I've never seen one. It's not something anyone has ever talked about around me as far as I remember. I think I have some sort of diploma from passing a mandatory apprentice school (with no actual cutting at the school), but no card. Is this something you used to be able to take with you anywhere and get a job as a journeyman by showing it?
-- Edited by Burgermeister on Wednesday 19th of June 2013 07:03:45 PM
Burgermeister back in 1970 was when i got mine with Amalgamated MeatCutters (AMCBW) your picture was on the left side and it had your name and under it said so & so was a journeyman meat cutter in good standing. your dues stamps was put on the back, seems like to me the stamps stop around 73, dues were collected from the company then. And you had to have a health card, I think we had to go get a new health card every 6 months from the Health Dept.
I held one, and I still have it. It was issued to me in May of 1970 by the Amalgamated Meatcutters and Butcher Workmen of North America and Canada, AFL-CIO, Local 196. (I know that "North America and Canada" is kind of redundant but that was the name. The independent chain I worked for at the time, Fernwood Markets, was non-union up to that point. When the union got in, not one of those picketing was a company employee but it was a different era.
-- Edited by jimhenry2000 on Wednesday 19th of June 2013 09:27:42 PM
burger, its ironic discussing unions, and seeing your signature book photo-that book (the jungle) is credited for changing labor laws, and introducing unions it was a big deal, back in the day child labor, a 40 hour work week-company owners also being slum lords, the workers always owed money to the boss-man sanitation, workplace safety laws, this book influenced many many areas
burger, its ironic discussing unions, and seeing your signature book photo-that book (the jungle) is credited for changing labor laws, and introducing unions it was a big deal, back in the day child labor, a 40 hour work week-company owners also being slum lords, the workers always owed money to the boss-man sanitation, workplace safety laws, this book influenced many many areas
I finally read The Jungle about 15 years ago. I had been meaning to read it long before that. A very good book, but near the end, I got the feeling the author had a hidden (or not so well hidden) agenda to promote socialism, rather than just improve the many things you mentioned.
I never got a journeymans card, but they gave me a retirement card from the Amalgamated meat cutters local 464 when I left to move to florida. It introduced me as a journeyman meatcutter and a brother union member to whomever I might want to join as a union member under another local.
