Thank you

So, as I posted earlier, the contract vote for the Indy Star guild passed today, on a narrow vote of 56-45. I'm obviously disappointed, as this agreement includes dropping the arbitration for the seven of us who have been waiting since last December for our hearing.

But rather than slink and sulk, I see it as a day for holding my head high. I can honestly say that I did everything in my power to convince people to vote against this awful, unfair contract. I (along with James Yee) spent the afternoon in front of the music hall, handing out flyers and talking to people as they went in to vote.

So, rather than vomit up a bunch of accusations and bile, I want to take this opportunity to thank my former colleagues.

• Thank you to the Guild officers who have spent months negotiating with what might as well be a brick wall. I know you hate this contract almost as much as I do. And I know you feel like this is the best deal you could get. There's a toll one pays in your position -- professional, psychological and spiritual. It is not unappreciated.
• Thank you to the other six of the "December Seven," as we have been dubbed in recent blog posts and conversations. I appreciate the efforts you made on behalf of all of us. No one wants to be tossed into a lifeboat, but having crew mates like you makes it a little easier.
  
• Thank you to everyone who took a few minutes today to stop and talk to myself and/or James Yee about our situation and how this vote affects us. Some of you I was meeting for the first time; some I already counted as close friends. It was satisfying either way.
• Thank you to those who voted "yes" on this contract. Yes, I know it may seem strange to be offering kudos to those who effectively sealed our fate. But I know that each of you had your own decision to make, based on your own personal circumstances. Were our positions reversed, I might well have voted the same way. My sincerest hope is that you never find yourself in my situation, depending on former co-workers to defend your rights.
  
• Most of all, I want to thank the 45 who voted against this contract, and in favor of keeping our arbitration. You chose to take a stand, and just because it failed does not mitigate the fact that you stood up for what was right and true. Bless you.