Why Don't Nobody Shoot Straight No More?
Yeah, I know that this isn't a new phenomenon. I have worked for a lot of people over the years and a lot of them have been manipulative and try to use psychological tactics on me. This is one of those stories.
First off, I should mention that I have never asked an employer how much I would be getting paid to work there. My thoughts were that I would do the job for a few months and if I don't think they are paying me what I am worth to them, I leave. I don't barter. I don't threaten. I don't want to work somewhere that operates in that manner. Pay me what I'm worth to you.
That said, I have been working as a temp on a road maintenance crew. I have been there for two and a half years. This last year and a bit I have worked straight through, but there were a few times I was worried about getting laid off. It's hard enough getting by on full wages, I couldn't imagine doing it at 70% or whatever unemployment gives you.
Being a temp, I am in the union but don't have the benefits of a full-time, permanent employee. Like full dental, drug plan etc... I also don't get vacation time and can't buy shares in the company.
This was all fine and good until recently when a bunch of companies came to town and plan on working here for a few years.
They pay very well.
We could actually put some money away towards our dream of going off-grid.
People keep telling me I should go work for these companies because they are looking for people and I live right here. My answer has always been that I like the job I have and that I was sure I'd be offered the full-time position soon.
Then I was told the other day that I wouldn't be getting it. This was from a coworker who had talked to someone, so I figured I should ask the big boss, face to face.
I was told that unless one of the full-time employees quits, I would not be getting on full-time with benefits. I thanked him for letting me know and left the office.
I was a little miffed, but at least I knew where I stood and could now look into other options. I got back to our crew and the next morning I mentioned it to the coworker that had told me I wouldn't be getting the full-time job. I just told him that if I got a better offer, I would be leaving. Maybe I could even train for a trade that would benefit me as a future homesteader.
I guess he mentioned it to another employee and next thing you know we are having a staff meeting and I have to explain that I will leave if a better offer comes in, as we have kids and ourselves that need glasses, dental work, prescriptions, etc... My inhalers alone are over $100/month and I only get about $200 in my health spending account. I had to explain that it was pretty sad that my teeth are needing some repair work, but after everything is said and done, there is never enough left for my teeth.
They all understood and realize that I'm not thinking of leaving because of them, but because I need to think about my family's future.
An hour later my foreman came out and told me that he had spoken to the president and I was asked not to do anything rash until they could see what might be able to be done about getting me on full-time.
This pissed me off, almost worse than when they told me, sixteen hours earlier, I wouldn't get it.
If there was a chance that I could have it, why tell me there wasn't? Why is it only after I mention entertaining other offers that there might be something that can be done?
If this was the old days and I was single, I probably would have left for that reason only. Now I have others that rely on me, so I called my wife. I just love her so much. She was very supportive and told me that whatever I chose would be fine.
That was two days ago and I'm still pretty upset about all this. It just makes me mad that people don't lay their cards on the table. If I'm not worth the extra five or ten thousand dollars per year, then tell me that, or just let me go.
My real problem is deciding whether I even want to stay. I like the people I work with now, but who knows what will happen when we have to double our manpower for the winter? You never know what kind of crew you'll be working with. I also get tired of working with machinery that has been thundered pretty hard.
I think the best part of the job is that I only work forty hours a week and about thirty-six in the winter unless it's snowing. Then we get overtime. This means I get plenty of time to be with my family and can actually have balance.
It's also the devil I know.
It's the first time I have been in a union and I can't say I'm a fan, but I do see the appeal for established employees. The union has sort of messed me around, but at least I may also be established soon and can take advantage of whatever benefits have been negotiated prior.
On the other hand, I can sort of see why the company might dick employees around when they have to play by the union's rules. I've seen a lot of people abuse every last bit of their available perks. I understand that it was negotiated, but come on; lets at least be fair. If you're not really sick or hurt, don't use all of your sick days. You get plenty of holidays already.
Anyhow, I have never done anything to make the company think I was being less than honest or out to get more than I was paid for. If I have to leave early, I always fill out the paperwork and deduct it from my pay. I have never taken anything unless it was getting thrown out and was okayed by the boss. I am not a partier, so I don't refuse work because I'm to messed up to drive and I haven't wrecked the equipment too bad or done any public damage.
I guess I just want to be treated as I treat others. You know, innocent until proven guilty, the benefit of the doubt, and whatever other cliches fit the bill.
