Another Reason I Like Unions

[SLP]

When I was young I worked at a gas station for a period of time. It was the early morning shift on a busy road where people filled up for their daily commutes, so we were always very busy. It was myself and another fellow that maned the shits, and this was before the current programmable pumps, so we had to stop each pump by hand at the desired dollar amount so it could sometime get hectic running back and forth between cars, keeping them all getting serviced promptly and out quickly.

One day the other fellow gave his notice that he would be leaving. I told the boss that if he gave me half of the other fellows salary that I could handle the shift myself. I told him give me at least one week to prove that sales wouldn't drop before he hired anyone else. This would be a win-win for both of us, I would be making 50% more, and he would be saving 50% on a second salary. I worked my tale off and sales actually went up instead of down, so we kept it like that permanently.

My point is that I am sure that some customers watched me running around like mad keeping pace with all the cars, and concluded the owner must have been taking advantage of me. Of course by judging a situation that they really didn't know anything about they would have been very wrong. So unless you really know all the circumstances surrounding the company, its finances, and its employees I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Unfortunately we too often form opinions through the prisms of our preconceived views about something instead of actually learning what all the facts are.

[MrSplitshot]

My garbage collection is the biggest joke I've ever seen.

Sometime early in the morning a pickup truck from waste management just drives through the neighborhood. I'm not real sure why. Maybe he's surveying the workload for the day?

Then, a truck comes through with a single driver and picks up the Herbie (garbage can) with the hydraulic arm. It ends up sideways on the ground blocking my driveway most of the time. Then, later, a truck comes through for the Rosie (recycle bin). Then, later, another garbage truck comes through with a couple of guys on it to pick up all of the crap that wouldn't fit in the Herbie (garbage can) and is sitting on the curb. Then, later, a truck comes through for the Yard Waste dumpster full of grass, leaves, or whatever crap I've removed from the yard.

We just moved into a new house and I didn't want the recycle container. (Sue me, I just don't have room for it.) I called Waste Management and asked them to come get it. They sent a guy in a pickup truck with a trailer full of containers behind it on a trailer. I happened to be in the driveway when he pulled up. I noticed him go to the container, open it, then close it and walk away. I hollered "Hey, wait a minute, I wanted you guys to take that." He said he can't take it, because it's not empty. Puzzled, I walked over to it and opened the lid. There was 1 (one) empty plastic milk jug in the bottom. I was shocked. I reached down in there, grabbed the jug, and turned around to tell him that it was now empty...he had already got in the pickup and was pulling off. I called Waste Mangement again and the same dude came back to the house the next day and got it. Waste Mangement spent fuel and salary for this dude to drive to my house twice, not once, because of 1 (one) empty plastic milk jug.

Yeah, he cares a lot about his job.

I'm not real smart, but I know as a business person that you look at the job that needs to be done and you try to find the most cost-effective way to get it done right. I'm not saying half-ass it, but get the job done with the least amount of expense. That saved expense translates to bottom line profits, or more capital that you can use to invest in your business, pass discounts to the customer to meet competition, give your employees raises when they deserve them so that they feel valued and want to do a good job for your company, etc, etc, etc. The cluster-screw above sure doesn't seem like that most cost-effective way to get it done right to me, and obviously it's not producing people that take any kind of pride in their job.

It didn't used to be that way.

My philosophy has always been - Be a rock star at whatever your job is. I don't care if you're a trash man or sack groceries. Be the best **** garbage man or grocery sacker on the friggin planet and it WILL translate into good things. If you don't like being a garbage man, fake it...be a rock star at it...one day you'll become the supervisor of a team of garbage men, or you'll get noticed by somebody somewhere who likes your attitude and offers you an opportunity doing something else. Earn it.

I got a job sacking groceries when I turned 16. Call it bragging, call it whatever, but I was a bad-ass grocery sacker. I hustled, I was polite and friendly to people, I jumped in when some other moron was doing a half-ass job. I thanked people for coming in and was frickin sincere about it. Rain or shine, I was on it...people used to try to give me tips in the parking lot all the time. I never slowed down. When it was slow, I was in the parking lot getting carts back in, mopping floors, whatever. Other idiots were standing around grab-assing and making fun of me. Well, guess what? About a year later, I became a cashier....then later I became a front office supervisor, counting the money, taking care of problems, and telling the grab-asses what to do and when to do it. Legitimate hard work gets rewarded, 9 times out of 10. I still believe it. The crock of it in my case, because we were union, was that the grab-asses got the same pay and the same raises at the same schedule that I did....even though I was working circles around them.

