retiring?????????????????

[glenn57]

so, this morning in the good morning thread i mentioned i was in a pissy mood, well things havent changed!!!!!!

this COVID  thing really hit our Union hard, finanacially. i deal with shops so it hasnt affected those members much. our field construction has been devistated. most if not all field work was pushed out, delayed or cancelled. the outlook for next year is also really bleek.

with that being said yesterday i was having a conversation with the boss man. he then asked when i was planning on retiring, so i told him my plan. the plan was to retire sometime later on in 2021, hadnt decided if it was before hunting season, or before ice fishing or work through the uglier part of winter and retire spring of 22.

after a bit i got this feeling, so a flat out asked when he wanted me to retire. he said this september after my 63rd birthday. he wanted me to get an agreement up in grand rapids after this 6 year battle up there. this felt like i got hit between the eyes with a baseball bat, and i really got this i dont give a f___ attitude now.  eesententially he is looking to eliminate the shop rep position.

NOW, i totally get the why part and why financially why, the international is watching very, very closely all local lodge finances and actually consolidated a local in the same town the International HDQTRS are. 

long story short......... this reality is hard to wrap my head around, as its not under my terms, or was in my longer term game plan!!!!!!!

ok i'll quit whining!!!!!!

[mike89]

dat suks but you will survive...   I didn't get to retire on my terms either..  hang in there bud!!!

[LPS]

I had planned on retiring when I hit 65.  You may remember my talking about it.  Well at work we got to talking about it one day.  I checked out my pensions and all was looking good.  It turned out that I was able to retire at 64 and go on my wife's insurance for a year.  I wasn't going to gain that much per month if I worked a year or two longer.  SO when I looked at my vacation time left I was done 6 weeks after we started looking into it.  Actually kind of a scary and quick change in my life.  Haven't regretted it for a minute.  With the Covid thing I have gotten a little lonely at times but can deal with it.  It is a big change not having the people to talk to each day like you do at work.  My wife still works so I am at home unsupervised every day.  SO it is all a matter of how the math works out for you. 

[glenn57]

the one thing he mentioned about maybe hiring me occasionally as a consultant.............but at this point in my life, i'm not sure i am willing to do that??

there isnt even a close comparision between the shop enviroment and field. its like comparing an elephant to an ant!!!!! i've poured my heart an soul into this job for over 13 years............it suxs big time.   

[mike89]

consultants can make some dang good money!!!! 

[glenn57]

well currently my thought process is if they think they can do without a shop rep..........let them figure it out.

[GrandpaTom]

Wow...IAM just reading this.  So sad in so many ways.  Luckily, I was ready to go and got a nice buyout.  You have worked hard doing you representation and this is a big let down.
Now, you have to look at it in several ways.  As disheartening as it is, you did your best and should be proud of that. 
It is very emotional for sure and the consulting thing can ease the let down.  IAM sort of still active with our retirees club and helping the DL flight attendants organize, and that helps some.
Now, another way to look at it, it gives you more time to harass the members here and also to drown some crawlers or lose some crank baits to the big ones. 
No more planning around work during deer season or any other season.
I hope you make the right decision.  Sad as it may appear, you will come to enjoy not going in or having to set the alarm anymore.
Good luck Big Guy.  IAM wishing you the best for sure.

[glenn57]

thanks Tom......gee.....wonder what that IAM means!!!!!!!

[mike89]

well said Grandpa Tom

[GrandpaTom]

thanks Tom......gee.....wonder what that IAM means!!!!!!!

My union brothers and sisters use that a lot in conversations on face book.  I know many retirees and we all share the same emotions.  Some days we miss the job, but most of the time find better things to do and move on.
You have some great friends here too and fishing buddies that will help you when things seem to be getting tough.
Hey, join face book......LOL!!!!!  Maybe you can help the Dumpsters campaign.   

[deadeye]

glenn57, sorry to hear of your predicament.  Sounds like you do have a few options.  I assume you will check if it's better to be laid off than quit to retire.  If your laid off you may be able to collect unemployment for a year or so.  Also, being retired isn't all that bad. 
I hear you about feeling like they just want you gone and don't give a rats patoot about what you have done but like Grandpa Tom said, its a common emotion.  I highly recommend retirement.  So far for me it's been great.  After 11.5 years I still haven't run out of things to do.  Of course now it takes me longer to do somethings that it did years ago.   

[glenn57]

Thanks deadeye. I don't believe a layoff is an option. I either retire of one day he says I'm done. I do have the option of going back to the shop I came from. I retain senority rights there. I guess if he tells me I'm done it could be a layoff. I,d get the max UI Of 740.00 but not an option in my mind when I'm eligible for full pension.

