Fred Bear and the Union.

Grayling Mi was once the home of Bear Archery. Now anyone who has ever been to this northern Michigan community will testify that there is not much happening there outside of the tourist trade. So to have a manufacturing facility was a rarity for the community. The only other big operation in Grayling was the National Guard base used for summer camp by the National Guard. And this is where the story begins.

It was one of my first summer camps in Grayling. And I can remember riding by Bear Archery in the back of an army truck. Outside of Bear Archery were picketers. It seems that the workers a Bear were upset over their wages and their Detroit auto union told them to strike. So, there they were, signs in hand, demanding higher wages.

Of course, when you were the only decent paying work place in the area, people were waiting in line to apply for jobs. So, when the workers went on strike, Bear had no problem filling vacant positions. And in spite of the promises of their Detroit auto union, Bear did not settle.

The next year when I went past Bear, the strikers had a trailer parked in front of Bear and were setting up for the long haul. They were determined to win.

The year after that when I went past Bear, the strikers were no longer walking. Instead, they were sitting in lawn chairs with their signs sitting next to them.

The following year when I went past Bear, the trailer was still there and the signs were still there but the strikers were gone. I guess in spite of their Detroit auto union, the workers were giving up.

The next year, the trailer, signs and strikers were all gone.

Eventually, Bear got tired of the unions and moved to a state where unions did not control the right to work.  Lets hear it for the unions!

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