Too many in this country think that they're entitled to everything everybody else has. Earn it? Yeah, right.

[GeoFisher]

My garbage collection is the biggest joke I've ever seen.

Sometime early in the morning a pickup truck from waste management just drives through the neighborhood. I'm not real sure why. Maybe he's surveying the workload for the day?

Then, a truck comes through with a single driver and picks up the Herbie (garbage can) with the hydraulic arm. It ends up sideways on the ground blocking my driveway most of the time. Then, later, a truck comes through for the Rosie (recycle bin). Then, later, another garbage truck comes through with a couple of guys on it to pick up all of the crap that wouldn't fit in the Herbie (garbage can) and is sitting on the curb. Then, later, a truck comes through for the Yard Waste dumpster full of grass, leaves, or whatever crap I've removed from the yard.

We just moved into a new house and I didn't want the recycle container. (Sue me, I just don't have room for it.) I called Waste Management and asked them to come get it. They sent a guy in a pickup truck with a trailer full of containers behind it on a trailer. I happened to be in the driveway when he pulled up. I noticed him go to the container, open it, then close it and walk away. I hollered "Hey, wait a minute, I wanted you guys to take that." He said he can't take it, because it's not empty. Puzzled, I walked over to it and opened the lid. There was 1 (one) empty plastic milk jug in the bottom. I was shocked. I reached down in there, grabbed the jug, and turned around to tell him that it was now empty...he had already got in the pickup and was pulling off. I called Waste Mangement again and the same dude came back to the house the next day and got it. Waste Mangement spent fuel and salary for this dude to drive to my house twice, not once, because of 1 (one) empty plastic milk jug.

Yeah, he cares a lot about his job.

I'm not real smart, but I know as a business person that you look at the job that needs to be done and you try to find the most cost-effective way to get it done right. I'm not saying half-ass it, but get the job done with the least amount of expense. That saved expense translates to bottom line profits, or more capital that you can use to invest in your business, pass discounts to the customer to meet competition, give your employees raises when they deserve them so that they feel valued and want to do a good job for your company, etc, etc, etc. The cluster-screw above sure doesn't seem like that most cost-effective way to get it done right to me, and obviously it's not producing people that take any kind of pride in their job.

It didn't used to be that way.

My philosophy has always been - Be a rock star at whatever your job is. I don't care if you're a trash man or sack groceries. Be the best **** garbage man or grocery sacker on the friggin planet and it WILL translate into good things. If you don't like being a garbage man, fake it...be a rock star at it...one day you'll become the supervisor of a team of garbage men, or you'll get noticed by somebody somewhere who likes your attitude and offers you an opportunity doing something else. Earn it.

I got a job sacking groceries when I turned 16. Call it bragging, call it whatever, but I was a bad-ass grocery sacker. I hustled, I was polite and friendly to people, I jumped in when some other moron was doing a half-ass job. I thanked people for coming in and was frickin sincere about it. Rain or shine, I was on it...people used to try to give me tips in the parking lot all the time. I never slowed down. When it was slow, I was in the parking lot getting carts back in, mopping floors, whatever. Other idiots were standing around grab-assing and making fun of me. Well, guess what? About a year later, I became a cashier....then later I became a front office supervisor, counting the money, taking care of problems, and telling the grab-asses what to do and when to do it. Legitimate hard work gets rewarded, 9 times out of 10. I still believe it. The crock of it in my case, because we were union, was that the grab-asses got the same pay and the same raises at the same schedule that I did....even though I was working circles around them.

Too many in this country think that they're entitled to everything everybody else has. Earn it? Yeah, right.

Watch it........you might be setting a GOOD example and we sure cannot be having that around all these union folks.

[RoadToad]

I'm pretty happy with the garbage collection here. They come by once a week, a guy driving a truck with another guy riding standing up on the passenger side, ready to jump down and wrangle the trash bins when he needs to. I just found out it's the same price for two bins as for one, so I'm going to order a second one, because I have a lot of yard waste sometimes, which, being in Oldham County, I can just put in with the trash.

I have no idea if they're union or not.

[Devils Horse]

Then, a truck comes through with a single driver and picks up the Herbie (garbage can) with the hydraulic arm. It ends up sideways on the ground blocking my driveway most of the time. Then, later, a truck comes through for the Rosie (recycle bin).

