Union women, unite!

We all fall on hard times. With the strength, love and support we get from our families, friends, and community we make it through these hard times.

All the Union women need to stand strong and support our men for our future. We need to encourage and comfort them and let them know we will stick through this and ride it out. Our husbands deserve it. They are the ones that risk their lives to give us the best life we have. They need us to be strong and supportive, not working against them. Why would we throw it all away? Because it’s too stressful and hard at times? That’s what makes us stronger. It’s making it through together.

We aren’t just coworkers, we’re family! You think you’re miserable and stressed out now? Think of how miserable you will be if this contract goes though. The company will dictate our lives. In the past mining corporations have used their wives against their husbands to win a strike thinking we are the weak links. Ladies, let’s prove them wrong by standing strong and voicing our opinions. Get involved and help our men in any way we can.

HECLA’s greed won’t stop. They will not just take away $15,000-$20,000 of your hard earned money. They have salary employees that not have seen a raise in over 6 years! Think about it. How many of you stuck with HECLA when they shut down for a year? We were loyal to the company and it was hard and stressful, but we made it through it! If it wasn’t for all of the miner’s hard work, they wouldn’t have been able to sink the number four shaft or buy the 2 mines they have. The list goes on and on. We deserve better then what they are offering.

As wive’s (or significant others) it is so important to support EVERYONE as the strike progresses. Help your fellow Union members. Offer to babysit, schedule a play date, volunteer on the picket line, or help with the food drive. There are many ways that we can be reaching out to each other. But most importantly, stand by your man.

Don’t let HECLA push the new contract on us. Don’t let HECLA think we, as women, are a weak link. Remember that there are parts of the “last, best, and final offer” that could hinder safety, diminish our quality of living, diminish our healthcare options, and take away from our quality family time.

As the anniversary of the death of Larry “Pete” Marek is upon us, remember to be grateful that your husband has come home each night and that if we fail to stay strong, we fail to honor those before us who have lost their lives.

Angela Thompson

Osburn, Idaho