Well, I managed that CWY thing. On my way there, the Greyhound filled up and they couldn't take everyone in one trip. On my way back, it was the same. Both times I made it on, but not by a very wide margin, so I overheard the bus driver telling the passengers who couldn't make the first one what their situation was. For Guelph-to-Toronto, there was a second bus coming. For Toronto-to-Guelph, there was nothing.
Are they... allowed to do that? And why are the buses so packed, anyway? I've taken the Guelph and Toronto Greyhounds many times before, and I've never seen this before. And I can't explain it away as it being a busy time of the week, because I've used them at those times before, too.
Little scary, because both times, I got in line about 20 minutes early, and both times, I almost missed my bus.
The meeting itself was pretty standard. It was five hours long and didn't really offer any new information. Their conception of "fundraising" is a joke. By their standards, when all those people gave me money and gear for Katimavik, that was me "fundraising". They had a lot of high-end ideas about hosting events and getting funding from big organizations and important people, but come on. The mayor's not going to pay for my trip. Are you serious.
We asked them what they did for fundraising and they all basically answered either, "I asked my family and friends" or "I paid for it myself".
I think they want the program to seem accessible to everyone, so they call it "fundraising", but when it comes down to it, they really mean "It costs $3000". Again, not unreasonable for a program that'll cost them $18000, but I wish they wouldn't so extensively detail a fake label they're only using to make themselves look better. Would've saved me a trip if they just told me to pay $3000.
I know that CWY is an actual, government-sponsored organization devoted to doing good, and probably something worth donating to, the one awkward bit being that donating to it is also directly donating to me. But if it were about that, they wouldn't accept payment out of pocket.
Me and one other guy arrived for the meeting at exactly the same time. We were both from Guelph, we were the first ones there, we were the two tallest people at the meeting, and we hung out afterward and then travelled back on the same Greyhound together. He didn't take the Greyhound to Toronto, but in a way, that just makes the coincidences weirder, since they're harder to play out.
I paid $7 for a burger!!! ARGH!!! I mean, it was a pretty good burger, but come on! I can believe airport food being expensive, since rich people travel by plane, but poor people travel by bus, so I'm surprised bus terminal food is similarly priced. That was the best deal I could find there. My friend paid $9 for a burger.
Seemed like a lot of people at the meeting were younger than me. Doing the program fresh out of high school, which I guess is optimal. There were some people younger than me, though. My counterpart will probably be in the 21-25 demographic since that's what I fit into, and they try to match by age.
They asked me what my prioritizations were, and I told them to put me down as "open". That means, put me anywhere. Why not? With a program like this, you have to be ready for anything. No program is the the same. I guess it's best to take a bit of control when it comes across your way, but honestly, I've got no idea what I want.
I'm almost guaranteed a spot inside the four months from June. Last year, everyone that attended one of those meetings got placed, although not necessarily where they wanted.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
CWY Toronto Meeting
Alright, quick update: CWY sent me an invitation to a mandatory meeting at the YMCA in Toronto this Saturday. They sent it to me this week. Today, I'm working until 7:00 AM. I'll then go straight to Toronto by Greyhound, then go straight to the meeting. Then I've got like, three hours to the next Greyhound. I'll come home, take the bus to submit my timesheet, come home, maybe have a nap, and then go to work.
This place considers Sunday to be the first day of the week for Nights, just like my last place did, so tonight is going to be an overtime shift. Before you call me a trooper, I've got MANDATORY six days!
What's up? Mandatory meetings, mandatory overtime... I can't even complain to my coworkers that I'm tired because of this, because then I'd have to let them know I'm preparing my escape plan for when the company finally finishes training me.
CWY wants $2800 to attend their program. I think each participant averages something like $20000 spent on them, so it's not unreasonable, but they slipped in an "application fee" of $250 for this meeting. So it's not $2800, it's $3050! Still not unreasonable, but it's kind of a dick move to pop hidden fees and deadlines inside a week of notice.
And I'm going to have to pay a cab to get to my work this Sunday! The last place was like, $20. This place'll be like $30! Screw that. I'm not paying almost half my day's wages to get to work... Oh wait. This week I might be forced to, but next week I'll go and hang out in the West End until 10:00 if I have to... Especially since I'm being paid like, $200 a week less than I thought I was. Now I know why my money's been crawling up at such a snail's pace.