I don't think I will have some much of an issue bring retired, it's just not on my terms is the hard part. I had an agenda from now till the day I retired

[LPS]

Be glad you have a retirement option.  !!!!!

[glenn57]

Be glad you have a retirement option.  !!!!!

I agree!;

[LPS]

That alone makes everything alright!

[glenn57]

Well I guess my first 3 months of retirement is already planned. my wife said your going up north for the first 3 months. I can only come home for a few days every now and then to go laundry and reload food. I don't understand  I wasn't even getting under her skin.... Yet.

I told her to don't be threatening me with a good time.

[LPS]

Not a bad scenario.  Get it out of you system and calm down.  Then come home...

[deadeye]

glenn,
I did not retire on my terms either.  However, it did come to terms with retirement. 
Actually I worked for the same company for 36 years and then one day I open my email (I was working from home before it became as popular as it is today) and there's an email from my boss (she lived in a different state).  To my surprise, the email was to notify me that I was laid off and that I need to send in my PC to the attached address.  From then on I was on my own regarding how to exit the company and start training for another job.  I never got around to the training part. LOL.

[glenn57]

I'll get there!! thanks guys. I'll let ya know when I actually start looking forward to it. Just gotta lotta things to look into.

[Boar]

glenn forced retirementnsucks, im sorry my freind, but man i been fired 2 in 3 yrs and eachtime i approached as an opportunity..... 1 door closes onother opens. it will work out budy! we lov ya  dude, wer here for ya!!

[Gunner55]

I'll get there!! thanks guys. I'll let ya know when I actually start looking forward to it. Just gotta lotta things to look into.

When you get over the  , are done feelin like Rodney Dangerfield & actually starting to think you might enjoy doing what you want when you want, you might even find you have enough time so that 1 of your friends can teach you how to catch somethin other than those little sunfish & nords that your always after.                                                                         

[glenn57]

I'll get there!! thanks guys. I'll let ya know when I actually start looking forward to it. Just gotta lotta things to look into.

When you get over the  , are done feelin like Rodney Dangerfield & actually starting to think you might enjoy doing what you want when you want, you might even find you have enough time so that 1 of your friends can teach you how to catch somethin other than those little sunfish & nords that your always after.                                                                         

me likes them sunfish. Best eating fish there is.  Seems to me you like how them little norts turn out.

[cookie]

t can only imagine . That's to bad but I'm sure you will be fine. On a side note every think about forming a union to fight them?

[glenn57]

t can only imagine . That's to bad but I'm sure you will be fine. On a side note every think about forming a union to fight them?

funny guy..... on a side note, i'm kinda know as a feller that if a pot needs a stirrin.........i stir it. still thinking about later down the road to do a little stirrin. there is 1 shop rep and 5 field reps. when i leave no representation for our shops. not sure thats what they mean by representing your membership??????????

[delcecchi]

thanks Tom......gee.....wonder what that IAM means!!!!!!!

My union brothers and sisters use that a lot in conversations on face book.  I know many retirees and we all share the same emotions.  Some days we miss the job, but most of the time find better things to do and move on.
You have some great friends here too and fishing buddies that will help you when things seem to be getting tough.
Hey, join face book......LOL!!!!!  Maybe you can help the Dumpsters campaign.   

I got blindsided by a RA, resource action, even though I was planning on retiring soon it still sort of stung for a day or two.   But just remember that old saying about the hand in the bucket of water... 

IAM.   We used to play ball in their parking lot on Cromwell Ave in St Paul.   International Association of Machinists.    It was great.  Just down the block and there were never any cars in the nice blacktop parking lot except an occasional evening when there was a meeting.   
Now it is Highway 280 ...   

[roony]

Best of luck Glenn. You seem like someone with a lot of interests so I bet retirement will suit you well.I call my present job my "retirement job" since I only work 33 hours a week. I plan on another 5 years of it, retiring when I'm 70. I'm just finishing a week of fishing up near Orr and this not working stuff does have some appeal. Anyway, best wishes, it will all work out.

[LPS]

I've been telling the wife I would like to hire some kid for $10 an hour to help me do stuff around here whilst I sat in a lawn chair and managed!  Send me an application Glenn and I will go over it and see if you qualify!   

[mike89]

I've been telling the wife I would like to hire some kid for $10 an hour to help me do stuff around here whilst I sat in a lawn chair and managed!  Send me an application Glenn and I will go over it and see if you qualify!   

I don't think you could afford his "extra's"!!!!  beer food etc!!!

[LPS]

That is why I will start him at $10 an hour.  Will also stock the garage frig with Ol Mil Light.   

[glenn57]

That is why I will start him at $10 an hour.  Will also stock the garage frig with Ol Mil Light.   

:taz:well thats a deal breaker right there!!!!!!!!!!