LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / December 25, 1999

LAPLACE – For the Raymond Scroggs family of Devon Road, LaPlace, it was the good life. A nice, two-story house. A cruise for the family severalyears ago. The children in Catholic school and even piano lessons for thedaughter.

But then came Sept. 30, 1998, and life has never been the same. Unionworkers at Kaiser Aluminum in Gramercy voted to go on strike and for the Scroggs family, it’s only getting harder.

“We’re spiraling down,” Raymond Scroggs said. “Our life savings aredepleted.”His eldest son, Clint, is a business major at the University of New Orleans.

The family’s 18-year-old car is his transportation to school and to his two part-time jobs.

“This isn’t what I wanted for my children,” Raymond said, tears welling up in his eyes as he gazed around at his family and hugged 13-year-old Amber close to his side.

Wife Joanne has found some solace in networking through the internet with other strike-impacted families, especially through the “Spouses of Steel” chatroom.

She works at LaPlace Medical Center. Amber babysits. Son Jeremy, 12,plans to cut lawns next summer to help out. And Raymond does odd jobs inthe River Forest neighborhood.

“If I don’t get back to work soon, the children will have a rude awakening,” Raymond said. “Our investment is our children. It’s a hardthing for me and my wife to have to deal with.”Raymond has 19 years of experience as an electrician at Kaiser, but with his 48th birthday coming up in February, jobs for men his age are few and far between.

“You look in the classified ads and all you see are part-time and temporary jobs,” Joanne said.

The family tried to prepare for the strike months in advance, cutting back on expenses, but even those have been overwhelmed by the 17-month length of the Kaiser strike.

Raymond’s heard of hardships in other families across the country from the Kaiser strike, everything from depression to divorce to suicide.

Fortunately, the brotherhood of the union workers at Gramercy, plus church and neighbors, have sustained the Scroggs so far.

“That explosion at Kaiser (on July 5) put me into four or five days of deep depression,” Raymond admitted. “I have nightmares of that plantexplosion.”The impact of the Kaiser strike goes far beyond numbers of workers on the streets, Raymond said. “There’s 3,100 families out, and the company’slost $135 million in less than a year.”The strain of not knowing when or if the strike will end or if the plant will shut down for good “wears you down,” he continued. On the plus side,though, “the brothers and sisters at the union have stuck together.”He’s come to greatly appreciate his union co-workers and even feels sympathy for the salaried employees still trying to keep the plant going.

“Those guys at Gramercy don’t want this strike, either,” Raymond said. “Idon’t begrudge them.”Once, he recalled, Kaiser’s plant was considered one of the best places to work in the River Parishes. He left a job with Louisiana Power and Light atLittle Gypsy to take this job. “I’m too old to start all over again,”Raymond said.

Company founder Henry Kaiser took pride in his plants, Raymond said, and the workers at each. Since Kaiser’s death several years ago and the plants’sale to outside investors, primarily Charles Hurwitz (who owns 63 percent of Kaiser), everything has only gotten worse.

“He likes to fight, but I’m not a fighter. I’m a worker.” Raymond said.On the positive side of it all, Joanne observed of her husband’s enforced time away from shift work: “My kids have a daddy and I have a husband.”Raymond admits this, and added he’s had the opportunity to spend much- needed quality time with his children. “We’ve all become closer to eachother,” he said.

Clint, 18, said his friends are only slowly coming to terms with his situation. “I run into my friends and they say what’s up? I say, school andtwo jobs.”He said that kind of kills the conversation. He works part-time at bothLakeside Hospital and Eddie Bauer Clothing.

Amber, who has put her own piano interest aside after three years of hard work, is still trying to come to terms with enforced funds. Big brotherClint is more mature and understanding. “Credit cards are evil,” hecommented.

However, with solidarity from within and without, the Scroggs family is making it through – so far.

“Thanks to donations by the union and the community, we’ll have a Christmas,” Raymond said. “I just want to go back to my job.”

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