Now that I'm on the bus schedule for Night Shift, I run into my former workmates. My bus turns into the one I want once I reach downtown, so it's a little awkward, because I have to get out of the bus and stand in the cold and lose my seat if I want to see them. I don't mind, but I worry it comes off as desperate.
The first day I saw them, I swung out of the bus all "WHEEE!" and pounced in front of them all "SHAZAM!" and then stood up in a Superhero pose and said "Hey guys, DIDJA MISS ME?!" and their response was "Hey, Gryph". C'mon, give me a little more than that!
Whenever I go anywhere by bus, I always get off a few stops early and walk the last leg. I only noticed I do this recently. People have frequently complained about this habit under various contexts, but I never realized it was such a consistent habit. At my old work, at this work, whenever I'm coming home, whenever I go to Karate... I don't know why I do it.
At this new line, for the first two days, all they'd let me do is load. So every couple minutes I'd move something. Basically getting paid to stand for eight hours. Yesterday, they let me grind, but they didn't let me grind and load at the same time. Looks like I'm going to spend a couple days doing each task before they let me put the tasks together. My old trainer told me this is how she would have trained me, if I hadn't been trained for two weeks before I was switched onto her. I think this is more effective, but more mundane. Before, I would spend my days getting scolded and hassled, but I'd come home satisfied. Now I spend my days doing one task satisfactory for eight hours, but I come home furious.
This place considers Sunday to be the first day of the week for Nights, just like my last place did, so tonight is going to be an overtime shift. Before you call me a trooper, I've got MANDATORY six days!
What's up? Mandatory meetings, mandatory overtime... I can't even complain to my coworkers that I'm tired because of this, because then I'd have to let them know I'm preparing my escape plan for when the company finally finishes training me.
CWY wants $2800 to attend their program. I think each participant averages something like $20000 spent on them, so it's not unreasonable, but they slipped in an "application fee" of $250 for this meeting. So it's not $2800, it's $3050! Still not unreasonable, but it's kind of a dick move to pop hidden fees and deadlines inside a week of notice.
And I'm going to have to pay a cab to get to my work this Sunday! The last place was like, $20. This place'll be like $30! Screw that. I'm not paying almost half my day's wages to get to work... Oh wait. This week I might be forced to, but next week I'll go and hang out in the West End until 10:00 if I have to... Especially since I'm being paid like, $200 a week less than I thought I was. Now I know why my money's been crawling up at such a snail's pace.
Now that I'm on the bus schedule for Night Shift, I run into my former workmates. My bus turns into the one I want once I reach downtown, so it's a little awkward, because I have to get out of the bus and stand in the cold and lose my seat if I want to see them. I don't mind, but I worry it comes off as desperate.
The first day I saw them, I swung out of the bus all "WHEEE!" and pounced in front of them all "SHAZAM!" and then stood up in a Superhero pose and said "Hey guys, DIDJA MISS ME?!" and their response was "Hey, Gryph". C'mon, give me a little more than that!
Whenever I go anywhere by bus, I always get off a few stops early and walk the last leg. I only noticed I do this recently. People have frequently complained about this habit under various contexts, but I never realized it was such a consistent habit. At my old work, at this work, whenever I'm coming home, whenever I go to Karate... I don't know why I do it.
At this new line, for the first two days, all they'd let me do is load. So every couple minutes I'd move something. Basically getting paid to stand for eight hours. Yesterday, they let me grind, but they didn't let me grind and load at the same time. Looks like I'm going to spend a couple days doing each task before they let me put the tasks together. My old trainer told me this is how she would have trained me, if I hadn't been trained for two weeks before I was switched onto her. I think this is more effective, but more mundane. Before, I would spend my days getting scolded and hassled, but I'd come home satisfied. Now I spend my days doing one task satisfactory for eight hours, but I come home furious.
Monday, March 21, 2011
New Line
Today, I got shifted to a new line, and put on Nights. This means that I have to train for a new machine. That means, two more weeks of training! That's five weeks of training, total! Do they plan to train me until my temp contract runs out?!
It wasn't just me. They like... shuffled the temps.
This new place is way more relaxed, though, and it's kind of the same. I mean, they're different parts, different optimal levels, different offsets, different loads... So in a way, you could say it's completely different,but on the other hand... It's still loading parts into machines, repairing inserts, putting offsets, gauging, doing OPC, setting up for inspection, and cleaning up at the end of the day. The style is different, but the substance is mostly the same. Different methods to perform actions that fall into the same categories. My supervisor said I'd be loading by the end of the day, and I was. At my last station, they wouldn't let me load without being double-checked for two whole weeks, but inside an hour at this new place, I was going without supervision (although I misloaded a part once.
That doesn't mean I'm ready to take over, though. Being able to load is only stage one. I still need to learn the gauges, the paperwork, the offsets, and the inserts. Those are all harder than loading.
My old line was the "ladies job". Only me and one other person on that line were male. The parts were lighter, and the loading was placed lower to the ground, an advantage for shorter people. There was a lot of concern voiced by my coworkers about my back. When loading, my shoulders would touch either side of the machine. Meaning, I really had to squash in there.
I get over to the new line, and it's all "Finally got out of the ladies work, eh? Good for you! GRRR! Let's work like MEN!"
But, haha, it's so much lazier! The machines are right there, so you don't have to run back and forth. The quota is lower. The offset command options are all placed in a row, there's only one page of them, and they all mean something.
I voiced annoyance at having to learn a new machine after I'd just learned the other one. The guy showed me that offset screen. I wanted to kiss it.
At the other one, it was all:
"On the Left side, Column X, we deal with W03 and W05"
"What about W04?"
"DON'T TOUCH W04!"
"Okay, but why is it there? It's always at 0, and if I'm never supposed to offset it, why is it an option? Same with 01, 02, 06, and 07."
"NEVER, EVER TOUCH W04!!!"
But at this place, there are no red herring offsets. And because of that, you can fit it on one screen. Forget all those columns and letters!
The parts are like, five pounds heavier, but c'mon. That doesn't matter.
Yup, "easiness" seems to be the lead definitive trait for masculine work. Takes more skill to do ladies work. Every time my old trainer passed by, and saw me sitting around, waiting for my part to finish, she'd laugh.
Of course, this means that day class they invented at my dojo, maybe inspired by me, is obsolete. I can go during regular classes!
It wasn't just me. They like... shuffled the temps.
This new place is way more relaxed, though, and it's kind of the same. I mean, they're different parts, different optimal levels, different offsets, different loads... So in a way, you could say it's completely different,but on the other hand... It's still loading parts into machines, repairing inserts, putting offsets, gauging, doing OPC, setting up for inspection, and cleaning up at the end of the day. The style is different, but the substance is mostly the same. Different methods to perform actions that fall into the same categories. My supervisor said I'd be loading by the end of the day, and I was. At my last station, they wouldn't let me load without being double-checked for two whole weeks, but inside an hour at this new place, I was going without supervision (although I misloaded a part once.
That doesn't mean I'm ready to take over, though. Being able to load is only stage one. I still need to learn the gauges, the paperwork, the offsets, and the inserts. Those are all harder than loading.
My old line was the "ladies job". Only me and one other person on that line were male. The parts were lighter, and the loading was placed lower to the ground, an advantage for shorter people. There was a lot of concern voiced by my coworkers about my back. When loading, my shoulders would touch either side of the machine. Meaning, I really had to squash in there.
I get over to the new line, and it's all "Finally got out of the ladies work, eh? Good for you! GRRR! Let's work like MEN!"
But, haha, it's so much lazier! The machines are right there, so you don't have to run back and forth. The quota is lower. The offset command options are all placed in a row, there's only one page of them, and they all mean something.
I voiced annoyance at having to learn a new machine after I'd just learned the other one. The guy showed me that offset screen. I wanted to kiss it.
At the other one, it was all:
"On the Left side, Column X, we deal with W03 and W05"
"What about W04?"
"DON'T TOUCH W04!"
"Okay, but why is it there? It's always at 0, and if I'm never supposed to offset it, why is it an option? Same with 01, 02, 06, and 07."
"NEVER, EVER TOUCH W04!!!"
But at this place, there are no red herring offsets. And because of that, you can fit it on one screen. Forget all those columns and letters!
The parts are like, five pounds heavier, but c'mon. That doesn't matter.
