I work in manufacturing. It's one of the largest manufacturing companies in the area, and certainly the most profitable.
To be honest, the pay is quite above average. It's not what we should be getting paid, we should be earning a lot more. But at the end of the day we are getting $25 an hour, in a city where the average per cap income is only 20k a year, and the next largest manufacturer (which happens to be union, and we're not) is only paying $19 an hour.
If I'm being true, it's not a terrible job for the pay. It's physical and tiring, but it isn't “backbreaking” labor.
It wouldn't bother me going to work so much every day, if it wasn't for the constant belittling by supervisors and management. The way they speak to everyone is dehumanizing and disgusting. I feel like I'm child in school.
They always think the worst of things immediately, they have zero trust in any worker, despite if they've been with the company 5, 10, 20 years. Every rule is followed to a T, it's zero tolerance policies (unless it's them).
Let's say I'm walking back from break and I see someone I know heading to break. We stop to say hello and ask how things are going, a 30 second conversation happening at most, and if a supervisor sees it they just come flying over asking with the most demeaning tone, “Excuse me! Can you two explain right now why you are both out of your area!?? Is something going on that needs to be discussed between you!? If so it should probably involve a supervisor too, wouldn't you think??”
Or how about cell phones. I get that it's a manufacturing plant, you can't have people on their phones walking the floor. Lots of forklifts, lots of dangerous equipment, material falling on the ground sometimes.
But lets say someone is standing still, in a completely safe spot, and they just lift their phone an inch out of their pocket to read the time (because every clock in this plant is different). If a supervisor sees that, it's a belittling speech…..”What exactly do you think you're doing? You know better than use a phone on company time and on the floor. Follow me to the office.” And write up.
But if a supervisor wants to walk around with their phone out, to show every single employee pictures of their new child…..that's apparently allowed and safe to do.
I shouldn't feel like I'm in middle school at 35 years old. I shouldn't feel like I'm in a prison for eight hours a day.
I get that I have a job to do. Despite the fact my labor is being exploited, despite the fact I believe my coworkers and I are having our wages stolen from us, I understand that this is the system we live in, as much as I try to change it.
If my quota is met at the end of every shift, why do you have to scold me, belittle me, treat me like a child or a convict? Why can't you just talk to me and interact with me in a decent and polite manner, like you would any other person?