It's me again!
While I won't have a complete head count until tomorrow, and I can't say for certain that everyone involved was genuinely striking for Roe or just taking advantage of the situation to enjoy the nice weather and a day off, I can say that we accomplished something significant.
The facility I work for had at least 20 people call off. I can confirm that of all the production lines there, only one was left partially running for part of the day. Our satellite facility shut down early, as most of the call-offs were from the logistics team that drives the forklifts and semi trucks back and forth, and couldn't keep anyone stocked with materials. At the satellite facility, I'm told at least eight called off, but that number could be higher.
Our neighbor, another factory (whose workers we all go to lunch with when the food trucks come through) had at least a dozen of their folks call off, including their crane operator, so I'm sure their bosses were miffed about that.
But what have we really accomplished? Well, within the next few days, a critical deadline is going to be missed. I expect our investors, some of them quite literally responsible for the SCOTUS disaster, will be miffed at what may transpire.
I figure it's a 50/50 I get terminated at this point. As I said before, if that's how it is, so be it. I'd rather risk termination than go on as usual knowing that my peers and I had an opportunity to take meaningful action and let it pass by.
We've made a significant statement, both to the company and to our community- that we are united in this effort, and will continue to be united in the future. Women's rights are human rights, and restoring those rights isn't just the morally sound thing to do, it's better for business when things aren't in a state of uncertainty and upheaval. I'm not scared of my employer, and I'm not beholden to them either. If we're going to build up a better America, we have to be bold enough to take the steps needed to make it happen, starting at home, starting with each one of us. For together, we can do incredible things!
This isn't the end; there is much work to be done, rights and dignity to restore, and people to inspire!
Organize, become the leader you'd want to follow, and become the change you want to see. To all of you, good luck!