So I get elected union vice president, and the harrassment begins...

[bedpanartist]

so last night I'm elected as vice president of my union (school bus drivers for a large urban school district).

IMMEDIATELY this morning, when I go to use the restroom (which I called into dispatch per policy), I have a manager waiting for me after I get back from the John to write me up for taking a bus home against policy (I didn't take it home, I just used my restroom at home), which is right down the street from my next stop.

When you become a union activist, you immediately are followed. You are accused of things you did not do, and the man breathes down your neck hard.

I am alone here?

[annabanana]

1. I suspect it's SOP..

Cataloging "transgressions" for future PR use in case of a necessary job action.

[bedpanartist]

2. That's what I suspected

because prior to this morning, I had never been written up for anything. Please advise.

BTW - What is SOP?

[YDogg]

3. standard operating procedure

[Richard Steele]

4. SOP= Standard Operating Procedure. NM

[Touchdown]

5. Are you a local VP, or a district?

The higher in the chain you go, the more scrutiny you're put under by mgmt. Stewards have to be model employees sometimes.:eyes:

We get it here from both sides. The union members bitch at us for not protecting them. "Against what? You're a union member too! You do something about your petty outrage for Joe Blockhead having 15 minutes more overtime than you!" Some of them honestly think that their dues are for us to provide a service to them, and they don't have to lift a finger, as if we are their labor dry cleaners and trash collectors. WRONG! Dues are to just keep the union alive...period. Everybody is the union, and everybody has the responsibility.

Sorry to go off on a rant. Now that you're up there, you need to be extra careful about your conduct, because you are being watched.:hi:

[bedpanartist]

8. local VP, and I have turned into a one-man reality show

I have begun recording everything I do. I even got on tape the director of transporation falsely accusing me of abusing my job by stopping at the fucking YMCA in the morning to work out.

[China_cat]

16. Try reminding your membership

that 'union begins with U'.

We have the same problem. Same 3 of us doing all the work, everybody else wanting the benefits. Sometimes I wish there was a time machine to take them back a hundred years and let them try working for just a week under conditions that existed before unionization.

[DiverDave]

6. Keep meticulous records

Date, time, who, what, where...write EVERYTHING down.
It will help tremendously when you sue the bastards for harassment.
Hang in there.

[kitkat65]

9. Good advice, DiverDave.

Ask for copies of their complaints for your records as well.

[papau]

7. Nope - US Steel in the 60's did the same thing to union leaders

I have not been in a union in a long time, but the management attitude has only gotten worse since the 50/60's. An insurance company ULIC - now part of ING - was unionized via cards - and a few "devoted to a management male" female employees photo-copied the list of card signers. During the NRLB fight - and within 180 days of the week of card signing - about 90% were let go as management noted all the bad work habits those ee's had developed.

The John Hancock Ins Co - now part of Manulife - was likewise hit with a card signing week in the early 70's - and went into panic mode - with those with positive comments about unions finding other employment - for whatever reason.

US management does not look at unions at partners in communicating what is to be done to keep the job or grow the number of jobs in the area. They see unions as the enemy - and our MBA programs all teach that you are more profitable without a union - despite many examples of industries where the union company/plant/job location is the most profitable and the least profitable is the non-union.

[myrna minx]

10. My friend is going through the exact same thing.

He organized a contract for his fellow workers and now the management has been stalking him. He doesn't regret putting his neck out for his fellow workers, but it's almost unbearable how much harassment he receives at work. He is totally scrutinized almost on a microscopic level. K&R for all of the labor leaders who go through this.

[bedpanartist]

11. could we harrass back?

I would think that about 100 phone calls from DUers might help?

[myrna minx]

13. I'll ask him but I'm afraid that phone calls won't do a damn thing.

Sigh. Best of luck to you and thank you for putting your neck out for your fellow workers. My friend works his behind off, and still he is treated like a villain. He is followed by the surveillance cameras and little nasty notes are put in his box that proves that every move he makes is being watched. He has been falsely accused of bad behavior etc. It really sucks. Document everything and watch your back. :hi:

[hamerfan]

12. Good luck, bedpan,

as this is not a labor friendly time we live in, which has to be joke of the decade if it weren't so ironic considering the times we live in!
Diver Dave is right. Meticulous records on everything that may even seem to be out of the ordinary. Our shop steward wants to be a contract-talks representative for us, and we're telling him no as the big boys already have him under the gun and we need no more bad blood there. Good for you taking on the VP duties, but CYA because manangement will try everything they can to find cause.
dumpbush

[bedpanartist]

23. what about publishing

the harrassment to a blog? I think it would make a great reality television series myself.

Part of the reason I am feared there is because I am a former newspaper reporter/editor who also has 7 years of ad agency experience. I'm doing this because my heart tells me to, not because I have to.

[davsand]

14. You are now wearing a target.

The only solution is to be above reproach and DOCUMENT everything. Witnesses are GOOD!

In this case, if anything is against policy, but you have always done it anyhow (with no problems) I'd suggest you stop doing it because you KNOW they are on your ass from this day forward. Just don't give them any ammo, and they'll either get over trying to mess with you or else they'll blow it and violate your contract.

I'd suggest that you let your BA know about this ASAP, simply so they are aware of the problem. Additionally, they can offer ideas of strategies to deal with it all. If the harassment continues, and the union's recourse is exhausted, your contacts with the BA can also provide another avenue to help establish a legal case (if it ever gets to that point...)

