Ok, so my work unionized a few months ago (we haven't started bargaining yet so no contract is in place), and before that up to now, management/HR has been a massive pain. Instituting strict dress code changes. Writing people up for anything and everything (including blatantly illegal shit). Ignoring requests for policy or documentation. Giving shit jobs to people they don't like. And, lying about it when asked, saying it's the union. Of course, we've been in touch with the union, who denied it, and filed grievances but it's been very slow going. And, my employer, despite being a non-profit, hired a VERY expensive union busting lawyer who is doing everything in their power to oppose us. In the meantime, people are down. I've been talking to people who've been there for years, and morale is at an all time low. Pretty much everyone in my department is looking for a way out.
I found a new job that pays better and is closer to my house so I've decided to quit. I'm on my day off, and I want to write a good quitting email to my bosses and HR. My question is do I also include my coworkers from my department? I want to give them a shout-out. I also want to just shout this shit from the rooftops. So much of this conflict between me and mgmt/HR has been a cold war– terse emails, no emails, and in person conversation stymied at every juncture. I feel the need to make it public so no one can deny what happened or the way that I feel. I recognize that this is not the most rational reason for making a private personnel issue public but it's the strongest so it's hard to ignore. The main reason I might not want to do it is that I don't want to fuck up our unionizing effort in any way. I've been involved with the effort since the beginning, and I don't want to be the poster child for disgruntled, unprofessional union monger. I don't want to be the reason that their effort is any more difficult than it already is.
I've included the text of the email I want to send. Can I get some thoughts from the community about changes I might make? For context, I work in a non-profit that is an educational and artistic resource for children. I've changed names for obvious reasons.
“I'm emailing you to let you know that I've accepted a position elsewhere and am terminating my employment with SESAME STREET effective immediately.
I'm sure this comes as no surprise. Just as I'm sure that HR and VS management will be delighted to see me go. No more annoying, ethical questions you don't want to answer or emails with walls of text that test your patience and empathy. I promise this will be my last one!
BERT and ERNIE (the director and senior manager of Visitors Services, or VS), you once told me that I was responsible for the energy that permeated Visitors Services. That my negativity was responsible for fostering negativity in others that I work with. It's utterly incredible that you would attribute so much power to someone with zero authority and for whom you've valued so little. But make no mistake, it's management who has created that negative energy. It's management who has fostered an environment of bitterness, anger, disappointment, hopelessness, disrespect, and apathy. If my negativity had any relationship with the negativity of others in VS it's that it was shared by pretty much everyone. And, I know this because unlike the two of you, I actually spent time behind the desk working with and talking to these people. I didn't create that situation. Management did. It's literally your job to manage people. Not mine. Honestly, how absurd!
To both management and HR, I sincerely hope that you all can learn to take responsibility for your incompetence; lack of empathy; misuse of company policy; and your utter disdain for your subordinates. Or, whatever combination of those factors contributes to your mistreatment of human beings.
To all my homies in VS, I sincerely hope that management can learn to take responsibility for their incompetence; lack of empathy; misuse of company policy; and their utter disdain for you folks at the desk who make this place function and sparkle. Or, you find a job where your perspective is valued, your creativity is an asset, and no one throws away your fun little drawings like a joyless troll. You're all magical people, and I'm glad to have known each and every one of you.
BIGBIRD out!”
What do you think?