TSG Silent Protests

[10thLetter]

What kind of "Silent Protests" do you engage in? This might not be a bad place to share some of the ways we fight back against the man to counter the scare tactics and micro-management we are subjected to. I was threatened with a 'write-up in my file" because I didn't answer my blackberry a half hour before my shift started. My reply, " I couldn't answer 'cause my blackberry doesn't auto turn-on until my shifts starts" and don't expect to get ahold of me at the end of the day cause "that's when it auto turns-off!"
As J would say, "Just Flush I.T."

[Dfigtree]

Originally Posted by 10thLetter

What kind of "Silent Protests" do you engage in? This might not be a bad place to share some of the ways we fight back against the man to counter the scare tactics and micro-management we are subjected to. I was threatened with a 'write-up in my file" because I didn't answer my blackberry a half hour before my shift started. My reply, " I couldn't answer 'cause my blackberry doesn't auto turn-on until my shifts starts" and don't expect to get ahold of me at the end of the day cause "that's when it auto turns-off!"
As J would say, "Just Flush I.T."

This will sound strange coming from me but here's my 2 cents ...

Sit down. Take a few deep breaths. Calm down. And, accept the things you cannot change. Just do your job the way you want to do your job.

As for silent protests, and me being a long haired hippy freak drugged out flower child of the 60's, all I can say is "if you can't find me on the back of the bus, look up front, look up front". That is, protests have to be outted, visible. A silent protest is a sign of weakness in my opinion.

[ImpactedTSG]

Leave your blackberry charging on your desk every night. UPS is not paying you when you leave so the blackberry should stay there. As for fighting back against management, you are wasting your time. The decisions are made so high up that no matter what you do, you are not going to influence those decisions. They are made strictly on a financial basis. All you are going to do with protests is **** off your manager and supervisor which will make your life difficult. Just come in put your 7.5 planned hours in PMT and take care of logs that come up. Take your full lunch and breaks, and when you shift is over go home and enjoy your life. You are putting too much heart into a company that doesn't really care about its people. All they care about is how ups looks to wall street, and how the upper managment can pad their retirement.

[Dfigtree]

Originally Posted by ImpactedTSG

Leave your blackberry charging on your desk every night. UPS is not paying you when you leave so the blackberry should stay there. As for fighting back against management, you are wasting your time. The decisions are made so high up that no matter what you do, you are not going to influence those decisions. They are made strictly on a financial basis. All you are going to do with protests is piss off your manager and supervisor which will make your life difficult. Just come in put your 7.5 planned hours in PMT and take care of logs that come up. Take your full lunch and breaks, and when you shift is over go home and enjoy your life. You are putting too much heart into a company that doesn't really care about its people. All they care about is how ups looks to wall street, and how the upper managment can pad their retirement.

IMHO, great post. spot on. excellent advice.

[pretzel_man]

Originally Posted by Dfigtree

IMHO, great post. spot on. excellent advice.

Well, I guess it depends on your perspective. If your goal is to stay at your current level and not have greater influence on the company, then I wholeheartedly agree.

Almost 25 years ago, that's how I felt. A very senior manager made it clear that I was not going anywhere with this company, so I decided to just put in my time. Similar to what was posted here. I did what was expected of someone at my level, and nothing more.

That lasted about a week, until I decided that I had more to give than that, and wanted to make an impact.

That was 25 years and many promotions ago. I didn't have to **** ***, but I also didn't act like a rebel. If I thought I had a good idea, I gathered facts and presented it in a professional manner.

Sometimes it was accepted, sometimes not. That's how it is today when people that report to me make a proposal.

So, its up to the individual. You can make this career what you wish.

If you choose to do the bare minimum, that's your choice.

P-Man

[10thLetter]

Is the threat of a write-up treating your co-worker well? Why should this sup have attempted to make me feel as if I had done something wrong? The sup didn't get the reaction wanted and I think that ******* him off. No deep breaths needed here or I should probably say "no longer needed there".

[satellitedriver]

Originally Posted by ImpactedTSG

Leave your blackberry charging on your desk every night. UPS is not paying you when you leave so the blackberry should stay there. As for fighting back against management, you are wasting your time. The decisions are made so high up that no matter what you do, you are not going to influence those decisions. They are made strictly on a financial basis. All you are going to do with protests is **** off your manager and supervisor which will make your life difficult. Just come in put your 7.5 planned hours in PMT and take care of logs that come up. Take your full lunch and breaks, and when you shift is over go home and enjoy your life. You are putting too much heart into a company that doesn't really care about its people. All they care about is how ups looks to wall street, and how the upper managment can pad their retirement.

You got edited again.
How many times do you have to be told.

[ImpactedTSG]

Originally Posted by satellitedriver

You got edited again.
How many times do you have to be told.

I read the TOS and no where does it spell out what can and cannot be said. Keep picking on me if that's how you get satisfation out of your life.

[dillweed]

Originally Posted by ImpactedTSG

... Take your full lunch and breaks, and when you shift is over go home and enjoy your life. You are putting too much heart into a company that doesn't really care about its people. All they care about is how ups looks to wall street, and how the upper managment can pad their retirement.

oh yeah, it took me SO long to understand that.

[cheryl]

Impacted, don't tell me that your mom never taught you which words were inappropriate to use in public...

Here's an opportunity for you to educate yourself. Back before you were born George Carlin used to do a bit about the 7 words you can't say on television. Go to youtube and search for it. I recommend the video where he is smiling and has long brown hair (He seems to have lost the ability to smile when his hair turned gray.)

I'd edit 5 of those words out of any post on this forum.
You'll have to guess which words they are

[moreluck]

Yeah, when you keep re-doing re-hab, it'll wipe the smile right off your face.