I know that some BAs and Union Reps have a bad reputation, and I know that some folks do not think their union does shit for them. I'll tell you that in my experience, more often than not that union is gonna scare hell out of the management if they are seen as involved and working with you.

Regards, and hang in there. It is SO worth it!



Laura

[notadmblnd]

15. just a bit of advice....

start keeping a working journal. Names, places, events. Just a daily short blurb on your encounters on the job.

[zbdent]

17. Get a cheap tape recorder

and plenty of tapes . . .

[Bombero1956]

20. be careful

some states have laws against recording someone without their knowledge. Massachusetts is a 2 party state which means that even though you may know you're being recorded, the other person must be told. Check the law for your state before you record any conversations.

[Cronus Protagonist]

29. You can record anything you want, although it may not be used in court

If they say it to you, you can record it. What you can do with the recording is another thing. You may not be able to play it to another person, but the way around that is to take notes of the meeting and use the recording to "refresh your memory" when putting the meeting down in writing. That way you can get things absolutely verbatim, and it is at the court's leisure, if it gets to that, to decide whether or not the recording can be used for authentication purposes on the note.

Of course, the laws vary wildly, but if you did record it and it was not legal, often it is worth it to take the misdemeanor charge and have the evidence of something much larger at hand. Again, it may or may not be usable in court, but it sure can be used for your own personal notes. I've done that myself a few times.

Another tactic is to turn on a recorder right in full view while someone is speaking to you. If they continue while recording, you can use it. If they stop or tell you to turn it off, then you asl they put their communication to you in writing if they're concerned about a recording.

It can be fun to ask them why their afraid of you recording them doing their official work, and get their response on tape :)

YMMV - ask an attorney about the loopholes in your area.

[BlooInBloo]

18. Seems to me that public-ish positions intrinsically come with....

... an increased amount of proactive responisibility on the part of the officeholder, to ensure that s/he avoids even the smallest suggestion of impropriety.

Are you saying you don't feel that way about people who control some of YOUR money?

Yah, there's increased scrutiny. I don't understand why you think that folks who have cocntrol over other people's money (and other things) SHOULDN'T have increased scrutiny.

If you don't like it, quit.

(This isn't meant to come off like an asshole, just me not understanding why you're surprised)

[Bill McBlueState]

19. sure, he deserves scrutiny from other union members

But extra scrutiny from management is the problem.

[bedpanartist]

21. I don't mind the scrutiny from members

but it's the following me around part I resent. I shall live with it though. My life is now a reality television show, with everything documented. I even photographed the floor of my bus this evening, as to document that I cleaned it.

They WILL make shit up about you. And if you don't have contrary evidence, then you are screwed, blue tattooed and barbequed.

[bedpanartist]

22. I think there should be scrutiny

just not political harrassment. Before being elected vice, I had ZERO complaints to my name. Now they will try to make shit up if they can.

[cmd]

24. Contact your union rep

Document all write-ups and other threats. If you are being harrassed, your rep should go to your supervisor and mention three little words - Unfair Labor Practice. That usually puts the fear of God in the supervisor and shows that you are not one to be intimidated. Don't worry too much. Union reps are usually golden - unless they legitimately screw up. However, supervisors will push to see how far they can go.

edit: I forgot to congratulate you! It's good to know that there are union officers around here. Congratulations on being chosen by your peers.

[bedpanartist]

25. know how we did it?

we threw out the prez, and the vice prez, who were going along with management's claim that the pay scale in our signed contract was a misprint and that miraculously, the new "corrected" pay scale has everyone making fiddy cent less an hour.

We pointed out this blatant discrepency, via a bank of text message numbers and began to organize in viral fashion (i.e. - copy and pass this message on to your list of text message friends).

Now we've got some serious damn work ahead of us with a union-busting director and our contract ending at year's end. We suffer a constant lack of safety officers unable or willing to respond to calls of violence breaking out on busses, many times, man sized inner city boys who will fight at the drop of a hat. It's a truly ugly scene. Then there's the pay problems, selective enforcement of rules, rampant rumors and reports of sexual harrassment, I could go on and on and on.

[bobbieinok]

28. could you post somewhere about what's going on?? or does that

make everything too public and watchable??

[bedpanartist]

31. currently documenting

everything, and will make public when ready and if needed.

[cmd]

32. From my point of view

They are running scared. It appears that you were able to oust the old prez and vp quite easily. They now hope they are working with rookies who will bend easily. That's why they are pushing intimidation. Hang in there. Keep good records and use that camera. Their claim that the signed contract was a misprint is baloney. They signed it, they should have proofread it. Now they have to live with it. Best of luck. If you need help in the future, let me know. I can put you in touch with one of the toughest lady bus driver/union reps in Ohio. She knows her stuff and can stand up to anybody. I know. I have her tire tracks all over my body.

[bedpanartist]

33. send me your e-mail address

and I'll send you the corresponding documents.

Contact me at: [e-mail]

You won't believe it. Or perhaps you will.

I would love to talk to your tough ass bus driver friend. We've got some tough as nails ones here, dealing with the madness that is inner-city America on a daily basis.

[Vidar]

26. I empathize. Hope you have supportive friends & family.

[treestar]

27. It would be cool if you could get the media on it

How about your own reality show?

[bedpanartist]

30. I have a great little SONY digital camera

that takes superb mpg movies. It might make a great podcast reality tv show. :evilgrin: