Return To Bountiful, Part 2
The hotel lobby seemed quiet in the early evening. I stood at the ornately carved, turn of the century, oak desk and tapped the brass bell on the counter. After a few moments, a tiny man appeared. I quickly noticed that he was dressed the same as the men I had seen in the restaurant.
"May I help you?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"I'd like a room for the night," I answered.
A fleeting look of confusion crossed his face for an instant and then just as quickly was gone.
"A single is alright?" he asked, turning to survey the dangling assortment of keys hanging behind him.
"That's fine," I answered, reaching into my pocket for my charge card.
"How much will it be?" I asked.
A smile creased the little man's face.
"Well, mister, since I've never see you around here before, I guess it's safe to assume you're not a member of this town."
"Obviously, but what difference does that make."
"Well," the little man said putting his leather bound desk register in front of me, "we get most of our clients from right here in Unity. You know--club meetings, special events, elections--you know, Unity stuff."
"I fail to see what all that has to do with the price of a room," I answered handing the clerk my credit card.
The little man smiled. "You see," he began, "If you were one of us you could stay for free."
"We don't every charge Uninites. We help ourselves around here."
I must have looked shocked because the little clerk added quickly, "We get some outsiders here from time to time, you know, people like yourself, and they do fine as long as they follow the house rules."
"Rules," I stammered. "What rules?"
The little man shrugged, "Standard stuff mostly; no pets, no smoking, no loud noises after ten o'clock and bathroom duty."
"What do you mean bathroom duty?!" I demanded, feeling my annoyance beginning to turn to anger.
"Just a little thing really," the clerk answered innocently. "You'll be staying on the sixth floor and six there's only one bathroom.... So all the guests on that floor take turns watching the bathroom for whomever is using it, for privacy."
"But what if no one is using it at all?" I asked, certain he'd say "bathroom duty" under that circumstance, would be unnecessary, but that was not the case.
"House rules," he smiled. "No sense in having rules if you're gonna break 'em. Your bathroom assignment is from seven o'clock to seven forty five. You'll find a nice chair outside the facility."
The little man handed me a key.
"You're in 6R," he said flatly and walked away.
I put my bill in my pocket and walked toward the elevator feeling twice as tired as I did only moments before.
"May I help you?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"I'd like a room for the night," I answered.
A fleeting look of confusion crossed his face for an instant and then just as quickly was gone.
"A single is alright?" he asked, turning to survey the dangling assortment of keys hanging behind him.
"That's fine," I answered, reaching into my pocket for my charge card.
"How much will it be?" I asked.
A smile creased the little man's face.
"Well, mister, since I've never see you around here before, I guess it's safe to assume you're not a member of this town."
"Obviously, but what difference does that make."
"Well," the little man said putting his leather bound desk register in front of me, "we get most of our clients from right here in Unity. You know--club meetings, special events, elections--you know, Unity stuff."
"I fail to see what all that has to do with the price of a room," I answered handing the clerk my credit card.
The little man smiled. "You see," he began, "If you were one of us you could stay for free."
"We don't every charge Uninites. We help ourselves around here."
I must have looked shocked because the little clerk added quickly, "We get some outsiders here from time to time, you know, people like yourself, and they do fine as long as they follow the house rules."
"Rules," I stammered. "What rules?"
The little man shrugged, "Standard stuff mostly; no pets, no smoking, no loud noises after ten o'clock and bathroom duty."
"What do you mean bathroom duty?!" I demanded, feeling my annoyance beginning to turn to anger.
"Just a little thing really," the clerk answered innocently. "You'll be staying on the sixth floor and six there's only one bathroom.... So all the guests on that floor take turns watching the bathroom for whomever is using it, for privacy."
"But what if no one is using it at all?" I asked, certain he'd say "bathroom duty" under that circumstance, would be unnecessary, but that was not the case.
"House rules," he smiled. "No sense in having rules if you're gonna break 'em. Your bathroom assignment is from seven o'clock to seven forty five. You'll find a nice chair outside the facility."
The little man handed me a key.
"You're in 6R," he said flatly and walked away.
I put my bill in my pocket and walked toward the elevator feeling twice as tired as I did only moments before.
posted by A Strong, Proud UTP Member at 7/21/2006 08:13:00 PM
2 Comments:
The message is clear, Unity must go! We need to rid ourselves of the people that keep this union weak and complacent. If we don't we will continue to witness a steady decline in our working conditions and our rights. More contract negotiations are on the way. If we don't do something soon, we'll all be screwed ( and not in a good way).
This is a very disturbing story. I realize that it's a work of fiction but the point it makes is only too real. The attitude presented by Unity to the rank and file is one of "take it or leave it" arrogance and total dominance. Unity wants submissive members who will just shut up and pay their dues.
The Unity leadership has failed its members repeatedly and no matter how much positive spin
they put on it the record speaks for itself. I was pro-Unity up until the last contract but when the current contract was being pushed by our union leadership I lost all confidence in them.
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