Saturday 19 November 2011

Who is the best person for whom you have worked?

I love the Pike Place Fish Market, in Seattle. They do so much for employees.
I drove the car the hour and a half into the big city, the Otto Subaru dealership, in Westboro Village, for a tune-up. Winter approacheth. Surely.
They told me it would be 5 hours for this big tune-up.
I took myself off for breakfast, as I had arrived at the dealership for 9:03 a.m.. left the house at 7:30! I went to Westport Newboro. It was delicious, and held me till dinner. Wireless internet, and the Elvis Sighting Society memorabilia were great.

When I returned, lo, and behold. A team-building art project for the holiday season.
This is so funny. All were having a grand time. I've seen art created by Huntsville's famous Napster, who paints with his tail. This could be fun, too.






Otto Subaru, they tell me, is owned by mother/daughter, Hugette, who inherited it after Otto passed away in 1998. Ken drove me to my daughter/s-i-l's house, where we did an art project of our own.
wall photo: In memory of Otto,
'our driving force', (1937 - 1998).

Ken told me that this is a fabulous place to work, where they work hard and play hard, and where lessons in humanity have been learned. I've certainly been the victim of bullying in the workplace, I understand the negative impact of it all.

Here is Ottawa, ALUnion #279 is busy telling OCTranso riders not to do a 'witch hunt', looking for driver errors, while they ought to be telling drivers to be respectful, to do their jobs well. They have no right to tell the public what to do or not do. They must be counselling their employee to drive as if everyone in watching (because they are!), treat passengers with dignity and respect, and if you are facing more stress than you can handle, seek some support. The union needs to step up and step in. The strident unions of the past must change their stripes. Union members now have more than fair wages, pensions, wellness plans, sick leave, and this attitude must stop. Full stop.

Rather than alienating passengers the union should be uniting its drivers. (You can read more about the whole thing here!)

OCTranspo is in the business of safely transporting its citizens, funded by Ottawa taxpayers, dealing with passenger needs fairly, treating drivers fairly, preventing disasters; like the singing bus driver, the swearing bus driver, and when drivers take out their frustration and anger on passengers we all suffer.

4 comments:

Kay L. Davies said...

That looks like fun, Jenn. I've never worked for a company that had employee paint-ball art before, but I think I'd enjoy it.
I have worked for a couple of small-newspaper publishers who were grand gentlemen, but I guess the best person I ever worked for was my dad. The next-best was my brother!
The best person I NEVER worked for was my youngest brother, who once offered to hire me and train me to sync audio and video for animated cartoons. My health wasn't very good at the time, so I had to turn him down.
I like the Pike Place Market in Seattle, too. Did you work there before you started teaching, or what?

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

Red said...

You've asked a really good question but I would find it impossible to come up with only one name. I have worked with many very wonderful people. Each in their own unique way were great to work for.

Powell River Books said...

I worked for a great superintendent that did lots for team building. He was loved by administrators, teachers, classified employees, parents and the kids. It was sad when we lost him to another district. - Margy

Jenn Jilks said...

It was bizarre, Kay! Balloons filled with paint. Something my kids would do!!!!
I have only worked in Canada. My fave principal showed us the Fish! training video, and it was wonderful.
He was a first year principal and an inspiration.