Thank you, sir. May I have another?

03 Jun 2004 By

Good news first. I had my 90-day review with my supervisor and it was stellar. She was highly complimentary. I get a fat fitty-cent raise. Not like it’s a lot, but I’ll take it. I’m more pleased that my supervisor likes what I’m doing. The job may suck, but I want to be good at it and known to be dependable. And since I like my boss, I want her to like me. My interpersonal skills are particularly strong and I’m one of the more productive folks on our shift. Yay me. *reach around*

Enh news next. We’re getting a new press operator (coincidence?) and I’ll be responsible for training him. I hope I don’t hate him. Also, the official word on Lazy Overachiever’s move is that we need another blister operator, but it’s mainly because she hates the guy she’s working with now who sounds a lot like Rainman, but less clueless and more lazy. That info came from Instigator, so who knows how true it is.

Now for the bad news. When Production Manager shows up at our daily team meeting, it’s never ever a good thing. PM told us today that we are so behind schedule that we need to revert back to running 7 days a week, and thus we will be having to work weekends, starting next weekend.


The projection is that it’ll only take 5 weeks, but PM’s saying 8 weeks to be on the safe side. Which means it’ll probably be longer. The problem is that the new line is behind on its validation schedule, so we still can’t make saleable product over there. Every single thing the company sells is being made on my line right now, and thus my line needs to be running 24/7.

At the moment we’re staffed in triplicate for each position, so the idea is that we’re only supposed to work every third weekend. Of course people already have all sorts of conflicts, and our shift is a bit short-staffed to begin with, so the weekend work will probably be more frequent. For me, at least.

I wouldn’t mind so much if we were getting overtime for it, but the real kicker is that we do not. Instead we get to pick a couple days during the week to take off instead. Which is Such Bullshit. This is why unions exist. Apparently that subject has been broached before and of course management doesn’t like it, so it’s always discussed in hushed tones. There’s a rumor/legend that they were close to organizing once, a few years back, but it didn’t go anywhere.

I’m expecting a fair number of folks will be gone by the end of the summer. Folks who weren’t already planning on quitting, that is. I was hoping/planning for that anyway.

  • http://www.deanesmay.com Dean Esmay

    How big’s your company? Getting a union in there isn’t a lot of work if most people want it, although it’s dangerous if they find the ringleaders and make an excuse to fire them.

  • http://www.swirlspice.com Erica

    The whole company has less than 300 people. There might be 100 of us in all the various production-related departments.

  • nairb

    Fuck the Union!!!

    They protect the weak and lazy. If your good(and I have heard that you are…DAMM GOOD!) What you do and how you do it will be noticed! And with a little bit of people skills….you can write your own perscription!!! Look after #1 cuz the clowns your working with are….remember this isn’t brain surgery! Have a …. day!

  • http://www.happybeagle.com/shelbysblog/ Shelby

    I’m with Nairb–unions protect the weak and lazy, ESPECIALLY the weak and lazy who have worked there for a while. You need to totally focus on #1 and that means don’t be “nice” and “volunteer” to work extra weekends because you don’t have a kid with a Little League game. Do not let them walk all over you. Be assertive and don’t take on any more work than anyone else. Do it once and they’ll tramp on you forever. Believe me, I was a doormat in my last job and it sucked big time. Your free time is just as valuable as anyone else’s and you don’t have to justify it to anyone.

  • http://coconnell.blogspot.com Casey

    Nyet, I disagree. Unions are there to make sure you don’t end up taking it in the butt, which you are by giving up every third weekend, which is actually going to turn out to be at least one weekend day every week. Mark my words. You’re getting screwed and will have nothing to show for it, not even dinner.

  • http://www.swirlspice.com Erica

    Since there’s a possibility we’re going to get bought out in the near future, the union talk is alive and kicking. Who knows if it will go anywhere. I think most folks would rather just quit and go somewhere else.

    I won’t be organizing or anything, because I would rather just quit and go somewhere else. It’ll be interesting to see what happens, though.

    As for unions protecting the weak and lazy, I’d point out that it varies strongly from union to union and local to local, so I wouldn’t go so far as to make that statement. It does cut both ways and it’s up to the membership to have some integrity. Regardless, I am looking out for me and me only.