"I Want Unemployment...For 10 Days Out Of The Year"

I had lunch the other day with two of my favorite (former) coworkers, and they vented to me about all the good stuff that I was missing at [King] County Wastewater Treatment.

As you may or may not know, the County gave 10 furlough days to all County employees in 2009 in order to help the ailing budget. This means that employees will keep their jobs, and they will have 10 unpaid days off during the year. Well, according to my coworkers, Plant Operators do not feel that it is their fault for a budget crisis, and therefore, are seeking to file unemployment claims for each day that they are required to take off.

Apparently they don't understand how an economy works; they don't understand that they get to keep their job and lose only 10 days worth of pay in the year. Union workers never cease to amaze me.