Yup, "easiness" seems to be the lead definitive trait for masculine work. Takes more skill to do ladies work. Every time my old trainer passed by, and saw me sitting around, waiting for my part to finish, she'd laugh.
Of course, this means that day class they invented at my dojo, maybe inspired by me, is obsolete. I can go during regular classes!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Work Progress
When my account got hacked, it sent out a spam email to a bunch of random people on my mailing list. Most of them were to employers. This isn't surprising, since, if you search "job application" on my account, you get "1-10 of hundreds and hundreds" from back when I was doing my stint of unemployability. However, there were a few relevant addresses, such as an old friend, a Katima-enemy, and my sensei. My old friend sent me a message saying she thought someone hacked my email.
My dojo sent me a message saying they had found enough interest to do daytime classes. I might still be sunk, though, since my shift has been moved two hours back. 1-9 PM instead of 3-11. But that's only so I can work an extra two hours without missing my bus! I'm being worked like a dog... ten hour shifts, and an eight hour shift on Saturdays.
I'm still being trained, by the way. I'm going into my fourth week. I'm good enough that they ask me to come in even if my trainer isn't available, and if there's three people working at that station, they'll have three machines going. I Don't need to have anything double-checked. I have my own stamp of approval now. I can't fill quota, though. I can make maybe 90 parts. The expectation is 180. I feel like I slow everyone down and get paid for it.
My brother's birthday was last March 12th. I guess it got swallowed up by the time my hacker took from this blog.
It's harder to think of things to write for this blog. I've crammed so many numbers into my head, and there are so many new numbers constantly coming, that it's pushing my normally philosophical and analytical thoughts out of the way to make space.
I was never good at math, technical stuff, or numbers in general. I failed grade nine applied math (the easier branch) TWICE, and had to switch over to the barebones minimum branch that you need to fail hard enough to get permission to attend. Coming back from Katimavik, I didn't memorize my own phone number for six months, and only finally got around to it when somebody I called once memorized it and I felt I needed to get on that before I was the last person not to know it. My own mother didn't tell me about the tricky placement and timings of the buses coming home from work, even though she knew there was a trick, because she felt it would be useless to try and explain it to me and I could only learn through failure. I couldn't operate a coffee maker until after I'd graduated high school. I told someone I knew pretty well that I had a literal brain malfunction that caused me to be unable to solve simple math equations, and he TOOK ME SERIOUSLY!
But now I'm all, "The grooving is Operation 20, Tool Life 506, Insert 2. Change if Tool Life exceeds 50. The nominal is 18.20. We are allowed 20 micros on either end. For this column, minus adds and addition subtracts. If I'm changing the grooving, I need to switch the Roughing (Insert W01, W02) to 200. Don't forget the number it was before you changed it. Alright, switch to MDI, click L, PROG, type T0600 EOB, Insert. After changing the Insert, return the Roughing back to what it was, and add 70 to the Grooving. Only enter the amount in increments of 15. Change the Grooving's Tool Life to 0. Don't forget to update the tool change log..."
Etc, etc, etc. Honestly, I'm not sure if that was 100%. I don't remember if I got the Tool Life limit right, or if it's the number 6 command... I could check on my cheat sheet, but you get the idea.
They're all tricks like that, and if you miss one thing, BAM! You get a scrap part and have to report it.
My dojo sent me a message saying they had found enough interest to do daytime classes. I might still be sunk, though, since my shift has been moved two hours back. 1-9 PM instead of 3-11. But that's only so I can work an extra two hours without missing my bus! I'm being worked like a dog... ten hour shifts, and an eight hour shift on Saturdays.
I'm still being trained, by the way. I'm going into my fourth week. I'm good enough that they ask me to come in even if my trainer isn't available, and if there's three people working at that station, they'll have three machines going. I Don't need to have anything double-checked. I have my own stamp of approval now. I can't fill quota, though. I can make maybe 90 parts. The expectation is 180. I feel like I slow everyone down and get paid for it.
My brother's birthday was last March 12th. I guess it got swallowed up by the time my hacker took from this blog.
It's harder to think of things to write for this blog. I've crammed so many numbers into my head, and there are so many new numbers constantly coming, that it's pushing my normally philosophical and analytical thoughts out of the way to make space.
