July 2010 Medical Update
As you may have heard by now I was diagnosed with colon cancer and am currently recovering from surgery. I wanted to take the time to thank all of you for your prayers, thoughts and concerns. Thank you very much.
On Wednesday, June 16th I had a colonoscopy (one that I put off for far too long due to the long lasting Sanitation negotiations). The colonoscopy revealed a cancerous tumor. Surgery was quickly scheduled to remove the section of the colon which contained the cancer.
On Thursday, June 24 I had surgery at Valley Medical. The initial reports were great. The tumor was successfully removed and an initial check of 14 lymph nodes in the surrounding area showed no signs of cancer. Great news!
That great news was followed with one of the most difficult challenges I have ever been through in my life. A surgery that was supposed to be followed with three to five days post-op had some complications that tested my faith beyond belief.
On Day 8, my surgeon was noticeably concerned and began talking about the possibility of starting over and repeating the surgery due to a possible blockage in the area where the twelve inch section of the colon was removed and sewn back together. As I stated earlier this was truly the low point for me. I was not sure how I was going to start over. But with the thought of all of your prayers, the constant support from the hundreds of you checking in everyday, my faith in God and most importantly the love and care of my wife Lorri (who never left my side in 13 days and nights while she slept in a chair) I was able to focus on the positive and on the ninth day the colon finally woke up and started working again!
It took several more days to completely restore enough colon functions to convince the Doctor we were safe and on the evening of the 13th day I was released.
My recovery is going extremely well due to the constant care from the love of my life, Lorri, and my daughter, Ashlyn, has been great as well. I am scheduled to meet with an Oncologist this week where we will discuss more than likely a full blown chemo plan just to make sure nothing is left (Rogue Cancer cells).
I will keep you informed throughout this process and again, my family and I thank you, the members, for all your support. On a side note please don’t make the same mistake I made. Have a colonoscopy even if you don’t have any history. (I had no family history of this) and remember that a simple procedure can catch and remove a polyp and you would not have to go through any of what I just did.
Thank you all and God Bless!
In Solidarity,
Rick Hicks
June 2010 Update
On Sunday, May 2, over 200 Waste Management drivers met at the Hall
to vote on their contract. The ratification vote was held on a fully-recommended
offer after the Local reached a tentative agreement with Waste.
The events leading up to the vote were dramatic. On Thursday April 26, as Waste Management trucks were heading to the transfer stations to dump their garbage trucks, the Local initiated an unfair labor practice strike. Pickets were positioned at each transfer station. A broadcast text arrived on Business Agent phones, picket signs were raised, and the members returned the trucks fully loaded to their barns. They turned in their trucks and picked up a sign.
The Local’s goal was to pressure management to return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith. The day after the strike started, it ended just as abruptly. The message we had been receiving from Waste Management was we’ll meet, but only to answer questions. We didn’t want to ask questions, we wanted to negotiate. Early Thursday afternoon, we got the letter agreeing to return to the table and to negotiate in good faith with no pre-conditions.
We returned to the table Monday morning. As we had done many times before, we bargained into the early hours of Tuesday morning, and then returned to the table later in the day. We reached a tentative agreement Tuesday evening.
We informed our members we had reached a deal and scheduled the vote for Sunday. The meeting was long, lasting close to four hours before the members enthusiastically called for a vote. The efforts of the bargaining team were well rewarded, and the offer was ratified by a 96% margin.
This battle couldn’t have been won without the assistance of Teamsters Local 117. Under the leadership of Secretary-Treasurer Tracey Thompson and the bulldog coordination of Organizer Brenda Wiest, their staff put in long hours on our behalf, and 100% of their members working at Waste Management honored our picket lines. THANK YOU to the staff and members of Local 117.
Fraternally,
Rick Hicks