Views & Opinions

My Thoughts

Friends:

    I am totally committed to our battle, but as it builds, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I am trying (and succeeding) to build a network of supporters to help us fight this battle. I am in contact with Jay Rockefeller's office regularly and I feel we have him on our side. We need to keep him there and we need to keep making our voices heard. I understand that Jay sent Kruger a letter about this and basically kind of threatened to take them before the commerce committee. I have asked to get a copy of the letter so I can share it with you. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED! I am being provided with suggestions of things we can and need to do (from people who know what works) to get this story spread further and further which puts the pressure on Century. We all learned yesterday that Century Alum is still actually Ravenswood Alum-just a name change. A name change because they probably could not do business as Ravenswood due to the bad press they got over the lockout. We need to do that again and being in Ripley yesterday  and on the entrance to the plant Thursday and our meeting on Jan. 19 being in the media has alerted Kruger and his cronies that we are out here and on the move. Because I am so involved in this and constantly on the computer or phone about this, I am getting way more assistance and attention than most of you are aware of. I currently have so many avenues to pursue, I don't know where to begin, but each and every avenue will progress our story and keep us in conversations of influential and powerful people. I am now in regular contact with Natalie Tennant's associate who really wants to help us and has given many many ideas. Natalie Tennant's husband is a congressman! I am desperately seeking our hero-that one person who becomes as outraged over this as we are, and if we continue to pursue every angle, I am confident we will find one! It has not been Earl Ray Tomblin or Manchin to this point, and we (I already have) need to let them know how angry we are about that! They sent reps to our meeting and we have heard nothing from them. They need to take a firm stand with us and quit negotiating with the thieves giving them our tax dollars in every kind of power deal, tax deal, that could be offered!  Even though you may feel we are spinning our wheels, we are building our network and getting many folks in our corner. We are being discussed by more and more people in power.  We must keep it going!

    As you know by now, I could go on and on, but here is my point. We need a committee. We need a group of retirees or spouses that are committed to take this on. There are so many important things we need to do and it will take me forever to proceed by myself. I am not complaining, please know that, but we are building our fire and we could turn that into an inferno under Century's behind! We need to sit down and plan our course of attack and I need help. Here are things that we need to do:

Get a list of Century Stockholders to send them a letter about our fight for our very lives

Send a letter to other unions and retiree groups to build our network

Build a press advisory with the media (Lou Ann Johnson from Tennant is helping me to do that)

Contact Joe Carter and Kenny Purdue with the UMWA to get their help

Get a story to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and other big media sources

Protest in Charleston-we need this to bigger than a bus! WE NEED TO BE THE LEAD BUS! We need 400 retirees to get 10 people that care about this injustice to join us in Charleston!!!!! That would be 4000 people! I can not get 4000 people by myself, but if we each try a little (just 10 people each) we could change our numbers and our impact. We also need to enlist these other groups I have mentioned previously. We learned yesterday that Tomblin has told Century that they will try to pass legislation this session  to assist with their power contract. Where's our legislation to save our lives?

OUTRAGEOUS! I'll bet the retirees were not mentioned in this meeting either! We need to put our governor on the fire and get us in these negotiations!!!! Refuse to allow our tax dollars be used to increase Century's profits! The larger our group, the louder our voice! We might get assistance from retired state employees-their battle is coming! We need our retirees that walk with canes and use wheelchairs to show who we really are!

Contact Mountain State Justice: The lawyer at Ripley suggested we do this. They are a very hard working group and we may find another avenue to file a suit against Century that does not necessarily pertain to our union contract or other avenues of pressure. My son used this group once and their efforts were impressive.

Meet with Darrell McGraw: This is a breech of a personal contract bigger than a bad car deal.

FLOOD THE MEDIA: Letters to the editor in every paper everywhere-power brakes, tax breaks-how much more on our backs!

Letters to elected officials: We have to stay fresh in their minds-over and over if necessary and demand their support! We need to find our "Hero!"

Reach out to the "Ed Show"-a national media source very pro labor!

Make T-Shirts: This will create conversations

Plan a huge rally at Fort Rac in the spring uniting all of our supporters!

More and More and More...........are you overwhelmed now too?

CREATE AN UPDATED RETIREE LIST and calling committee that are determined to make contact with their retirees. There are many retirees who are not even on my list.

 

Do you now see how overwhelmed you might become? I want to do every single thing I can to help us all win this fight and I feel people are seriously dying on our watch due to stress and worry, not to mention our friends who are no longer taking heart meds that could prolong their lives. I don't want to experience another SAM. I want Bryce to focus on getting better. The more "reality" we put with our story, the more real it becomes. There are more heart wrenching stories to tell and we need to get them out there! Please help me help us. I am trying so very hard. I cannot give up. There is so much to be done. I suggest a meeting somewhere that we just delegate and maybe create a committee that can meet regularly to implement our ideas and suggestions. We are getting great support from several people and we nee to do what they say. These people know what works. Let's set a date, location, and get busy.

I care so much,

Karen Gorrell