Ep.301 - Calumet "K" Series, Chapter 9

Jason shares Chapter 9 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Riley returns with union business agent. Bannon handles professionally: "If you'd like to investigate, I'll give you all the opportunity you want." Agent leaves satisfied. Grady appears on distributing floor delivering speech to laborers about being "driven at point of pistol." Bannon forces Grady to ride the hoist rope down 90 feet, Grady terrified, workers grinning. Grady makes dramatic speech: "Who gave you the right to decide this man shall live and this man shall die?" Bannon calmly refutes: "Go ask that man if he has any complaint. McBride pays men for taking risks he's done himself." Tells Grady: "If you're looking for fair play, you'll get it. If you're looking for trouble, you'll get it." Peterson struggling with night shift isolation, brooding about being superseded, twisting everything Bannon does into evidence of jealousy. Encounters Grady who manipulates him into revealing: "Bins have to be chalk full of grain before January 1st, no matter what happens. He don't care how much it costs." Peterson realizes he talked too much, decides not to tell Bannon.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Professional union handling: invite investigation, offer transparency, treat delegates "half as well as you'd treat a yellow dog, they're likely to be very reasonable"

• Gallery play principle: forcing Grady to ride the hoist rope down shows workers the walking delegate is afraid, public demonstration of who's actually in control

• The calm confrontation approach: Grady's theatrical drama ("Who gave you the right to decide this man shall live?") vs Bannon's logic ("Go ask that man if he has complaints")

• How isolation breeds resentment: Peterson's night shift loneliness leads to brooding, twisting everything into grievances against Bannon

• Information security failure: Peterson reveals critical deadline to Grady (the enemy), realizes too late "he had talked too much", critical project intel now compromised

"If you're looking for fair play, you'll get it. If you're looking for trouble, you'll get it."

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