Then came the surprise. The company said it had no further offer. Did the workers want to vote again? No, said the union leaders. We can't have a vote unless the company makes a different and better offer. The company's response: That was our final and best offer! Company executives unveiled plans to close down the plant over the next three years.
The workers were shocked. There was a flurry of activity, including an abortive attempt at a late-night revote. One of the top union officials resigned.
The company met with union members. And then a second vote was scheduled -- on the very same proposal -- for the Thursday and Friday before Labor Day weekend. Late Friday night, the results, though not the voting tabulation, were released. The original contract deal was approved.
The company issued a statement saying it would now transfer some of the Oklahoma jobs to its home plant in Wisconsin as a result of the vote. There was just too much capacity for demand.
You see this story is more than a fable. It's a real-life example of the pressures that are hitting businesses and workers at all levels of our economy. This is a true story that played out in the last month at Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corp. that is headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wis.
"We accept the union's ratification of our contract proposal," said Mark Schwabero, president of Mercury Marine. "As we've stated throughout this important process, comprehensive changes to wages, benefits and operational flexibility are necessary for Mercury to effectively compete in a smaller and fundamentally changed marketplace."
The moral of this story?
Ask Archimedes, who demanded a lever and a place to stand in order to move the world: Leverage only works if you have a strong place to stand.
This Labor Day, with unemployment nearing 10 percent, the moral of this fable applies to you -- or someone very close to you. And that's The Savage Truth.