Strike Duty... Day +11

...or 12.  I've lost track.  My mind is mush.  11 straight days of 12 hour days will do that to a person.  So will having to drive in Massachusetts.  I thought Texas folks were horrible drivers...  Mass. drivers are just plain nuts.  They don't know the meaning of left turn yields to through traffic.  They just wave and cut you off like it's a normal thing.  Then again, it probably is around here.

Frustration level is to the point of boiling over.  And it isn't regarding the picketers, although they are their own special breed and have a special place in hell awaiting them.

No, frustration due to lack of adequate training, unrealistic expectations, lack of proper equipment, lack of vehicles to transport between work areas, and the worst of all, lack of general communication from the management I'm working for.

My management back home has been great.  We have a weekly call where our VP tells us what's going on, what to expect, and takes questions and answers.  The problem is, is I'm on "loan" to a different group in the company.  Therein lies the problem.  My management back home can only paint an overall picture of what's going on and can't really give specifics to those of us on loan to other groups.

So when my temporary management is not providing adequate communication, it's frustrating.  Some simple clarifications to a few simple questions would go a long way.  But hell, our supervisor who's in charge of us hasn't even come into our main "HQ" the past 2 days.  They prefer to work in an area of operations that's closer to home for them.  It sure would be nice if those of us who are from out of town had that option... 

So instead, it's pretty much the same routine everyday.  Come into the HQ, have breakfast with all the other folks from out of town, receive any changes in assignments from one of the area managers, (but not the supervisor) and then head out.

We're basically paired up with someone else who also went through the 2 days of training that we all received.  So, by now, we are quite familiar with the equipment that we received training for.  Of course that wasn't because of the training we received.  It was from on the job training. 

But, now they are assigning special tickets that need immediate resolution.  9 times out of 10, these "troubles" deal in equipment that we have no clue as to what is needed to be done.  So we call any of the local managers...  there's appx. 4.  And rarely do they ever answer or return our calls.  So, we muddle on through the issue and try to fix it, but rarely do.  Hours get spent by everyone working these troubles...  meanwhile, the normal work load continues to pile up.

You'd think that they'd assign the local managers that have experience with such equipment to focus entirely on these troubles.  Think again. 

Or, you'd think they'd pair a person with a lot of experience, with a person with not so much, so that person could learn from the other.  Nope.

Instead, it's the blind leading the blind.  I've gotta wear sunglasses inside cause I can't see worth a shit.

The biggest bitch (and not just from me), is that those of us who are from out of town are supposed to receive 3-4 days off to travel home and see our families.  Next week will be the end of the 3rd week.  Most of my co-workers that are on loan to other groups already have a schedule and plane reservations made.

They have to make a schedule.  We can't all go home at the same time.  That would leave zero coverage.  It'd also be nice to be able to make a plane reservation.  Especially with Labor Day weekend coming up.  Has any of this happened?  Nope.

You know, when I was in the Marines, the leadership had 2 primary leadership objectives.  #1 - Mission Accomplishment.  #2 - Troop welfare, but what ties in with #2 is "KEEP YOUR TROOPS INFORMED."  Someone who knows what's going on, is someone who can see the attainable goal to accomplish the mission.  They go hand in hand.

Oh well.  That's my vent for this week.  Once the situation here in the NorthEast has resolved itself, I'll write about all the special things that the picketers do to make life a living hell for anyone that is unfortunate enough not be in a Union, but still has to work...  or lose their job.