22:18 - 06/05/2009
ok corral
My favourite astrologer warned me, yes he did. But did I listen, um well... You see, the thing is, that it wasn't my sun sign prognostication that was at issue. My Rising sign, technically, is Sagittarius, but it also contains all of the degrees of Capricorn, finishing off with a sprinkling of Aquarius. It was that Capricorn counsel that, maybe, I should have considered more carefully. He told a cautionary tale about one of his buddy's misadventures. His buddy had an abscess tooth that required repair, including having his jaw wired shut. Buddy wanted fast food so badly that he unwired his jaw by himself, so that he could indulge his urges. Buddy ended up in hospital in worse shape than when he began. Moral of the story, of course, is that sometimes keeping one's mouth shut, even when there is an overwhelming urge to do otherwise, keeps one out of trouble. Well you can probably guess where this is going, right?
Day after I last posted to you, I reported to that very early morning shift. Same chain store where the specialty count (consignment section) sometimes proceeds for one group, before they start working with the the rest of the counters. I have no problem with that. It is very detail-oriented work that most counters don't like, because one can't go as fast as one wishes. Lowers their "stats", you see. Even so, the company takes on those contracts with full knowledge of the requirements of the counters involved, so it is still part of the job. When we finished, about 3 hours into the morning, we went to have the main store's software program uploaded on our hand held computers so we could join the rest of the team. "Nope, go home", was the response from the manager. I opened my mouth (uh huh) and pointed out that all of us on the specialty team had been scheduled for the full count - it was on our intranet accounts. The specialty count is a very different posting/entry - and different software and job number - as compared to the full store count. Not only that,the provincial Employment Standards Code clearly states that scheduled shifts can't be altered for any worker without 24 hours notice. There had been no change on the intranet and advising us after the fact was definitely a violation of the code. "Don't care" the manager said. "I won't allow your team to remain any longer". Got out my cell phone and called the city manager, making the same point about the legislation. Pointed out too, that no contract or management decision can be used to over-ride legislation. The city manager stated that the decision was still up to the manager - until I could show him physical proof of the legislation. The manager ordered us to sign out before we left. So I did, writing "under protest" beside my name and stating to both managers that I was ready, willing and able to stay and complete the shift I had originally been scheduled for. Hmmm. Went home, found the legislation on-line and sent the links to both managers, plus the area manager as well, with an explanation of the problem that morning.
The following two days had been scheduled the same as that first morning but at different locations of that client, so I arrived at work the next day, fully expecting to remain the entire day since I had been able to "produce the proofs" required of me the day before by the city manager. The other counters for the specialty work thanked me for standing up for them as well as myself the day before and asked if I'd been able to find the laws that I had cited. I told them I would forward them each a copy of the correspondence I had had with the company's local management the evening before, for their own records. Even so, my stress level was extremely high that morning - not only because of my favourite astrologer's counsel, but also because I was remembering the last time a manager decided they didn't want certain information that was legally required to be revealed. The flashbacks were very upsetting.
As we were finishing the specialty count, I heard that the city manager had just arrived. Not a good sign. As I walked into the training room to have the store software uploaded, the manager of the count looked up, saw me and then literally ran out of the room. The city manager was obviously waiting to deal with me. We were all told to go home, but this time we were told to not sign out. Yuh huh, no physical evidence of protest to be dealt with later.
I asked the city manager if he had read the legislation. He concurred he had, but maintained that our team would still not be allowed to join the rest of the counters to complete our shifts - they had been changed late the afternoon before to only include the specialty count -, but that was not 24 hours' notice. I told the city manager that it was one thing to break the law because one didn't know it, but that it was an entirely different issue when one knowingly violated the act after being advised and having viewed it. In the training room where we were talking, were managers from the chain store, as well as our staff, and they were paying attention to the exchange with obvious concern. I told the city manager, while the other counters were standing close by listening, that I would leave as ordered, but under protest again and pointed out the there were legal ramifications to what I had just said to him. Wilfully breaking the law is breaking the law times two. Being a corporation's representative doesn't absolve one from adhering to same. He asked me to step out of the room to speak privately at that point, which I did. He didn't alter anything he said - just repeated the same mantra as before. Sigh.
I returned to the office with him, since he was there to drive us back to the pick up point, so that I could also ensure that I would be assigned more shifts and not be penalized for speaking up. He kept insisting there wasn't much on, but the job board showed otherwise. Talk among the counters also revealed that some shifts were not being listed in the office and that certain counters were blocking others from being scheduled, even when they weren't available to take those shifts when assigned to them. Dogs in the manger, if you will. There was plenty of work to do - if one didn't rock the boat.