Herbie and Rosie?

Come on now dude.

My recycling guy is a whole nother story. I sure get tired of picking up after him. If he drops a plastic bottle or other item, that's where it stays. It's up to me to pick up whatever he drops and and hope maybe it gets taken next week. Perhaps it's in his union contract that he's only required to bend over a certain number of times during a stop.

We recycle a pretty good bit so a single bin isn't enough. After several requests for an extra container, I started putting stuff out there in a bag alongside the container. Dude leaves me a note saying he's not required to deal with bags. So I got a plastic storage container roughly the same size as their bin and started using it. The guy broke it week 1, broke it some more week 2, and finished it off week 3. (Their bins are indestructible, if you watch Wizard of Oz real close you'll see one flying alongside the cow in the tornadic activity scene.)

Jokes on him. I cut up the broken storage container and put it in the recycling in another storage container. So far he's broke that one a pretty good bit, but I keep duct taping it and putting it back out there. He may be a tough guy, but I got a lot of duct tape.

[kygorski]

I'd like to stick up for yah waterdog, BUT there are dangerous brown nosed fecal breathed foks out there who would probably say they were going to beat my old weary ass up!"yah'll caint go round talkin like dat cheer" Next you'll be accused of being a commie[not the good kind like the chinese] but the old cold war kind.Theres a lot to said about minimum wage, slack jawed workers like garbage men, and then theres the bad kind they would maybe like a little more pay, or a benefit.Yep non union garbage man, free lunch and all you can steal.

[waterdog101]

I'd like to stick up for yah waterdog, BUT there are dangerous brown nosed fecal breathed foks out there who would probably say they were going to beat my old weary ass up!"yah'll caint go round talkin like dat cheer" Next you'll be accused of being a commie[not the good kind like the chinese] but the old cold war kind.Theres a lot to said about minimum wage, slack jawed workers like garbage men, and then theres the bad kind they would maybe like a little more pay, or a benefit.Yep non union garbage man, free lunch and all you can steal.

I hear ya, my friend. these younger guys just look at some things from younger eyes, kinda like a little pup, they have to live to a certain age before their eyes come open. anyone that thinks a good Union don't help a working man, they don't look at the work force as I do. it really don't matter with me, I have worked 40 years already. I have my living made, I just feel for guys like the garbage worker, I was talking about. getting taken advantage of, and nothing they can do about it. and they are some people out there, that make a good living themself. and it don't bother them at all, to see some guy have to work in bad working conditions, if it will save them a buck on their bill.

[GeoFisher]

I hear ya, my friend. these younger guys just look at some things from younger eyes, kinda like a little pup, they have to live to a certain age before their eyes come open. anyone that thinks a good Union don't help a working man, they don't look at the work force as I do. it really don't matter with me, I have worked 40 years already. I have my living made, I just feel for guys like the garbage worker, I was talking about. getting taken advantage of, and nothing they can do about it. and they are some people out there, that make a good living themself. and it don't bother them at all, to see some guy have to work in bad working conditions, if it will save them a buck on their bill.

Well dog.......I've worked 30 years in the same field....23 for the same company. Never, not once have I ever wanted to or wished I worked for a union shop.

My eyes ARE opened. Before I worked in the industry I'm in, I delivered pizza.....before that I had a newspaper route. I've worked all my life and MADE a better life for MYSELF by getting an education and bettering myself. PERIOD.

If the garbage man feels he's getting taken advantage of.......learn something else and work somewhere else. If he chooses to stay as a garbage man, then he chooses that will all the perks and benefits, and ******** that goes with that job.

You know what I'm sick and tired of..........people feeling it is their right to have a job versus their responsibility to GET and maintain employment.

You talk about us "young uns" and our need to open our eyes, but if you really want to express your concern, you should look at the kids graduating school today who have ZERO clue about anything, except how to plug in a freakin x box. I worry about their ability to do ****, and compete with anyone for a job. If you think we don't have skilled labor today, wait for about 10 -15 years. We will need every Mexican and other illegal out there just to function, because are kids are to freakin stupid to do ****.

Yea, don't worry about me and my generation.....I think we get it....you better start worrying about the next generation. I think the only decent folks out of that generation may be those who served in the two wars that have been ongoing for the past 10 years.

