"Without that, it would have been rough," Maiden said. "I would have had to borrow money and then pay it back, and I would have had to lean on the kids, which I hate to do, because they have their own families now."

Adopt-A-Family is a voluntary fund that OCAW members, staff and locals contribute to in order to assist striking or locked-out members. Houston, Texas, Local 4-227, which represents the Crown locked-out workers, is the only eligible union on strike or lockout. The Crown group also receives contributions directly. (Please see the list of contributors.)

In Maiden's case, the Adopt-A-Family contributions helped her pay for car repairs, utilities and health insurance. Her only income has been walking the picket line. "After you get a certain age, it's hard to find a job," she said.

Maiden worked ten years in the lab at Crown before the company locked out its 252 workers. She says she is determined to stick with the union.'"Together we stand, divided we fall, so, in the end, we end up ahead."

Locked-out Crown worker Carl Pipkin worked at the company for 20 years before the lockout two years ago. His job classification was first-class pipefitter. He has tried to find refinery work in the Houston-Deer Park area, but no one is hiring. So he works as a security guard, while his wife, Anita, has a home health care job and his college daughter works in day care.

Pipkin credits Adopt-A-Family and the local's hardship program with helping him and his family cope with some difficult times. The financial assistance they received helped them with their mortgage payment, light bill, car repair bill and water well repair. It also provided money for food for the holidays and Christmas presents for his younger children, Anthony and Candais.

"Between the hardship and Adopt-A-Family programs, we've been blessed," Pipkin said. "We're able to keep our heads above water and able to keep our house and cars."

Many OCAW members consider the Adopt-A-Family program to be essential giving. At the District 7 Council meeting in April, the delegates voted to send $200 per month from the district to the program.

Lima, Ohio Local 7-626 member Mike Ryan said his local easily voted to give $1 per member, per month to Adopt-A-Family. "In 1988 we went on strike and were out 125 days," he said.'We were supported by the same idea - that you help your union brothers and sisters. Other unions in town, such as the United Auto Workers, helped us."

Ryan said the members were so grateful for the financial help they received that they set up their own assistance fund so they could help other unions and OCAW locals.

Local 7-626 member Barbara Ryan said that Adopt-A-Family is an essential program because there are lockouts and other situations -- like the incident in Marcus Hook, Pa., when British Petroleum sold its refinery to Tosco and Tosco temporarily shut it down - that are not covered through the financial assistance provisions in the International constitution.

"We're seeing these issues more and more, where union members are falling through the cracks, and Adopt-A-Family covers those situations so people can live," Barbara said.

If your local wants to follow Local 7-626's example in helping the locked-out Crown workers, contact Secretary-Treasurer R. J. Christie's office at (303) 987-2229.