[pretzel_man]

Originally Posted by ImpactedTSG

I read the TOS and no where does it spell out what can and cannot be said. Keep picking on me if that's how you get satisfation out of your life.

TSG:

I had a post of mine edited for (I guess) using a restricted word. I didn't think I used profanity (in the context of the sentence), but its not my board.

Its pretty easy to find a different word or phrase. If one is politely asked to follow some rules, it seems reasonable to comply.

P-Man

[satellitedriver]

Originally Posted by moreluck

Yeah, when you keep re-doing re-hab, it'll wipe the smile right off your face.

Oh, I thought all those stars couldn't smile because of all those Botox injections.

[10thLetter]

I probably should have asked this a little different, how about:
How have you changed the way you work with all the micro-management that you are subjected too? I think protest may have been too strong of a word to use. Under the microscope, how do you now work? Do you go out of your way to fix something that is in need of fixing or tending too or do you let it go?

[ImpactedTSG]

Originally Posted by cheryl

Impacted, don't tell me that your mom never taught you which words were inappropriate to use in public...

Here's an opportunity for you to educate yourself. Back before you were born George Carlin used to do a bit about the 7 words you can't say on television. Go to youtube and search for it. I recommend the video where he is smiling and has long brown hair (He seems to have lost the ability to smile when his hair turned gray.)

I'd edit 5 of those words out of any post on this forum.
You'll have to guess which words they are

What about being pissed? I hear that on the radio all the time and it gets edited out. Also whore is said as well, but I doubt that would be allowed here. It's pretty pathetic that grown adults get censored like we are 5th graders. Treat us like them and that is how we will act. At least that's how I approach it.

[cheryl]

Just a friendly suggestion Impacted, pick your battles... these words are not the issue, they weren't on professor Carlin's list... do your homework.

[ImpactedTSG]

Originally Posted by cheryl

Just a friendly suggestion Impacted, pick your battles... these words are not the issue, they weren't on professor Carlin's list... do your homework.

The why have your mods edited at least one of them in the past? Maybe they need to pick their battles.

Originally Posted by ImpactedTSG

The why have your mods edited at least one of them in the past? Maybe they need to pick their battles.

Why so negative.

We are a postive vibe shop.

[ups_tech]

Amateurs! Shortly after PMT and its retarded tracking rolled out I quickly decided there had to be a better way. I realized PMT was never going away. They were never going to give me a decent raise. I was never going to have management that wasn't no-talent-a-clowns with common sense. I should warn though, this was when I was wholeheartedly looking for another job, I was in short timer mode. So your mileage may vary.

I realized I spent probably 10 minutes a morning, before work, doing a little quality time in the "reading room" of my home. UPS bathrooms were well enough equipped, a bit dirty, lacking in reading material. However, by spending 15 minutes a day of UPS time a day in the bathroom would mean 75 minutes of personal free time. It was like getting a 3.1% raise, roughly the same as the yearly raises at the time. Except it was tax free. So the first few days went well, then my boss complained my PMT numbers were not adding up. Fair enough, I made myself a ticket. Boss was not amused. I explained I was trying to be honest with my PMT numbers. I offered to make sure I had details of exactly how I spent the 15 minutes. He told me this was in no way acceptable, I could not continue. I asked him to reply in email it was no longer acceptable, he asked why. I told him I wanted to be sure I had my fact straight when I spoke to the HR rep about my boss not allowing me to go to the bathroom. He was not amused. We agreed he didn't want to know, just try to fit the time in one of my other logs. Victory!

Almost forgot to add, I shared my little secret with a buddy of mine. Only seemed fair.

[Sev 8]

Originally Posted by ups_tech

Amateurs! Shortly after PMT and its retarded tracking rolled out I quickly decided there had to be a better way. I realized PMT was never going away. They were never going to give me a decent raise. I was never going to have management that wasn't no-talent-a-clowns with common sense. I should warn though, this was when I was wholeheartedly looking for another job, I was in short timer mode. So your mileage may vary.

I realized I spent probably 10 minutes a morning, before work, doing a little quality time in the "reading room" of my home. UPS bathrooms were well enough equipped, a bit dirty, lacking in reading material. However, by spending 15 minutes a day of UPS time a day in the bathroom would mean 75 minutes of personal free time. It was like getting a 3.1% raise, roughly the same as the yearly raises at the time. Except it was tax free. So the first few days went well, then my boss complained my PMT numbers were not adding up. Fair enough, I made myself a ticket. Boss was not amused. I explained I was trying to be honest with my PMT numbers. I offered to make sure I had details of exactly how I spent the 15 minutes. He told me this was in no way acceptable, I could not continue. I asked him to reply in email it was no longer acceptable, he asked why. I told him I wanted to be sure I had my fact straight when I spoke to the HR rep about my boss not allowing me to go to the bathroom. He was not amused. We agreed he didn't want to know, just try to fit the time in one of my other logs. Victory!

Almost forgot to add, I shared my little secret with a buddy of mine. Only seemed fair.

PMT is a UPS thing. I have never seen anything like it at any other IT shop.

Regardless whether you have 5 years with UPS or 20, I would consider just leaving. The world of IT outside UPS is the real world of IT. UPS does brown boxes well, not local IT (TSG).

I was unhappy for most of my time in TSG. I left, I love being away. Any time I feel a little disappointed at work, I come back here to remind myself just how great my working life really is.

My only regret is not leaving UPS years earlier. I visit this site from time to time to see how my old partners are doing.

I ran into a mechanic buddy from UPS last weekend. He told me that things continually get worse. I told him I cannot believe it is possible to suck worse than it did just a couple of years ago.

Most of my friends in management and TSG have left in the last 3 years. It is kind of sad in a way.