I was never good at math, technical stuff, or numbers in general. I failed grade nine applied math (the easier branch) TWICE, and had to switch over to the barebones minimum branch that you need to fail hard enough to get permission to attend. Coming back from Katimavik, I didn't memorize my own phone number for six months, and only finally got around to it when somebody I called once memorized it and I felt I needed to get on that before I was the last person not to know it. My own mother didn't tell me about the tricky placement and timings of the buses coming home from work, even though she knew there was a trick, because she felt it would be useless to try and explain it to me and I could only learn through failure. I couldn't operate a coffee maker until after I'd graduated high school. I told someone I knew pretty well that I had a literal brain malfunction that caused me to be unable to solve simple math equations, and he TOOK ME SERIOUSLY!
But now I'm all, "The grooving is Operation 20, Tool Life 506, Insert 2. Change if Tool Life exceeds 50. The nominal is 18.20. We are allowed 20 micros on either end. For this column, minus adds and addition subtracts. If I'm changing the grooving, I need to switch the Roughing (Insert W01, W02) to 200. Don't forget the number it was before you changed it. Alright, switch to MDI, click L, PROG, type T0600 EOB, Insert. After changing the Insert, return the Roughing back to what it was, and add 70 to the Grooving. Only enter the amount in increments of 15. Change the Grooving's Tool Life to 0. Don't forget to update the tool change log..."
Etc, etc, etc. Honestly, I'm not sure if that was 100%. I don't remember if I got the Tool Life limit right, or if it's the number 6 command... I could check on my cheat sheet, but you get the idea.
They're all tricks like that, and if you miss one thing, BAM! You get a scrap part and have to report it.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Got Deleted For A Bit
Google caught someone hacking my email, so they shut down my account. Blogger is associated with Google, so it went down as well. It took me a bit, but I'm back up, now!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Bad Day
Couple days ago, I lost my wallet. I remember the last time I used it. I held it out to show my bus pass to the driver when I was headed home after work. I remember how I held it. I didn't get bumped or jostled at all on the way home. I walked straight to an empty seat and sat there until I reached my destination.
Mom's lost her wallet twice, and both times it was returned to her intact.
I keep my wallet in my front pocket. I always felt like it was a bad idea to leave your wallet in your back pocket, where your blind spot is, and I don't like sitting on my wallet. I felt pretty sly, too, when Mom lost her wallet twice, and I never had. Thought it made it more likely to fall out, too, or something.
Same day I discovered my wallet was missing, I almost was put on Day Shift. My teacher was shifting, and they were going to shift me with him, since my training period was over, and he could still be around in case I had some rookie issues while I was still new to working on my own. But he spoke to the supervisor later, saying I couldn't run the machine on my own yet, and so they're keeping me on Afternoons. They're going to keep training me.
Same day, when I was at work, one side of my pants ripped... All the way from my hip to my knee. All in one shot. They were perfectly intact. It's not like I touched anything sharp. I bumped into a blunt object, and my pants exploded! It's not like they were tight, either, so they weren't already under strain or anything. They were more on the baggy side, if anything. I had to use Scotch tape to tape up my leg for the remainder of the work day. I couldn't bend my knee without it coming loose.
And also, I accidentally said I'd work overtime on my brother's birthday.
When I tried to log onto Twitter to complain about my bad day, the site said that it recognized the username and password, but that my entry was forbidden.
Well... It's been a day since then. And guess what? I got my wallet back! Someone turned it in! Also, for some reason, Twitter let me in! (Although I've no idea why they shut me out to begin with).
Don't tell them yet that my luck's turned for the better. I just put my complaints through, and the story wouldn't get the same reception if they read the positive side of things before the negative.
Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm simply reconstructing the situation to better express the story in it's truer form. In this case, posting the present conditions would be less honest.
And c'mon... Nobody reads my Twitter anyway.
So anyway, the wallet thing's resolved... The pants thing is actually pretty funny and helped me break the ice with a lot of coworkers... I got my Twitter back... Just missing Day shift, having to continue training, swallow my failure, and missing my brother's birthday to deal with...
Mom's lost her wallet twice, and both times it was returned to her intact.
