]

2. Glee is amazing.

And so is Kurt.

[Aristus]

4. I'm straight, but my heart really goes out to Kurt. He puts up such a tough face, but

he's so tiny, and so vulnerable. I just want to smash anyone who would bother him...

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. I can't wait for it to come back on!

[Odin2005]

5. WOOOHOOO!!!

:woohoo:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. My dear Aristus!

Oh, good for her!

And the fact that she's realizing the benefits of unionization herself means this lesson will really sink in...

Great news!

:hug: