Jeff Reamer,

Allow me to clear something up since I’ve been living in a hotel away from my family since January 23rd and in bargaining with this greedy corporation fighting for a contract for all of you. The comments I’m seeing about losing 2 days pay, not being scheduled but having to picket, why am I obligated, etc. are making me sick to my stomach. This strike is an all hands on deck strike. The reason why is simply this, a strong show of solidarity over the next three days if this strike occurs could ultimately avert a long full fledged strike in the future. Trust me I know the sacrifice because I was on strike for 45 days this time last year and know that the $200 then $300 checks don’t go too far when there is no money coming in. That is what this is about, moving the Company on the issues at the table in hopes that we can avoid the last resort in our arsenal. No one ever wants to strike! But if we are to secure the gains that all of you charged your bargaining team to come here and get then there will be sacrifices needed to get them. This 2 1/2 day strike is happening for that exact reason. If you are happy losing thousands year over year on commissions, getting points that stay with you for a year and the potential of getting fired prior to exhausting your contractual paid sick days, paying crazy cost share in terms of your healthcare costs, having the fear of being replaced and losing your livelihood as AT&T closes your store and opens up an authorized retailer, unjust working conditions in terms of unfair scheduling and negative observations and the list goes on and on…. by all means take a sideline pass, don’t picket and complain about the $300 dollars you may have lost this weekend and the fact that you are being asked to step up and fight to ensure your livelihood. If you are willing to fight for change and improvements to all of the above the time to Stand up is now! Get on a picket line, and demand what we deserve. This is what it means to be union. There are 38,000 of your union brothers and sisters out there willing to stand up and demand our fair share. They will be out there this weekend as will I. I hope to see you there!!!