heartfelt rant from a CCU member:

Got this in the CCU email a little while ago. It was written by an anonymous messenger, who has been out there for a while now.

America is in the shitter right now… our leaders have sold us out and thrown us to the dogs for their own profits… we die and suffer in the streets while they take private jets back and forth to squabble over their massive fortunes… and we are all to blame. The American citizen is lazy, complacent, beaten down by luxury and apathy… the whole system is failing…

And right here, right beneath our noses, we’ve let the messenger industry take a nose dive… many of us live poverty level… working fifty hours a week and nothing to show for it except a more and more disgusted attitude towards life… maybe you remember when the money flowed and the good feeling was there and what it was like to work hard and have the paycheck to show for it… but these messenger companies have pushed us to the brink and they are paying us as little as they possibly can… like any less and you’d be getting nothing… and it’s because the company owners have nothing to fear… we let them cut rates, over-hire, and raise charges for equipment… because no one is speaking up… Standard Courier is a fucking sick joke… US Messenger is destroying Chicago… but you still have to go to work and make a living and if you quit someone will quickly take your place…

It is time to get your head out of the sand and start attending the Chicago Courier Union meetings. The CCU is gaining momentum but we need EVERYONE’s support… the CCU had a bad reputation for being ineffective but that’s because no one was putting in any effort except a few notable people… but that’s all over. A recent meeting had nearly 20 people in attendance… I guess being broke sucks and being broke will make you care… Rookies… we need you… Old school cats… we especially need you… WE NEED EVERYONE AND EVERYONE IS WELCOME…

Imagine being treated with respect in buildings… imagine being paid for busting your ass… in the freezing rain… in the blazing heat…. These are not fantasies… this can be a reality… It’s time to get our shit together before we work ourselves into starvation… We are not slaves… nor are we pieces of trash to be dumped on all day… we are citizens and strong and brave ones at that… Only a messenger knows how tough being a messenger really is… it’s not a game… sometimes it’s a millisecond between life and death… and we are not compensated fairly for our sufferings…

We are in this together and only a strong union can redeem us from this shitty situation… and all you have to do is show up and want to make a difference.

I couldn't agree more.