Posted on 07/10/2006 7:16:29 PM PDT by ncountylee
Nearly all of the state's building and engineering inspectors - including those who check boilers, air tanks and amusement park rides - were suspended Monday for refusing to carry cell phones with global positioning system tracking capabilities.
Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Gatzunis suspended 20 of the state's 24 inspectors after he said they refused to carry the phones, despite an agreement with the inspectors union requiring them to carry them.
Carrying the GPS tracking phones helps officials keep track of the inspectors and can save them the trouble of calling in their location.
Gatzunis called the refusal to carry the phones "an act of insubordination." He said the 20 have been suspended without pay for two days and would be required to accept the phones when they return to work on Wednesday or face further disciplinary action.
A call to a representative of the union - the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists - was not immediately returned Monday.
The dispute doesn't involve elevator inspectors, who are part of a separate union and who have agreed to carry the phones.
The nerve of Massachusetts expecting the inspectors to actually be working. Hope this is the start of a trend.
Nothing to see hear, move along.
Yep,the state has a lot of brass to start expecting it's public workers to actually work.That's a big break from union tradition and custom-how dare they!
I've been a solid manager to a ten-person team for years without ever thinking I had to resort to surveillance to keep them in line. If that's what it takes...one has already lost control of their employees. Be a straight-shooter, accept blame, and give credit. Employees will show respect if you protect them from the whims of management above and will run through fire if asked. I'd be bothered if my boss wanted to GPS me, too. That might be my libertarian streak coming through.
~ Blue Jays ~
Although I'm in the private-sector.
My brother recently retired from his job with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.The stories he told us of goldbricking by political appointee hacks and affirmative action hacks still make me want to spit.
Two issues, first off; are you working with 'real' employees or union employees? You can fire a 'real' employee for not doing their job; that is not necessarily true with a union employee.
Secondly, the union signed a contract that now requires them to carry the GPS phones. No doubt this was due to a increase in either benefits or pay; unions don't agree to any extra work for their members unless it's in exchange for something else.
These people refused to follow the union rules; therefore neither the union nor managment has any choice. You either enforce the rules for everyone, or no one.
If you start treating your employees like children, they'll start behaving like children.
These are union employees, they already act like children.
Yes, there is a difference in working with "regular" employees. I referenced it as an afterthought to my original post.
~ Blue Jays ~
That makes a big difference, imo. As a private sector employee, you should work things out with your boss - and if you can't come to a meeting of minds, you can and should seek employment elsewhere. As a public sector employee or contractor, however, you must be accountable to any member of the tax-paying public - THEY are your employers. The best way to do this is to keep the best records possible, for anyone to read. Don't like it, don't work public sector!
Can't over emphasize the difference. Public employees have an entitlement view of their jobs.
Please see my post #7.and as you read it,be aware that Massachusetts politicians have elevated the art of political patronage to a new level over the last 30 years or so.
If you're curious,you might read "The Brothers Bulger", a nationwide bestseller about a former President of our State Senate and his older brother,an international fugitive who's listed on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
They found out in my case that I was driving more than working due to their own poor scheduling.
10 posts and the Libertarians haven't showed up to talk about their "rights"?
Wow. Usually by now I am patiently explaining how you can sign away any and all of your rights in a private contract.
*sigh*
;)
On his first day of work (with absolutely zero training) they gave him a codebook, a ticket book, and a stack of "citizen complaints" (about 10).
He drove around and looked in on the complaints, checked the codebook, wrote tickets, and came back the office to report to his new boss.
His boss nearly screwed himself into the ceiling!
His boss said, "If you ever do a month's worth of work in a single day again, I'll fire your ass the same day!!"
I've been hearing such stories for over forty years! He finally retired from that job in 2002 (but only because they had his age wrong and he wanted to keep working)!
I keep telling him to write a book about it but he says he can't betray his on-the-job friends (and he doesn't know when the statute of limitations runs out)!!
Point taken.
In Italy, they installed the EZPass electronic toll collection system. It was a resounding failure. No commerical driver would use it because they didn't want their bosses to know, or their bosses didn't want the government to know, where the vehicles were located at any particular time of the day.
It's a shame that Americans gave up their level of privacy for the convenience of eletronic toll collection.
Hate to admit that I had a county job while 300 miles away at grad school. Had to kick back 1/3 to the political machine.
"For instance, they could "work to rule" -- dragging out each inspection by doing every nit-picky thing in their procedures manual."
.... about time ...
I like your idea. Of course, the powers to be would not want them installed in their vehicles, so this idea would not go anywhere.
Kinda like teaching to the test, huh?
A least you know what you are paying for.
I work for the state of Tennesse and we recently got gps phones. I expect that eventually the private sector will do the same. It was pretty much inevitable once trucking companies started putting gps and computers on trucks. Bosses want to know that your're working. It doesn't mean that they're checking up on you most of the time but if they suspect you are goofing off watch out! As long as you are where you are supposed to be it's no big deal.
"You wouldn't like to be the owner of a business subjected to such drawn-out inspections."
Nope ... but I'd rather have the engineers who write the book decide on the specs that need to be checked rather then some field guy who is figuring out what he can get done quickly.
As a manager I'm really surprised that you admit to knowing and accept that fact that the men you are in charge of are signing off on work that they have not completed.
Doing the complete job is very different then "drawing it out" my FRiend.
I'm more familiar with the Canadian situation than the U.S. -- but I expect they're similar.
I didn't mean to imply that inspectors would be signing off on incomplete work -- just that experienced, competent inspectors should know what really needs to be done.
Inspectors are expected to exercise discretion and judgment. There are no where near enough of them to inspect everything that could be inspected on a site. Besides the waste tax dollars involved; if more of them were hired, they would probably just slow down work, without improving safety.
The contracting engineers and skilled trades are expected to be competent. Their professional licences and tickets are at stake. If inspectors wanted to work slower, they could e.g.measure the distance between every electrical outlet, or between every joist -- which would almost always be a complete waste of time.
"Inspectors are expected to exercise discretion and judgment."
Yep, and if they take too long OR too short on the inspection there should be a reason. "experienced, competent inspectors" should not be given a free pass on someone checking their work, just as "experienced, competent builders are not exempt from inspection.
" If inspectors wanted to work slower, they could e.g.measure the distance between every electrical outlet, or between every joist -- which would almost always be a complete waste of time. "
Does the book say to measure every joist ? If your example is taking much longer then an "experienced, competent inspector" should do, it's time for HIM to be inspected.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Nobody seems to ask why the inspectors are necessary in the first place. As if the folks who have these amusement park rides, boilers, air tanks, and buildings can't inspect them by themselves, and won't be personally liable for their failure anyway. It's not like GOVERNMENT will be guaranteeing reliability as a result of these inspections, you can bet.
The dots are agitated, evidently.
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