Hi all, been a long-time lurker, and believer in the movement. I have a long history of shitty employers and managers, often bullying me, or watching me chase the carrot for a payrise I'd never get. I'll be trying to keep this as unspecific as possible just in case.
Always taken pride in my work ethic; I work fucking hard. I'm always looking at ways for work to be streamlined, safer and just generally easier. I like to get along with my coworkers, and still try and be professional and curtious, even if they are a flaming bag of dicks.
I applied and started working at a facility in a small town. Company had been around a while, but had easily lept up the ladder and was on the heels of its competitors quickly. Was hard physical labor, plenty of OT. Pay could have been better, but they sponsored me to stay in the country I now live in. My boss was/is my best friend, we kept each other laughing through some truly shitty days. I became highly trained and certified in many areas of the job, which also led to me being a guy who could be sent to another facility and run it/help out when a deadline was suddenly dropped on us. I genuinely loved my job. I felt valued, I felt like I was going somewhere and finally ha d a career.
Years passed, and I decided it was time to the move to the city. Small towns aren't my jam, and work seemed to be slowing due to numerous bad years. I wanted to progress and get the payrise I needed to survive in this crazy time.
The facility near the city is a much bigger operation, and thus had spent a ridiculous amount of money on it, but not a lot of thought on practicality and efficiency. They were keen to have me due to my experience, qualifications and skill set. Said I would be running a section of the plant, in addition to applying my other skills, which meant I would be less physical, which I was keen on, as my micro injuries are starting to accumulate. The manager also mentioned I would certainly be paid more there, in addition to a car pool to help keep costs down.
The first two months, felt like 4 months. I was put in charge of the section, like promised. Except no one else knew. And one of them was told he was in charge. This led to a lot of clashes. They had been trying to fire this guy for a while. He was rude and lazy. Had no desire to help out with yard work. Didn't want to work with me at all. Lost cause. As of today, he's still there. We're on better terms but Jesus he still is infuriating sometimes. My manager moved me away from that section after i blew up at my coworker for his bullshit, which made it pretty clear to me I wasn't running that place, and they had no intention of firing him because the drama he created was entertaining.
The work itself, is gruelling at times. Imagine attacking something for an hour and being no closer to finishing, because we don't have the adequate equipment to function as we should. Despite being a billion dollar company, we're too cheap to buy more radios for communication, let alone something essential for this part of the job. I've worked in blizzards, 18 hour shifts and performed impossible tasks, often after being given the correct tools and machine for rhe job. I have never felt so hopeless completing this particular task, regularly. My shoulders and wrists are shot, and my back muscles are locked.
I can operate some large dangerous equipment. I was told I would using it enough for it to be considered my position. Well I haven't touched that equipment in nearly a month now. And they hired a guy who's career is using that machine. The supervisor wasn't happy with my performance pn the machine, whilst following his instruction. I suggested maybe he should adapt his instructions to compensate for the distance and the weight I was carrying, like many of the other operators had asked.
Needless to say, my pay has remained at my original rate.
I was told some cameras would be added for security reasons, and because HQ weren't convinced we were working. We would still have spaces to relax, and we were just not meant to be sitting on our phones in front of cameras. We just had to go somewhere else. We do have bouts of down time as is the nature of our job; we're dependent on deliveries of goods snd equipment to create the work.
The tiny little section I work in is now covered in cameras, every single space we could relax is now nomore.
Another layer to this; I am a white, first language English foreigner in north America. A large portion of the work force is from various parts of the middle East. All, in some way related to the founder and CEO. There is a very us and them attitude, and its from their side. So much so, that only the white guys are working in my section, and the others are in the other part. With less cameras and lot more fuxking the dog. This has led some of the older workers to think/know they are ineffable and untouchable, which is only reinforced by the manager. They are overconfident of their abilities, because they've never been punished or faced consequences for their fuck up's. They cut corners, and fuck up regularly. They verbally attack other workers for minor things, to make themselves feel more adequate at their job. Any fubar, or mistake they make; everyone else has to clean up. When I fuck up, you bet I'm in there with the others fixing it. Not with them. They quite literally run away.
There's been one instance of a guy giving such bad instructions, that it caused a lost time incident. The operator was punished and fired, despite being instructed to perform the action that led to this event.
Today was once of those slow days, had no where to really hide while we waited for work to arrive. Yard was spotless, no maintenance needed because its been so dead for so long. OT was next to nothing and I'm starting to struggle living because of this.
We get told a delivery will be soon. Time starts getting close to the end of the day. We ask if we're being expected to stay late. Nothing. Closing time hits. Nothing. I have a disagreement with my supervisor; he asks me to conduct an operator. I send a message to ensure we have clearance. He tells me with have clearance, I say that I'm checking with the authorised person. He gives the instructions for me. Without securing our current goods. Says we don't need to secure them because he'll back soon. At this point I'm fuming because no one had even asked if i was ok doing ot, no one had even mentioned it may be a possibility. I'm doing everything right, because if something goes wrong, not only am I fired, I'm going to court. He doesn't have to worry about that. Because nepotism and money.
Today I hit my (insert reasonably large amount of time) years of service, and gpt a $100 gift card. Like, what? I've been promised a payrise, less work, being in charge of a section of the company and being valued, all of which has been a lie, having to defend myself against my 'superiors' who avoid physical labor like the plague but have the gaul to criticize me working safely and in accordance with the law to avoid the very likely scenario where someone dies, often im completing their tasks and fixing their mistakes or teaching them how to perform a task…. and I get $100?
Fuck. This. Job.