[TheForge] insurance

[Jerry Frost]

I sure hope it works Rome. If the thought helps folk I'll be as happy as 
I've been in a while.

After I'd hit the "send" button I realized calling it "collective 
bargaining" might have some negative connotations maybe a percieved "Union" 
connection. If that happens maybe a slight term change would fix poor 
connotations, something like, "Strength in Numbers".

What I was thinking when I made the suggestion was more like getting 
together with your neighbors, signing a letter of agreement and then going 
shopping for home owners insurance. I was of course speaking about shop 
owners getting together specifically but anyone with similar needs can get 
together and negotiate virtually anything. For example; farm coops do so in 
almost every manner from negotiating for groceries, feed, seed, farm 
equipment, cars & trucks, utilities, insurance, and many things I can't 
bring to mind.

This is making me think on the lines of the "United Blacksmiths of America" 
(name is just off the top of my head and unimportant) as a coop. We could 
negotiate insurance coverage and premiums of course but how about  other 
stuff like ;lobying for Zoning variances, materials, machinery, truth in 
advertising, etc. I'm sure lots of us have seen cast, stamped, punched or 
otherwise mass produced pieces of painted metal advertized as "Forged" Maybe 
we can do something about that bit of BS. (Not the good kind of B.S of 
course. <grin>)

What the hey, blacksmiths are supposed to be stronger than average folk so 
what might happen if a bunch of us got together? Like I said, strength in 
numbers.

Hoping for the best,
Frosty the Lucky.
-------------------------
If it ain't forged
It ain't real
wrought iron is
The Frostworks



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rome H. Hutchings" <tpimg at tds.net>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2010 1:40 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] insurance


> Frosty, thanks for pointing out the collective bargaining chip.  ABANA
> will be rolling out a member survey on shop insurance to see what the
> membership wants/needs/requires and how many will be interested in
> calling the collective bargaining chip into play.
>
> Look for the to happen within the next two weeks.
>
> Best,
>
> Rome H. Hutchings, President
> Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America
> Chairman, ABANA Member Services Division
> The Prairie Forge
> 13633 Ferman Ave NW
> Clearwater, MN 55320
> (763) 878-1694 Home
> (763) 482-1181 Cell
> (763) 878-1720 Fax
> rome at abana.org
>