Later,

Geo

[DJD]

I hear ya, my friend. these younger guys just look at some things from younger eyes, kinda like a little pup, they have to live to a certain age before their eyes come open. anyone that thinks a good Union don't help a working man, they don't look at the work force as I do. it really don't matter with me, I have worked 40 years already. I have my living made, I just feel for guys like the garbage worker, I was talking about. getting taken advantage of, and nothing they can do about it. and they are some people out there, that make a good living themself. and it don't bother them at all, to see some guy have to work in bad working conditions, if it will save them a buck on their bill.

Been working since I was 15 and am 49 be 50 in May. Worked my way up, bagging groceries, washing dishes, floor covering and odd jobs to support myself and served in the military to get money for college.
i said it before...you have a soft spot in your heart. I see the struggles you see but I also see the other side that is choices people made and being responsible for your actions. Sure bad luck can play into how we live our life but we all live with the cards we are dealt. Good or bad it's life.
Don't like being a garbage man? Change it. Don't like being a Walmart cashier change it.

[SLP]

I hear ya, my friend. these younger guys just look at some things from younger eyes, kinda like a little pup, they have to live to a certain age before their eyes come open. anyone that thinks a good Union don't help a working man, they don't look at the work force as I do. it really don't matter with me, I have worked 40 years already. I have my living made, I just feel for guys like the garbage worker, I was talking about. getting taken advantage of, and nothing they can do about it. and they are some people out there, that make a good living themself. and it don't bother them at all, to see some guy have to work in bad working conditions, if it will save them a buck on their bill.

From many years of observations I have come to the conclusion that it is more common that truly generous and caring people are those that do things to help others personally in a quiet manner without seeking recognition. People who instead more publicly point fingers at what others should be doing to help people are often less giving themselves.

I am not saying that this is the case with you, because there of course are always exceptions, and also I don't know you. But then again you don't really know any of us who's values you are choosing to judge.

[GeoFisher]

When I was young I worked at a gas station for a period of time. It was the early morning shift on a busy road where people filled up for their daily commutes, so we were always very busy. It was myself and another fellow that maned the shits, and this was before the current programmable pumps, so we had to stop each pump by hand at the desired dollar amount so it could sometime get hectic running back and forth between cars, keeping them all getting serviced promptly and out quickly.

One day the other fellow gave his notice that he would be leaving. I told the boss that if he gave me half of the other fellows salary that I could handle the shift myself. I told him give me at least one week to prove that sales wouldn't drop before he hired anyone else. This would be a win-win for both of us, I would be making 50% more, and he would be saving 50% on a second salary. I worked my tale off and sales actually went up instead of down, so we kept it like that permanently.

My point is that I am sure that some customers watched me running around like mad keeping pace with all the cars, and concluded the owner must have been taking advantage of me. Of course by judging a situation that they really didn't know anything about they would have been very wrong. So unless you really know all the circumstances surrounding the company, its finances, and its employees I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Unfortunately we too often form opinions through the prisms of our preconceived views about something instead of actually learning what all the facts are.

Excellent example of a Market based economy............

[waterdog101]

When I was young I worked at a gas station for a period of time. It was the early morning shift on a busy road where people filled up for their daily commutes, so we were always very busy. It was myself and another fellow that maned the shits, and this was before the current programmable pumps, so we had to stop each pump by hand at the desired dollar amount so it could sometime get hectic running back and forth between cars, keeping them all getting serviced promptly and out quickly.

One day the other fellow gave his notice that he would be leaving. I told the boss that if he gave me half of the other fellows salary that I could handle the shift myself. I told him give me at least one week to prove that sales wouldn't drop before he hired anyone else. This would be a win-win for both of us, I would be making 50% more, and he would be saving 50% on a second salary. I worked my tale off and sales actually went up instead of down, so we kept it like that permanently.

My point is that I am sure that some customers watched me running around like mad keeping pace with all the cars, and concluded the owner must have been taking advantage of me. Of course by judging a situation that they really didn't know anything about they would have been very wrong. So unless you really know all the circumstances surrounding the company, its finances, and its employees I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Unfortunately we too often form opinions through the prisms of our preconceived views about something instead of actually learning what all the facts are.

your right about the part that I didn't know all the facts, about the guys working conditions. but from what I could see, my guess would be the guy would be willing to give part of his pay, to help pay for a helper. and I think you may have worked for a nicer employer than most. you got your pay bumped by 50% most employers, would have let you do yours and the other guys job, for the same wages. and if it was a non-union job, they could tell you. if you don't like it, don't cry about it go find you another job.