“All right, Guido. You’ve made your point,” Roxie sez, tryin’ to take another swallow of his drink before he realizes that it’s empty. “So what are we supposed to do about it? We don’t set company policy.”
I shows him the smile that makes witnesses lose their memories.
“We don’t set company policy, but we do decide whether or not we’re gonna work for the wages offered in the conditions provided.”
At this, Roxie lights up like he just won the lottery.
“That’s right!” he sez. “They control the plant, but without us workers there won’t be no Doggie Doodle to ship!”
The crowd is gettin’ pretty worked up now, and there’s a lot of drink buyin’ and back slappin’ goin’ on when someone just has to raise a discouragin’ word.
“So what’s to stop ‘em from just hiring a new work force if we hold out?”
That is Sion talkin’. As you may have noticed, he don’t mouth off near as much as Roxie does, but when he opens up, the other worker types are inclined to listen. This time is no exception, and the room starts to quiet down as the worker types try to focus on this new problem.
“C’mon, Sion,” Roxie sez, tryin’ to laugh it off. “What idiots would work for these wages under these conditions?”
“Roxie, we’ve been doing just that for years! I don’t think they’ll have any more trouble finding a new work force than they had finding the old one.”
I decided it was time I took a hand in the proceedin’s.
“There are a few things you are overlookin’, Sion,” I sez. “First off, it will take time to hire and train a new work force, and durin’ that time the plant ain’t producin’ Doggie Doodle to sell, which means the owner is losin’ money which he does not like to do.”