[TheForge] insurance

[Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer]

It was a fine idea Jerry!
Good going.

Jerry Frost wrote:
> 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
>>
> 
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