Comment

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 7, 2012 at 11:43am

Way to go Roma! We have become so acclimated by the feds doing anything they want no matter whose power some things fall under! Heaven knows the feds have talked about it.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 7, 2012 at 11:41am

Amanda, this was many, many years ago, and it wouldn't have mattered if there was a union or not. My parents gave me and my brothers and sisters a gift that cost them nothing: a work ethic and it was set by example. I said they were poor; I didn't say they didn't work their fannies off cause they did. I had a helper on Friday nights at the store, and when Frank and Marty went out to dinner, we used to work as fast as we could to finish wrapping everything in they put in the run before they got back.......every week they put out more, and every week the run was empty when they came back and both us us were straightening the counter and talking to customers. It got to be quite a joke with all of us, and we had a good bit of fun with it. Although I worked on Saturday, which was the busiest day of the week at the store, rarely did I have anything to wrap as we had done it all the night before. That is how I work period. No contests with others, the only person I ever competed with was me, so no, I didn't need a union to get paid a fair wage and have never taken money I didn't deserve. I straight out have always earned every dime I was paid fair and square, and I do windows too if that's all there is to do (cause I would rather be busy and if someone is paying me to do a job, I would think that might prefer someone who is industrious and actually works rather than hang out...........so don't even go there with me!

Comment by Tom Wright on July 7, 2012 at 11:35am

Pat Mc B,

I too, was a employee of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company 1960-1970

Started @ .75 cents per hour, became full time @ $54.00 per week for 45 hours,left them in 1970 as an Asst. Store Manager $ 120.00 a week.

Yes, there were some great people, however you are correct the unions caused the death of the A&P in Florida.

When "Retail Clerks" came in, the regular employees decided they would not work any more and only worried about when was their breaks, and what time they went to lunch.

As a Manager, we had to take up the slack, I worked 60-70 hours a week, until I just could not do it anymore.

Tom Wright

Comment by amanda choate on July 7, 2012 at 10:09am

So Patricia, did unions kill the A&P? What was it like working with those thugs?
As to our nation's drug, what a debacle. Look at arrests, it is staggering. The costs go beyond trial, incarceration do not begin describe the costs to us. We have the highest rate of incarceration in the world which is creating an entire class of people, ex-cons. In a tight economy they can't find decent jobs. Hell, Ken's son can't find a decent job. They are uneducated and unskilled and really it wouldn't matter if they were as employers are going to hire a guy without a record. Which is all bad for them, but worse for us. These guys are known as "turnips". They have kids whom they owe support, but they are unable to do so, which results in, get this, their arrest. Or maybe their license is taken, just as bad. We then have to help these kids, who through no fault of their own, find themselves living on the very ragged edge of our social cloth. We must be smarter than this, we must. But we will have to take a different view. This problem belongs to us all. It is non-patisan. For profit prisons are a loser because it builds nothing. At least state run system builds some lower middle class who can care for their families. Not just a rich corporation. I am willing to pay a little more so that prison towns like Starke, Lawtey, Belle Glade and elsewhere have citizens who can invest in their children.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 7, 2012 at 6:30am

Great commentary Ken, and true. I am so grateful for those who refuse to do the politically correct thing and just say it like it is!

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 7, 2012 at 6:29am

Wow, they say a picture speaks volumes and that graph is unreal. So, what is the solution? I can't image legalizing drugs, but if they were legalized, would it get them off the streets and away from young children? Would it make it less profitable for the drug folks? Would it make it unprofitable enough where they would dry up and go away?

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 6, 2012 at 9:56pm

Well, now I really am totally confused :). Someone said their son had a summer job making $2 hour............didn't they? Right now having a summer job at all is a good thing since there are few of them out there. And it was not Amanda that worked at the A & P, it was me. I had the job before I turned 16 and the day after my birthday I worked my first day and stayed with them until 6 months after I graduated from high school by which time I was going all over the area training meat wrappers and knew every meat cutter in the whole area since I worked with most of them. It was a good job and a good paying job, and the fact the company was unionized helped my pay quite a bit even though I was part time and was not a member of the union (but I made about 4 times what most of the others in my high school class did and worked very nearly full time in the summer when they put me in stores all over the area to fill in for their full time employees when they went out on vacation. Great job, great people, and since we were poor people, me having a job allowed me to help out at home as well as buy my own clothes .............

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 6, 2012 at 9:02pm

If Ken's son is happy to have a summer job, and he has agreed to that amount, perhaps Ken and his son should decide if it isn't fair...........or perhaps there are perks of some sort?  Or perhaps it is the only job in the area?  There are so many other elements that could come in to play or maybe Ken just wants him to work to have a feel for getting up, getting ready and being someplace at a stated time ready to work.  Lots of things go into the choice of a summer job when you are still in school.  Maybe Ken will share the story :).   I think perhaps we all had after school jobs during high school; I know I did (but mine paid fairly well since the A&P was unionized and even part time employees got bumped up pay because of it.

Comment by amanda choate on July 6, 2012 at 7:31pm

Ken, I was serious, if your son is only earning two bucks an hour then melon picking is where he should be. Fifty bucks a day.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 6, 2012 at 5:45pm

The young ladies that are accepted into Pace pretty much have to have the Payne attitude!

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