Next day, I and the other specialty counters arrived for work again - we were going through all the hoops required of us in order to fulfill our side of contractual and labour laws. Near the end of that count the manager of record came by to let us know that we would be allowed to remain to complete the count with the rest of the workers in the chain store. Hmmm. Interestingly enough, it seemed as though the store management had assigned one of their staff to "look out" for me particularly. She never left my side for the balance of the count even though that is unheard of given the shortage of support staff generally on site. A Latina she was - warm and friendly, and very protective. Each time I was approached by any of our supervisors, she was there watching. She also wanted to know more about our working conditions and why we weren't allowed standard benefits, like coffee breaks. I tried not to say too much that was negative, because the other managers of other types of counts don't treat us the same way as we are treated at this particular client's store. She and her manager intervened at one point, when one supervisor was being unreasonable. You see, one of the other supervisors had given me one set of directions. She changed those completely and was annoyed with me for having followed the other person's direction. The chain store staff must have said something to her about that - they had witnessed the original instructions, after all - so she came back to tell me just to continue as I was. Fine. I was just happy to be allowed to do the work I had been assigned. One of the main counters came by at the end of the day to help me savour my victory in "my little war". Did all the specialty counters get to stay or were allowances only made for me? I had advocated for all of us, so each of those counters got to remain too. It wouldn't have made me happy to have had concessions made just for me. That wasn't the point and it would have just made the situation worse. Went directly to A+'s home to be cuddled. I needed that more than anything.
Two days later I was at the next assignment - different client. I wasn't certain if I would be treated as a troublemaker or a pariah, so I was pretty tense. The work was at a store I had worked in before and where I really liked the staff. That helped. The manager seemed fine with me and the team of counters were people with whom I am friendly as well, so I just worked away on whatever I was assigned. Ditto for the next day - same client, different location. I enjoy working at clothing stores anyway, so my stress level was dropping a little more each day. One email from the area manager arrived as follow up to the set-to the week before. Seemed to be a "cya" thing, stating that the two counts at the one client were one and the same even though they were different. Whatever. As long as the old pattern of behaviour isn't reinstated I won't argue the point, but if not - the documentation and paper trail are very easy to produce. Other counters were/are now contacting me about other labour related issues and asking for help. When it is reasonable to do so, I send them the legislation and similar information they needed to advocate for themselves. So see, I did sort of follow my favourite astrologer's advice - I didn't open my mouth so much as I kept my keyboard smoking.
After the subsequent day's shift - I spent a lot of time sponging my face and arms with witch hazel, trying to make certain the sun burns I got that day didn't blister. My mouth, one eye, and nose were especially tender. Even had to remove one contact lens before the retina was damaged.
You see, we arrived in one of the satellite communities west of the city about 7:30 am and started counting almost immediately. After I had finished two tags, the manager sent me outside to work in one of the two trailers jammed full of boxes - mostly repacks, so almost all items had to be scanned one-by-one. The receiver was very specific about exactly the way they wanted it done and also wanted to witness the whole process. I think I was out in the sun/trailer from about 8:30 am to somewhere between 3 - 4 pm. Right behind the trailer - not 10 feet away - were railway tracks. About every half hour passenger trains, bound in or out of the mountain passes, and freight trains whizzed by, sounding their horns as they went. Reminded me strongly of my childhood, when I was at school. Then the train tracks were just outside the school grounds. We waved to the engineers at recess and, after school, when the adults weren't watching, walked those tracks ourselves or rode the horses that the farmers who owned the fields surrounding the school allowed us to visit. Happy times, they were. Those good memories kept me company all day.
Anyway, the district rep did give me a sun hat to wear around noon, because I was starting to really feel the effects of the heat. It seemed as though the temperature was very hot - probably because we were surround by pavement for a wide area and the boxes were laid out on same. Baking we were - the four of us out there. All the boxes were on the pavement, except for five that were too heavy and large to lift. When I started to feel dizzy after lunch, I went into the trailer to work on them, but told the receiver I wasn't certain that I'd be able to go back outside to work.
It wasn't long after that the manager arrived, wanting me to work inside for the rest of the day. The receiver must have advised him of my comments, I guess. He was very concerned about my welfare and I appreciated that. I wanted to stay in the trailer though, because it was cool and dark in there and I was allowed to sit down. I wasn't sure how steady I would be on my feet at that point. All the counters inside were required to stand, you see. He let me finish the boxes in the trailer, but got two of the other counters on our team to finish the four rows of 10 boxes - each row a tag - left out of the original 13 we had started with. He sent me to work with the one counter in the stockroom. I think he told that counter to look after me. They were both a lot more concerned about me than I was. I think I had just become over-dehydrated. When I had juice at our afternoon break I felt much better, although I still found eating difficult.
One of the other supervisors drove from the city to the satellite community and picked up most of the crew around 7 pm, I think, but four of us stayed behind to help recount some tags and look for missing tags as well. We didn't leave that community until after sunset, because there were some technical problems with both our manager's and the store's computers/printers. The four of us sat in the van waiting for him to finish, so I heard lots of office talk/gossip, but mostly we just spoke of personal things and bonded as a team. We arrived in the city and back at the train station around 11 pm. I walked in my door around 11:30. Fed the cats, read them a chapter of "Chamber of Secrets" (I'm going to record that series on CD for my grandbabies) then went to bed when I was certain I had fully re-hydrated inside and out.
Today it snowed. Oh no, my poor lilacs and trees. Guess I'm glad we did our shift outside when it was warm after all. I still haven't written about A+ and our travels through the Children's festival and along the "see and be seen" stroll - the best for people-watching - that is just south of our downtown core, but I think it will have to wait until yet another post. Good night for now dear diary.
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