ELECT BILL MILLER FOR SIGN-UP & SCHEDULING
With several years experience prior to 2007 on both North and South Signup & Scheduling Committees, I have formed a mutual respect with the scheduling staff (not to be confused with upper management). The benefit of that is I have confidence that they actually have listened to my quality arguments and suggestions for the betterment of all, and that I can pick up where I left off in that regard.
This experience includes a thorough knowledge of the logistics in preparing run cuts (your actual shift) and the grouping of these runs, as well as day off assignments. I am a believer in seniority as are you, but seniority does not always mean 20 years service. Seniority in my world means a return on the sentence you serve at GRT, and that you should get better options with time. It also means that the 55th person on the list should have a leg up on the 60th etc. It does not stop at the top 10, it goes right to number 88.
I also don't think making better work assignments always has to come at the expense of someone else but the reality is we have some less desirable work (subjective unto itself) and someone has to do it. Do you think you should have to work two weekends while someone with less seniority does not? Me neither. However, this is not a day shift/twilight/night shift argument; it is a seniority argument just like your vacation choices or choice of shifts.
Here is one statement S&S reps hear all the time ... "There should be double weekends off on twilights and nights just like days." Why do we hear this? Most of the time it is from operators who cannot get double weekends but feel they might on later shifts, so in effect they can have it while more senior operators do not. Not fair folks. If, for example, we have 10 crews available to be blessed with double weekends off ... when S&S reps are doing a proper job the top 30 seniority holders will get them, regardless of what shift they sign.
Should the 55th guy get one just because in his mind "there should be one on his shift”? Absolutely not. Anyone who feels otherwise obviously also likes the idea of circumventing seniority and I am firmly against that idea. If that twilight or night group can draw 3 of the top 30 operators, we can do that in a heartbeat. When S&S reps consider these proposals they look closely at mathematics because it also has to be justified to the scheduling staff, who incidentally also take notes on who signs what relative to the seniority list.
If we tell them "put these weekends here, here and here and they should get picked in approximate seniority order", that is exactly the solid argument that needs to be made. I like to take straw polls ahead of time to get a feel for that and I am always very close. A final note to those who were not at GRT under my previous terms - I do not stop after looking beyond the top 3 groups when trying to make things better for all and those who were here back then know that.
I was on S&S when we polled all members as to their wishes regarding implementing Sunday service (where there had been none in Cambridge) and you can still today see the same logic prevailing as chosen by those people back then. The choice was to have the bottom people work all Sundays, the benefit is much sooner you have the option of working none. New operators at that time were told by me to endure the Sundays etc. and that in time it would improve, and of course it all came true with seniority gained.
Think about this: At my seniority level I am going to get good work no matter how you slice it, so I unselfishly offer my effective service to the membership because I *can* help YOU! When you have a concern, I *will* give you an honest answer.
If you believe in your seniority, think about voting for Bill Miller on June 16th.
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