another union, gone

Forty-eight years after one of its members actually got paid to do the job, the American Domestic Rice Cooker’s Union (ADRCU) finally disbanded. Founded in 1895 by a group of house-maids from San Francisco, the Union had seen its number drop dramatically since the introduction of low-cost, automated devices. “We just can’t compete with computerized, electric rice cookers that do the job perfectly, every time,” said Yolanda T. Ching, a spokesperson for the ADRCU. “That, and a drastic reduction in the number of people wealthy enough to hire cooks and maids, sounded the death-knell for our lovely group.”

Former members are slated to receive training as taxi drivers, foundry workers, and call-center operators, jobs that the Union’s leadership thinks will soon return to the United States. Also at risk of extinction are labor organizations representing American retail workers, cotton pickers, and coal shovelers.

americanifesto / 場黑麥 / jpr / urbanartopia / whorphan