Morale stinks at our center. I feel strongly that volume up and they are trying to whip the unload into getting it out in the same amount of time as when we were slower.
Our ft preload sup is losing his cool and making impossible demands of the pt sups. Pkgs are stacked to a point where we cannot move. When we shut the belt down ft sup tears into the pt sup or swears at the hourly who "did the deed". This is plain ugly business.
I am not comfy when supervisors get into nasty arguments in front of us. Poor morale, you betcha.
Last few days many have called off sick. PT sup is doing hourly work. Yesterday he parked himself beside me and settled in move pkgs. I told him no offense, I understand that you're trying to get the work done but I WILL file a grievance if you do the work. Told him it wasn't personal and that the company would just have to staff properly. He went away, probably to move pkgs out of my sight.
Lots of call ins and it really messes us up but they don't do much about it. Union and management have been protecting a golden few who call in or are late regularly so the whole attendance policy has gone down the drain. Just doesn't make a person feel so good about kicking butt. Sorry for the rant, it's just worse than it has ever been with no end in sight.
I was just having this conversation with someone just the other day...about morale being low. Seems within the last year that no one really cares...and don't care how the plane gets loaded, just as long as it gets loaded on time. We have several that call in a few times a week, come in late, sit in the crew van playing cards while the rest of the crew is working, etc... I just don't get how a blind eye is turned to this stuff. I guess it's a union thing...I dunno...or no one cares how the job gets done, just as long as it gets done...
You hit the nail on the head with this post. Im at work everyday and they don't say a word to the ones who call in twice a week. The Ft. Sup told me it is easy not get the paper work on those because the union just brings them back. Instead they like to now try to tell the ones that do work we need you here don't take a sick or PH we have no one to fill your job, they don't try to say they will bring paper work. They are begging us not take a day. One today wanted me and the four other SPA people to take our vacations at another time. Three of us are on vacation next month at the same time. I will not do this.Morale stinks at our center. I feel strongly that volume up and they are trying to whip the unload into getting it out in the same amount of time as when we were slower.
Our ft preload sup is losing his cool and making impossible demands of the pt sups. Pkgs are stacked to a point where we cannot move. When we shut the belt down ft sup tears into the pt sup or swears at the hourly who "did the deed". This is plain ugly business.
I am not comfy when supervisors get into nasty arguments in front of us. Poor morale, you betcha.
Last few days many have called off sick. PT sup is doing hourly work. Yesterday he parked himself beside me and settled in move pkgs. I told him no offense, I understand that you're trying to get the work done but I WILL file a grievance if you do the work. Told him it wasn't personal and that the company would just have to staff properly. He went away, probably to move pkgs out of my sight.
Lots of call ins and it really messes us up but they don't do much about it. Union and management have been protecting a golden few who call in or are late regularly so the whole attendance policy has gone down the drain. Just doesn't make a person feel so good about kicking butt. Sorry for the rant, it's just worse than it has ever been with no end in sight.
I'll throw in my two cents.
This week was horrendous; granted I've only been here for six or seven months, but it is as bad as I've seen it. I don't particularly focus on my own feelings, because ... I just don't; but the other preloaders are pretty demoralized lately. This one cat who works next to me has an insane pull and is so stacked out by the third hour that he has a little castle three trucks wide; he just gives up at a certain point because he literally can't move any faster without seriously endangering himself.
Another guy has been there fifteen years and even he is walking around, swatting a box every now and then while shaking his head. He still does the job, but at the end of the day several of his trucks are bricked from floor to ceiling.
Maybe it's like this every year around this time, or maybe it just seems worse for some reason. The word around the campfire is that our shift supervisor has been given impossible numbers to hit; given that he is a real abrasive individual who is never one to miss an opportunity to make sarcastic comments, and even he is not disciplining the hourlies for bending the rules to cope with the mess, leads me to speculate that maybe this is true. Then again, the "campfire" is a big place and people say lots of things.
I can only imagine how things are for the drivers; I stuffed a tiny PC with about 400 packages today, with a crap load of bulk stops; had to close the bulkhead door so I could finish loading it because packages were falling out the cab door(s).
Maybe I just wanted to complain a little after a long week; if so, this seemed like a reasonable place to do it.
Don't take this wrong as I know it isn't your fault but the driver getting to his first stop and not being able to even get his bulkhead door open because of packages being wedged up against it id just not a great way to start out the day. Its not fun having to open the back door and climb up and over a mountain of cardboard just to dig out your first stops. Somehow this never happens when they ride with you.
Not at all; when I was loading the car he was standing right there - I asked him, "What do you want me to do?" He said, paraphrasing, "Just put it ****ing anywhere."
I'll throw in my two cents.
This week was horrendous; granted I've only been here for six or seven months, but it is as bad as I've seen it. I don't particularly focus on my own feelings, because ... I just don't; but the other preloaders are pretty demoralized lately. This one cat who works next to me has an insane pull and is so stacked out by the third hour that he has a little castle three trucks wide; he just gives up at a certain point because he literally can't move any faster without seriously endangering himself.
Another guy has been there fifteen years and even he is walking around, swatting a box every now and then while shaking his head. He still does the job, but at the end of the day several of his trucks are bricked from floor to ceiling.
Maybe it's like this every year around this time, or maybe it just seems worse for some reason. The word around the campfire is that our shift supervisor has been given impossible numbers to hit; given that he is a real abrasive individual who is never one to miss an opportunity to make sarcastic comments, and even he is not disciplining the hourlies for bending the rules to cope with the mess, leads me to speculate that maybe this is true. Then again, the "campfire" is a big place and people say lots of things.
I can only imagine how things are for the drivers; I stuffed a tiny PC with about 400 packages today, with a crap load of bulk stops; had to close the bulkhead door so I could finish loading it because packages were falling out the cab door(s).
Maybe I just wanted to complain a little after a long week; if so, this seemed like a reasonable place to do it.
Why would you do that? No one should ever speak to a pt supervisor about a grievance, esp when one is in action. They are only there to be abused, not to be consoled. Do your union business outside of work.
sleeve, I have always operated this way. It's only fair to remind the sup that he shouldn't be doing hourly work and that I will take action if he continues. This particular sup came from the sort aisle, same place I am and I've worked with him. He's a decent man with a family to feed. He treats me with respect and I do the same for him.
I was just having this conversation with someone just the other day...about morale being low. Seems within the last year that no one really cares...and don't care how the plane gets loaded, just as long as it gets loaded on time. We have several that call in a few times a week, come in late, sit in the crew van playing cards while the rest of the crew is working, etc... I just don't get how a blind eye is turned to this stuff. I guess it's a union thing...I dunno...or no one cares how the job gets done, just as long as it gets done...