I keep my wallet in my front pocket. I always felt like it was a bad idea to leave your wallet in your back pocket, where your blind spot is, and I don't like sitting on my wallet. I felt pretty sly, too, when Mom lost her wallet twice, and I never had. Thought it made it more likely to fall out, too, or something.
Same day I discovered my wallet was missing, I almost was put on Day Shift. My teacher was shifting, and they were going to shift me with him, since my training period was over, and he could still be around in case I had some rookie issues while I was still new to working on my own. But he spoke to the supervisor later, saying I couldn't run the machine on my own yet, and so they're keeping me on Afternoons. They're going to keep training me.
Same day, when I was at work, one side of my pants ripped... All the way from my hip to my knee. All in one shot. They were perfectly intact. It's not like I touched anything sharp. I bumped into a blunt object, and my pants exploded! It's not like they were tight, either, so they weren't already under strain or anything. They were more on the baggy side, if anything. I had to use Scotch tape to tape up my leg for the remainder of the work day. I couldn't bend my knee without it coming loose.
And also, I accidentally said I'd work overtime on my brother's birthday.
When I tried to log onto Twitter to complain about my bad day, the site said that it recognized the username and password, but that my entry was forbidden.
Well... It's been a day since then. And guess what? I got my wallet back! Someone turned it in! Also, for some reason, Twitter let me in! (Although I've no idea why they shut me out to begin with).
Don't tell them yet that my luck's turned for the better. I just put my complaints through, and the story wouldn't get the same reception if they read the positive side of things before the negative.
Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm simply reconstructing the situation to better express the story in it's truer form. In this case, posting the present conditions would be less honest.
And c'mon... Nobody reads my Twitter anyway.
So anyway, the wallet thing's resolved... The pants thing is actually pretty funny and helped me break the ice with a lot of coworkers... I got my Twitter back... Just missing Day shift, having to continue training, swallow my failure, and missing my brother's birthday to deal with...
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Afternoon Shift
Ever since I started this new job, I haven't spoken to my brother. He's asleep when I get home, and he's at school by the time I get up.
And yeah, stupid shift killed Karate. I guess I should save for CWY anyway, but by the time I'm done with this shift, I'll be gone for six months. And I don't really plan on sitting stagnant, doing jobs like this, more than I can help it, once I get back. So who knows where that will take me. I'm probably done with this practice for some time.
My last work was mind-numbingly simple and physically taxing. My new job is physically simple, but mentally exhaustive. And this work is like being back in high school. Except it's eight hours instead of six, with a half-hour break instead of a full hour, and I can't skip class or avoid my teacher's view. Oh, but I get paid. Actually, that's a pretty darn good counter point. And it looks better on a resume, sadly.
Today (yesterday, I guess) is the anniversary of the start of Katimavik.
Ouch. All of a sudden I felt like I was going to die of old age very soon.
I saw that guy who returned Mom's wallet's face on a poster randomly. Guess he really is quasi-famous.
And yeah, stupid shift killed Karate. I guess I should save for CWY anyway, but by the time I'm done with this shift, I'll be gone for six months. And I don't really plan on sitting stagnant, doing jobs like this, more than I can help it, once I get back. So who knows where that will take me. I'm probably done with this practice for some time.
My last work was mind-numbingly simple and physically taxing. My new job is physically simple, but mentally exhaustive. And this work is like being back in high school. Except it's eight hours instead of six, with a half-hour break instead of a full hour, and I can't skip class or avoid my teacher's view. Oh, but I get paid. Actually, that's a pretty darn good counter point. And it looks better on a resume, sadly.
Today (yesterday, I guess) is the anniversary of the start of Katimavik.
Ouch. All of a sudden I felt like I was going to die of old age very soon.
I saw that guy who returned Mom's wallet's face on a poster randomly. Guess he really is quasi-famous.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Old Workplace, New Workplace
Today, I spoke to someone from my old workplace. You know what he told me? He told me that he'd met another coworker of ours on the bus, when that coworker was headed to work... At the place we'd all gotten laid off from.
Now, this doesn't mean he wasn't laid off. It means they re-hired him. You want to know why?
Because that robot that beat our human record for a day fell from 100 parts per hour to 20 parts per hour, the day after we were laid off. Us humans were capable of 80 parts per hour. They laid off two shifts before finally getting around to us, but now they've got a full three shifts of temps working.
