Round 2: FIGHT!

No. This is not a blog about Alex and Abby's constant need to box when they steal each others toys. This is a joyous blog about Josh's work life. No. Wait a minute. Let me rephrase that. This a blog about Josh's LACK of work life. I didn't really blog about this the first time it happened, but seeing as it is starting to look like a regular occurrence in our lives, I might as well write it down in blogger history. Josh was laid off from his job..again. Exactly how many times can a person get laid off in a year before it enters the ridiculous category? Oh well. He got his pink slip from his first job of three years when they started having a lack of work due to economic woes. This was in September. He's a part of the union so they put him on the 'bench' and said they'd call him when they found him a new job. We prepared for the long black tunnel of joblessness, fully expecting him to be stuck at home until the union found him a job three weeks later. To our immense joy, he was only out of work for three days when they called and found him his next ex-job (that is what I am going to call all of his future job hirings from now on. It has a nice ring, don't you think?) So this new job has numerous employees and ended up coming with a mass influx of overtime. So we thought to ourselves "Woo-hoo! A permanent job!" Ah, but alas...we were wrong. Of course, it didn't make sense to me. This job came with a strange ironic twist. He was working at the building of the place he first got laid off from. Odd. But they kept him very busy. He came home every night very dirty and tired. There was one point at which he worked nearly 20 hours straight.

*sigh*

So last week, he went to work. Just like he always did. On Wednesday, they offered him 8 hours of overtime for Saturday. On Friday, they gave him his bright shiny pink slip. The reason? Lack of work due to economic woes. So I said, "What?!?" I mean, seriously folks...how can a job offer you eight hours of overtime and then drop you for lack of work? Apparently the overtime fell through and they kicked poor Josh to the curb...again. I feel bad for the poor guy. He is in that infamous place. You know the one...between a rock and hard place. He's not permitted to look for a job in his field (HVAC-heating and A/C) that is non-union or he'd suffer the consequences of losing his schooling that the union so graciously has paid for. (three years of school down the drain would not be good) They would also make us pay for all of the benefits he has accumulated including tuition and insurance. We would also lose our insurance. He's not even allowed to look for a job that is with the union because the union doesn't stand for it. They figure it is their job to find him a job and he just has to wait it out until they do. But if he finds another job not related to his field, then he wouldn't get to continue school either. He has to work in the field to get the hours required to continue school. I suppose that's what you get when you sign your life away to a union. Ugh...what a mess.

So here we are...back where we started. He's only been with this past ex-job for about 1 1/2 months. So I think I might have to add a 'How Many Times Josh Has Been Laid Off Counter"on my side bar. I have a feeling the numbers will keep going up. Until then, I say...let the days of unemployment start...again. Round 2: FIGHT!