In My Humble Opinion #1

Many people, especially college age students are unaware of just how important labor unions are. In light of the bargaining rights that have recently been stripped away from union workers in Wisconsin, I've come to realize how critical my own union's rights are.

I currently work for Kaiser Permenente in Vallejo, Calif., and being in the health care industry, many of the employees are members of the SEIU-UHW, which translates to the Service Employees International Union - United Healthcare Workers West. Every month, union dues are subtracted from my paycheck and I have certain rights as a union employee. There are also specific regulations that I have to adhere to and a contract I must abide by in order to keep my job as a pharmacy clerk.

Within the past six months, the SEIU-UHW has been flooding my email inbox, my mom's mailbox at home and my folder of work related mail through the pharmacy affirming the need to vote to keep our union representation and our bargaining rights. At first, I didn't understand what the fuss was all about, but after reading up on the protests and newly restricted rights of the Wisconsin workers, I understand how detrimental it would be to lose union representation.

For the union workers of Wisconsin, losing out on their bargaining rights is a huge setback. Thousands of state workers are now suffering from the anxiety of losing all rights within the union in addition to what's already been stripped away. Even though the union workers are not yet resulting in a state-wide strike, I think they are smart to stand by and be alert for what may be coming. What would happen if all the union workers in the state of Wisconsin decided to go on strike? Catastrophe would ensue, that's for sure.

Think about all the people who are union employees: health care workers (medical professionals, nurses, doctors, pharmacists), public service workers (teachers, firefighters, police officers, garbage men, state employees) and property service workers (janitors, security officers, food service workers) would all just go on strike and refuse to work. Now maybe not every single union worker would go on strike and there would be a few people who continue to do their jobs no matter what, but thousands of people would participate and that would have a catastrophic outcome for sure.

I think that the Wisconsin Republican Senate is aware of what could happen, but are banking on the hope that the union workers will not go on strike. If anything,the senate should be wary of what the near future may hold for the union workers of Wisconsin.

Word of the Week #6

1. superannuated
2. Access Magazine "Letter from the Editor" from Editor In Chief Hannah Keirns
3. "This superannuated, traditional structure was ready for a modern face lift and I was definitely up for the challenge."
4. adj; discharged, especially with a pension, owing to age or illness; too old to serve usefully
5. Even though my first car was a superannuated 1989 Honda Accord, it still got me around town.

Mystery Character

My character is a very wealthy man whose parents died when he was young. He has a double life – one is a productive night life while the other half of the time he is an employee of the company that he owns.

Some may consider him a stalker, but what he does for his night job is for the greater good of the community. He lavishly spends money, relies entirely too much on his man servant and tends to dress eloquently by day and roguish by night.

He enjoys working out, martial arts and you could say he is partial to hang gliding and bungee jumping. His many gadgets help him in one of his favorite hobbies: spelunking. People would call him a thrill seeker.

He has been known to get into a brawl on the streets and often is intoxicated in public, though because of his name and status, no legal action is ever taken. He keeps to himself and is wanted by the law for being a menace and is often imitated but never duplicated. He considers himself to be cut from the cloth real men are made of and will make grand appearances and secret elusive exits.

Word of the Week #5

1. Tinging
2. Spartan Daily A&E article "Indie artist soothes souls with 'Round Rhymes'" by Jordan Liffengren
3. "Lykke Li, Swedish rocker and darling, indulged fans with her sophomore album, Wounded Rhymes, by tinging the compilation with her signature quirky and ethereal indie-pop flavor."
4. verb; to impart a trace or slight degree of color to: to tint
5. When I want to make a black and white photo appear older, tinging it with tea helps give it a brown color to make it look aged.

In Class Leads

#1. Reverend lead - The resignation of the editor of "America" magazine came Wednesday under direct orders of the Vatican, as he published articles that were critical of the pope.
 
#2. Student drunks - Alcohol consumption allegedly contributed to destruction at Pacific Coast College over the weekend when rowdy students turned a weekend party into a demolition derby.

Fly on the Wall

It's just about that time in the day when most people are heading home. Those who can, stop on the way to save a trip out come rushing over and try to beat the lines. At 6 p.m. there is rush of impatient people that come into the Kaiser Pharmacy tonight.Because there are only four clerks on the clock tonight, 17 people stand in line to pick up their medication. One woman stands out among the others.

She has the look of stress and fatigue in her eyes and she's there to pick up the medication for her 4-year-old girl who was just seen in the urgent care department. As her daughter clings to her leg with tears streaming down her face, her mother looks like she just wants to get in and out as quickly as possible. When she gets to the counter to find her daughter’s medicine isn’t ready yet, the little girl lets out an ear-piercing wail and the mother takes a seat, trying to calm her daughter down.

Another woman passing by lays a comforting hand on the mother’s shoulder with a knowing look and the mother eases up a bit. Minutes seem to pass by slowly as the mother’s fruitless efforts to keep her daughter quiet fail her. Ten minutes later, her name is called and she rushes up to the counter to grab the bubblegum pink medicine for her little girl. Throwing her money on the counter, she dashes out of the pharmacy with her daughter trailing behind.

Word of the Week #4

1. Proprietary
2. Spartan Daily opinion article "Teach us to make the future," by Matthew Gerring
3. "I hate all the classes at San Jose State that either use or teach with a specific, proprietary tool that the instructor claims will determine whether or not we get a job after college."

4. adj; manufactured and sold only by the owner of the patent, formula, brand name, or trademark associated with the product.

5. My job manufactures different, proprietary medicine for various use, such as pain killers, antibiotics, and maintenance drugs.