Just got out of bargaining, where I had to do something kinda scary. We’re coming towards the end of bargaining on this contract (our first as a union) and there are a couple things still up in the air. In addition to some stuff that often goes unsettled until the last minute, like wage increases and PTO accrual, one thing we still need to get in is language on training, so we’d submitted a proposal that gets us toward having standardized predictable training timelines.
This morning management completely rejected that proposal bc they did not understand why training was so important to us if it wasn’t tied to us trying to get more money. Our lead bargainer (who generally does 98% of the talking and is effectively our lawyer) asked us if we had anything we’d like to say to management about why this is important.
So I spoke up. I looked right at the ceo and coo and said that while I certainly would love to get paid more for training for the reasons our lead bargainer already argued for, I also think that as a former trainer myself for other companies, that our lead trainer is doing almost all the training is ridiculous for a company of their size, and that additional trainers were needed. I also said that among our membership, perceived inequities in training (where some people are in a limbo for a while, where other people get tons of training time with little explanation or thought) are a HUGE issue and something people care about for reasons that are fairly separate from pay.
That’s really scary to do! I’ve worked here for less than a year and am a regular front of house worker making their minimum wage of 14.25, and im looking at these business owners and directly saying hey, you need to be more professional because your workers perceive inequities that will not be solved without written changes in policy
And guess what? In their counteroffer this afternoon they started actually moving on this and accepting at least in principle the idea of training standards. Is it where I’d want it now? No but it’s infinitely closer than “we do not think this issue should even be addressed in the contract.” They took us as representatives and actually addressed our concerns, or attempted to. We’ll go back and forth some more of course; we’ll redo some of their language so it’s more acceptable to us. But, it’s a start. And that’s something.
Goes to show just how cool and amazing it is to even be in a situation where you, the worker, are part of a democratic process to improve the conditions of your own job. You feel like you have more actual control over policy than any middle manager would, too