They are such fools. I knew that would happen. That stupid robot would break down every day, even when it was only responsible for doing the laser-marking. They really should have waited a couple days before laying everyone off, just to make sure the robot was reliable.
It was broken when they got it. They fixed it, but it was too slow to keep up with humans. It regularly couldn't perform the one function it could still do, and they really invested that much faith in it's ability to perform consistently based on a couple hours of competency?
At my new workplace, we have our bathroom and lunchroom at opposite sides of the factory. So for the first break, it's kind of like deciding whether you want to sit down, or whether you want to go to the bathroom. We're allowed to take bathroom breaks during work, so there really isn't any damage done to the workers, but this unproductive arrangement still kind of bothers me.
To get to the blue-collar breakroom, you need to go through a glass door and climb professional-looking stairs. To get to the white-collar area, you climb grimy, metal stairs. Nothing wrong with that, but it's also a little unorthodox.
There's a cafeteria, but it's only open for Day Shift. The cafeteria (breakroom) is rectangular, instead of square. It's funny how simple geographical decisions like that can have such an impact on the overall societal attitude of any given group of people. It's something I've always noticed. In my last workplace's square breakroom, we were more lumped together, and therefor, everyone felt more connected to each other, and every one was more cordial. In a rectangular breakroom, everyone is more spread out, and people fall into niches. It effects every aspect of the workplace, even outside the breakroom.
My winter coat is in tatters, but I don't want to buy a new one when winter's only going to be around for like, a week. Usually I wear my spring jacket, but winter's suddenly made a comeback.
Now, this doesn't mean he wasn't laid off. It means they re-hired him. You want to know why?
Because that robot that beat our human record for a day fell from 100 parts per hour to 20 parts per hour, the day after we were laid off. Us humans were capable of 80 parts per hour. They laid off two shifts before finally getting around to us, but now they've got a full three shifts of temps working.
They are such fools. I knew that would happen. That stupid robot would break down every day, even when it was only responsible for doing the laser-marking. They really should have waited a couple days before laying everyone off, just to make sure the robot was reliable.
It was broken when they got it. They fixed it, but it was too slow to keep up with humans. It regularly couldn't perform the one function it could still do, and they really invested that much faith in it's ability to perform consistently based on a couple hours of competency?
At my new workplace, we have our bathroom and lunchroom at opposite sides of the factory. So for the first break, it's kind of like deciding whether you want to sit down, or whether you want to go to the bathroom. We're allowed to take bathroom breaks during work, so there really isn't any damage done to the workers, but this unproductive arrangement still kind of bothers me.
To get to the blue-collar breakroom, you need to go through a glass door and climb professional-looking stairs. To get to the white-collar area, you climb grimy, metal stairs. Nothing wrong with that, but it's also a little unorthodox.
There's a cafeteria, but it's only open for Day Shift. The cafeteria (breakroom) is rectangular, instead of square. It's funny how simple geographical decisions like that can have such an impact on the overall societal attitude of any given group of people. It's something I've always noticed. In my last workplace's square breakroom, we were more lumped together, and therefor, everyone felt more connected to each other, and every one was more cordial. In a rectangular breakroom, everyone is more spread out, and people fall into niches. It effects every aspect of the workplace, even outside the breakroom.
My winter coat is in tatters, but I don't want to buy a new one when winter's only going to be around for like, a week. Usually I wear my spring jacket, but winter's suddenly made a comeback.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Carzy New Job
Today, I got to manage my station, but only with my work partner looking over my shoulder, correcting every mistake I made. He told me that this training period will last about two weeks! And you know what's most scary about that? I think I'll NEED it!
Today, I listened to a lecture and wrote a test, which took about an hour and a half. I had to introduce myself to everyone in the factory. And I had a job interview. In the interview, my employer referenced "When" I'm hired full-time, not "if".
This is a crazy job. They've invested a lot into me. I'll feel guilty to leave, but this isn't the field I would prefer to stay in.
Today, I listened to a lecture and wrote a test, which took about an hour and a half. I had to introduce myself to everyone in the factory. And I had a job interview. In the interview, my employer referenced "When" I'm hired full-time, not "if".
This is a crazy job. They've invested a lot into me. I'll feel guilty to leave, but this isn't the field I would prefer to stay in.
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