It is easy to succumb to the doldrums in the deep midwinter with water like a stone. The merry heart of Christmas is obscured by the dark days and thoughts. We are like the Energizer Bunny needing a new battery. Although the winter days are grey they are valuable. Time to reflect on our path. We travel a rocky road often without rest stops. Life reversals such as the poor Federal Civil Service employees are experiencing are life-changing. We live in a Country that recognizes the legal protection that Civil Service afforded them. I spent my career as a Civil Servant. Work in the Civil Service is for less money but good benefits and some protection. The modern Civil Service replaced the old patronage system where a political leader fired all Civil Servants of the opposing party and placed his supporters in open positions with no recourse by the fired staff. Contrary to recent political belief most Civil Servants are hard-working people with families to support. If we swear we are for the working class the Civil Service is the Working Class.

There is a reason that there are not more poor among us than there are. Laws protecting working people and unions are vital to the upward mobility of the 12-hour work days and tenement housing of our recent past. I served for 9 years as Southern Illinois University @ Carbondales representative to the Merit Board governing University Civil Service. I was the president of the Civil Service Council at SIUC for 5 years. Firing people for no reason or for spite is illegal…

When the richest man in the world can cavalierly fire on a whim…we are all in danger…

My greatest honor was working with the dedicated Civil Service staff of Building Services. These housekeeping professionals loved Southern Illinois University. They fed hungry students on their crews. They invited them into their homes for the holidays. They cooked a massive Thanksgiving Dinner for our 200 + student staff. Civil Service Housekeepers were the face of SIUC to our students. When Our University fell on hard times regarding the recruitment and retention of our precious students…we redoubled our efforts to assist.

As a candidate for Chancellor described Civil Service Staff…’ They are the salt of the Earth.’