Anyhow, this is my first ulog, so be gentle on me. I'm sure it's not exactly what a ulog is supposed to be but I will learn as I go. It's also going to be entered in @penderis contest, so if you haven't, go check his posts and find the one named Abject Sleuth. The info is in there.
All photos from pixabay.com. Thanks, Pixabay, and all of the photographers that give their free images.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://granolalight.com/why-dont-nobody-shoot-straight-no-more/
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I have never worked for massive companies and the rules seem very different in smaller ones, at the very least you know where you stand in regards to the lean times , a private owner has no choice but to communicate.
I like that you mention the devil you know because that has always been my reason for staying even if I feel I have outgrown a place or I have the chance for a better opportunity.
Them not being able to just say whether you have a place or not is bullshit and they have no right to have a hissy fit if you even think about leaving, companies need to realise that employees have no obligation towards them apart from doing the work they are paid for to the best of their abilities. When working for a big company I don't think it is a viable option to feel you owe them anything beyond doing your work.
Personally, I have had to say no to a wage increase since given my work and the small company it is I can't expect my boss to pay me that much, the exact opposite I feel is true for bigger companies.
They need to maintain the employees that work and should be paying them just above what one would think is required or a company like that will end up having 100 peoples salaries to pay each person doing the bare minimum and making the company look bad instead of 20 people doing their best and making the company look good.
Or not one of those idiots really know what is going on and just keeping everyone placated until the lean times so they have an excuse to ask them to leave. Regardless if you get an option that pays more - take it , and get a proper contract in place paperwork rules in life. Sell yourself to get your worth at a point a person realises that others will never realise their worth and therefore we need to remind the buggers a bit.
P.S. I think #Ulogs might just suit you perfectly seems like you have a lot happening and an interesting job looking at that truck in the snow there.
That is a logging truck from pixabay. I have yet to flop one, although I did slide a tanker full of crude off a muddy road once. I stopped as soon as I saw how slippery it was and as I was getting out to put my chains on the whole truck slid sideways and almost flipped. I had to get another driver to come out and suck the load off of me, then he had to offload the oil from my tanks and give me a tug. After that, he had to pull me out of the ditch.
Our company isn't terribly huge, but there's probably 100 employees between all the branches. Ours only has five including the foreman. I think it goes to 8 or 9 in the winter.
I used to work in the oilfield and got paid a lot more because of the sheer volume of hours. We used to work seven days a week and at least twelve hours a day. Sometimes for months at a time. Then you might get a day or two off, or possibly a month. You never knew until they called.
Now that I have a family, I am quite happy to have a regular schedule and time to garden or maybe write a post or two. Working 80-90 hours a week doesn't give you much time for things like writing or eating. The other thing that was good about it was that if an employee was a piece of shit worker he would get run off but here they are protected by the union and probably cost the union and the company a ton more money than a good employee that just goes to work and does their job.
They also should take into account how much training has to go into a new hire and the cost of damage while they are in the first season or so of plowing. I still don't have it down pat, but I have spent 20 years working on every kind of road we have in Canada. From the mountains to the ice roads. I've learned a few things in that time that should be worth a little more than some green guy that recently got their license, which is a lot of the people that get hired.
The funny thing is that when I lived in Ontario, I could never have got this job because of the competition, nepotism, and the fact that nobody quits a job like this back there. Here, because there are far fewer truckers than trucks, you can't even give these jobs away. Nobody will work for 40 hours a week when they can get 80. Which is fine by me.
I have never like the corporate feel of a company, which is why I've always tried to work for mom and pop companies. They always treated me better, but like you said, "lean times".
The moment I read the notification I was like wtf, I think the talk of the winter had me convinced that is one of your trucks - regardless of the cite at the bottom 🙈
I would not want to be in your position now, by the sound of it yes you have a great job but they don't want to give you the security and instead that money on newbies which makes no sense. I don't get how they can't just think logically for one second.
If you do get another job it seems those corps might pay more but will surely have you doing more hours also which this far in your career is something you just don't need.
I can only say best of luck, and maybe you get the security or a better job with reasonable ours even if it is a few more.
Well, I got the call and it sounds like as of tomorrow I will be carrying on my duties of keeping the highways safe for the people of our fine jurisdiction.
With benefits and vacation.
Thanks for commenting, everyone who did. I'm talking to you, @penderis
Nice, so speaking up and reminding them of your worth will be paying the bills and then some?
Get that paperwork signed then immediately inquire when you can go on vacation just to piss them off a bit haha.