Proofs of my Personal Creedo

I had 2 very critical, and very cynical maxims when I was driving cab so many years ago.  Today, in spades, the first was proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I believe, as cynical as they are, my actions as a result of this statement may have saved my life at least once, possibly twice in the cab.

My first, and most critical maxim was "people are stupid."  This is a broad generalisation.  Please don't it personally, and bear in mind, it doesn't apply to absolutely everybody, or necessarily, yourself.

I work as a traffic controller for areas where roads are under construction.  Today, it was highway work.  Now, we had one lane blocked off for construction vehicle access, and to provide a buffer for the public, so that they are not put at risk by things like reversing equipment into traffic.  And for the workers, to minimise their risk of exposure to people who race through the zone.

Sounds good right?

I was physically standing, blocking traffic in the eastbound traffic lane.  Further ahead of me, visible in the zone was a concrete truck, a traffic control ute, and workmen working.  Blocking that same lane.

As it was my turn to send traffic through the zone, I turned my bat to slow, and directed traffic into the westbound, without moving, thereby forcing traffic into the directed lane.

Initially it was all good.  I released the vehicles and they swung into the directed lane, and I thought, no worries.  They'll be right.

Wrong!

Without exception, every single car, there was around ten, went back into the eastbound lane despite the obvious obstruction further up the road.  The senior traffic controller had to redirect them back into the westbound lane to get around the vehicles.

Once again proving...

People are stupid.

Further evidence of this all too common phenomena will be presented as it is made apparent.

Maxim Number 2:  People are assholes.

I have yet to experience this phenomena directly on the worksite, but when I do, rest assured, You'll know!

WTF?

Well, I like being a traffic controller.  I like being up during the day, I like working outside and away from people who would make my life miserable.

Or, at least, I think I do.

I have been working in the field now 4 weeks, but, I have only worked 12 days.

My boss says "No need for you to drive 2 hours to the worksite."  I say, I knew I'd likely be doing that when I started.  No issues for me.  So thats gotta be bullshit.  Where's the work?"

"Next week," says she.

That was last week.  I'm still waiting.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I wonder if I have done something wrong.  I'm new. I''ve made the odd error.  So has everyone when they are new.  No cars have been wrecked, and no one's been hurt.  So what the fuck?

If don't work, I'll never be good.  Simple as that.  I need the experience.

I have never been to the worksite late when I have been in charge of my own transport.  I am usually early.  I have also never knocked back any work, regardless of distance travelled to and from on my own time.

When I asked about work this week, she again says, "next week."  I'm not holding my breath.

I told her if I knew I would be working in an area for prolonged periods (4-5 days) I'd rent a room to forego travel.  Right now, I rely on a day-to-day update on whether or not I'm working the next day,  I'm not going to rent a room for a week if I'm only working 2 days.  I sent that in an email. 

Naturally, she has not replied.

I'll give her one more Monday.  If I've not 4 days work, I'm gonna hafta quit.

I know, I'm whinging...

Youth Vs. Age

I am old and fat, especially when compared to the young charges at the boarding school where I work.  I maybe 42, but my hair has, since I was 21, been turning white, and now it virtually is. 

So I am slower.  I know there is no point in chasing the boys around.  They can out run me, easy.  That will get me no where except out of breath.  So I adopt a more, well, sinister approach.

I know where they sleep.

In fact, I have to wake them up in morning to go to school.  If behavior is good, I wake them gently.  If its not, I'm not so gentle.

I did get in trouble for using loud noise to wake them- they complained to my boss.  Poor little darlings.  I had to wake up to a loud noise every morning- my alarm clock, especially when I was their age.  But my boss put the kybosh on that.

But there is more than one way to kick the can.

I now use water.  Cold water, straight from the fridge.  I just dribble some on the little precious' head.  They hate it.  So much in fact, that problems in the morning have almost completely disappeared.

Score one for me.  Management knows about it, and they haven't told me officially to stop.  Not even unofficially..

So The kids may get one over on the other supervisors.  I don't know how some of the kids get away with it.  But they are wary of me.  And around here, that's a good thing.

Collective Bargainer?

Yeah, that's right, I'm getting involved.

Collective Bargainer.  The governing EBA- Enterprise Bargaining Agreement for my foreign friends- which details the rights and responsibilities of the employee and employer and sets the minimum standard is up for negotiation this year, and I have done a very silly thing, I've nominated myself to be a part of the negotiating process.  Its a silly thing from a personal time standpoint as this is going to suck back the hours of spare time I have.  I also suspect I may have to take the odd day off work to participate.

Clearly then, this is an extraordinary step, so why have I taken it?

It is absolutely clear- certainly in the last agreement- that the union has more concerns regarding the teaching end of the educational system.  If one takes the time to read the EBA, one will find the provisions for teachers to be quite extensive, which is fair enough, for them.

I am not a teacher.  I work in boarding and that's a whole different kettle of fish.  Comparatively speaking, no thought or time has been given to the boarding portion of the current EBA.  At the school where I work, employees are given the award.  There are no penalty rates for nighttime hours, or for hours after 6pm.  There is no provision for annualized pay- meaning that we go at least 14 weeks per year without.  Certainly Centrelink (unemployment for you Americans) doesn't cover even a simple mortgage payment so those weeks are hard.  Also, at the school where I work, staff are at high risk.  The intake is full of students who have been rejected or expelled by other schools for poor or violent behavior.  The employees are not being compensated for the risks involved in the course of the employment.  This is reflected in the high staff turnover rate in boarding.

Indeed, it has come to my attention that other boarding staff at other boarding schools covered by this EBA have certain benefits including live on site, annualized pay, and pay that could be as much as 25% more than we make where I work.  What is even more disgusting is that some of these schools are owned by the same outfit that owns us, meaning that we are not even on parity with the other schools under the same umbrella, yet our risks are higher as we intake their castoffs.

Somebody has to stand up and say enough!

Things need to change, so I've entered the process to change them.  I expect the union to do much of the talking, but the thing is, where I work, the vast majority of employees, like myself, are not unionized.  The perception being that the union doesn't do anything except take the money.  Therefore, in order that my concerns are heard, I entered the process.  Someone has to do it.

Fortunately, I like a good argument.