The information that follow has been presented before but a combination of very real events and resulting disciplinary actions only proves that some out there in Qwest land still do not see the big picture.
First, Security: Can anyone show me an article in the contract that gives employees the right to take never-ending lunch and breaks, or the right to shop, or take care of personal business on company time? Where does it say that a Qwest vehicle is your personal “ride” to drive wherever to do whatever? The list is long and infamous but the results of being caught are increasingly severe, ie, long unpaid suspensions and dismissals. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to understand that we were hired to work 8 for 8, with 30 minute lunches and am and a pm break.
Why do some employees feel that they are soooo special that can do their own thing and to heck with policy? Who knows! But all need to get one thing perfectly clear: the Qwest police, the crack security group, are out in force, not to investigate employee security and contractor complaints, but to follow Qwest employees in response to public, Qwest management, (this is a hard one to understand) and our own employees’ complaints. Security is using vide cameras, cell bills, time sheets and secretly place GPS equipment on vehicles.
Second—Safety
Unacceptably the problem of dismissal and suspension has also reared it ugly head in the safety arena for failing to follow established and mandated safety policies. These situations occurred in spite of proper safety training and proper equipment availability.
OSHA, WISHA, QWEST, EHS, the SLPP manual, the Tacoma locally Safety committee, the Washington State MOSHC committee, and the MOSHC (Mutual Occupational Safety and Health Committee) CWA/Qwest regional committee are all in place to protect all employees’ safety rights and to guarantee that each employee will never be punished or harassed for doing their work safely and by the existing safety policies. I am your local 7804 safety officer, your CWA State MOSHC co-chair, and your CWA/Qwest regional MOSHC representative. I have very close contacts with Washington Labor and Industries WISHA. I am sure that these positions have made me more cognizant of employees’ day-to-day safety violations, but the consciousness of many blatant safety violations by our people have resulted in far too many State and Qwest citations being cited to our employees. The most unacceptable fact is that during subsequent investigations our people admitted that they knew they were violation safety policy even in potential life-threatening situations. No employee will eve be dismissed for notifying their supervisor that a work operation can’t be done due to a safety problem. You, as a worker, have a right to refuse unsafe work and demand correct safety equipment, but you are obligated as a condition of employment to use all mandatory safety equipment and follow all mandated safety policies and law.
Yours in Safety,
Dennis Garrett
Vice President
Safety Officer
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