--- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, "Hiram Gonash"
> [snip]
>
> I had a group picnic recently where we had games - real stupid
> infantile games like who could keep a yo-yo going the longest. They
> (the managers) got real upset because I chose not to play. Poor team
> spirit they whined. Funny, though, when I started a water balloon toss
> the managers (*ahem*) declined to participate. Can't get the rolex
> wet...
>
> If I'm going to participate in an infantile sport for my company it
> damn sure better involve explosives or caustic substances. Then we'll
> see who has team spirit! Wimps!!! "Ooooh! a drop of water landed on my
> $200 shirt. I better go home for the rest of the day in my new
> Porsche..."
>
> --H.G.
I visited the UPS main hub in Grand Rapids (Michigan) about 10 years
ago. I was there for two weeks and spoke with many of the employees.
(I was involved with upgrading their computers to accept speech
input.) The UPS folks worked their tail off - they processed packages
so fast, it was as if the building was on fire! The machines were able
to track throughput very well, and could tell who was the slowest
person on the line. The pay for all this exhaustion was $8/hour.
As I recall there was a 10-minute break after each 4-hour shift. This
was the time that management would talk to the employees about
important issues of the day. Some break! I sat in on these pep talks.
On one occasion, the management was plugging a donation for United
Way. The 'suggested' amount was $25. Everyone was given a form to fill
out, and told what to do. It was very hard for anyone to resist.
On another occasion, management wanted the employees to write letters
to the local congressman about a bill that was bad for UPS. Paper was
handed out with a printout of what to write, along with envelopes and
stamps. (How generous that UPS paid for the postage.)
The letters looked better if it was in the employees' own writing, and
so management forcefully applied the pressure. They gave reasons why
the bill was bad, and listed some other companies that were against
it. This time, there was one UPS employee who stood up and asked a
question: 'If the bill is so bad, who supports it?' Silence. He went
on to suggest that management should bring in "pro" and "con" people
who can present both sides of the issue. Then, the employees could
decide on their own if they supported the bill or not. Management
simply did not respond to this guy. They looked annoyed. The other
employees were not so cocky - - they took the paper and started
writing the letters. This was how they spent their break that day...
Later on the same day one of the managers apologized that I had to
witness that event. They told me that the employee with the contrary
attitude was "a trouble maker, a union guy, always questioning
management and reminding the other employees of their rights".
John
Received on 2004-08-04 15:26:03
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: 2020-02-04 07:16:20 UTC