CDZ How would YOU deal with this Business Situation?....

[Anathema]

I'm especially interested in hearing from business owners, managers, and supervisory personnel on this issue, but wonder if others may have run into something similar before, themselves.....

You are the Manager of a Union Department that has four classifications (in ascending order..... Tech B, Tech A, Tech, Sr Tech). One of your two Senior Techs is retiring. You have three Techs who are all qualified to move up to the Senior Tech position, but none of them want it. This is largely due to the significant change in the type of work the Senior Tech position requires, the increased stress of the job, and the minimal increase (about $5500 a year) in pay rate. You have two Tech A's and one Tech B; none of whom can qualify to take the Senior Tech position.

How do you proceed/what do you do?

Here are the stipulations........

1. You cannot de-unionize the department
2. There are no other qualified Union candidates in the Company
2. You cannot bring in a candidate off the street due to Union rules

I'll answer any pertinent questions you may have.

 

[Iceweasel]

Then you be a good union member and kick the can down the road and let the higher ups decide.

 

[martybegan]

I'm especially interested in hearing from business owners, managers, and supervisory personnel on this issue, but wonder if others may have run into something similar before, themselves.....

You are the Manager of a Union Department that has four classifications (in ascending order..... Tech B, Tech A, Tech, Sr Tech). One of your two Senior Techs is retiring. You have three Techs who are all qualified to move up to the Senior Tech position, but none of them want it. This is largely due to the significant change in the type of work the Senior Tech position requires, the increased stress of the job, and the minimal increase (about $5500 a year) in pay rate. You have two Tech A's and one Tech B; none of whom can qualify to take the Senior Tech position.

How do you proceed/what do you do?

Here are the stipulations........

1. You cannot de-unionize the department
2. There are no other qualified Union candidates in the Company
2. You cannot bring in a candidate off the street due to Union rules

I'll answer any pertinent questions you may have.

Any way to increase the pay for Sr. Tech to make it worth it to them?

Bring the issue to your superiors and maybe they can increase the pay for the position.

 

[Sonny Clark]

I'm especially interested in hearing from business owners, managers, and supervisory personnel on this issue, but wonder if others may have run into something similar before, themselves.....

You are the Manager of a Union Department that has four classifications (in ascending order..... Tech B, Tech A, Tech, Sr Tech). One of your two Senior Techs is retiring. You have three Techs who are all qualified to move up to the Senior Tech position, but none of them want it. This is largely due to the significant change in the type of work the Senior Tech position requires, the increased stress of the job, and the minimal increase (about $5500 a year) in pay rate. You have two Tech A's and one Tech B; none of whom can qualify to take the Senior Tech position.

How do you proceed/what do you do?

Here are the stipulations........

1. You cannot de-unionize the department
2. There are no other qualified Union candidates in the Company
2. You cannot bring in a candidate off the street due to Union rules

I'll answer any pertinent questions you may have.

Promote from within. Take someone without a "tech" rating, train them, help them, encourage them, give them the benefit of your experience, and show a lot of confidence in them. Sometimes the best employees are the ones you would least expect. Good management can bring someone along that others look past. I have done it several times, back in my working days. Sometimes it took awhile, but in the end, they turned out to be the best employees anyone could ask for. Many lack the self esteem required until someone shows confidence and trust in them. Once they realize that they can do the job, they do a GREAT job.

 

[Anathema]

Then you be a good union member and kick the can down the road and let the higher ups decide.

The Manager is a non-union employee. Much of the work the Senior Techs are doing is work HE should actually be doing but doesn't have either the time or the capability of doing himself, so he's shuffled it off onto them, even though it's techniccally Management responsibilities.

 

[Anathema]

Any way to increase the pay for Sr. Tech to make it worth it to them?

Bring the issue to your superiors and maybe they can increase the pay for the position.

Possibly, thought that will require renegotiating the Senior Tech position, at which point the fact that they're doing a large portion of what should be the Manager's work will come to light and cost more money from the Manager's budget each year.

 

[Sonny Clark]

Then you be a good union member and kick the can down the road and let the higher ups decide.

The Manager is a non-union employee. Much of the work the Senior Techs are doing is work HE should actually be doing but doesn't have either the time or the capability of doing himself, so he's shuffled it off onto them, even though it's techniccally Management responsibilities.

Once you learn and realize what unions are, and what they do, you'll walk out the door and never look back. Good luck.

 

[martybegan]

Any way to increase the pay for Sr. Tech to make it worth it to them?

Bring the issue to your superiors and maybe they can increase the pay for the position.

Possibly, thought that will require renegotiating the Senior Tech position, at which point the fact that they're doing a large portion of what should be the Manager's work will come to light and cost more money from the Manager's budget each year.

If they are doing out of scope work, and are not being paid enough to compensate for it, It's not surprising that you are having difficulty filling the spot. The only real options are push the work back to the managers, or re-scope the work officially to the Sr. Techs, and compensate them at a rate that makes good techs WANT the promotion.

 

[Anathema]

Promote from within. Take someone without a "tech" rating, train them, help them, encourage them, give them the benefit of your experience, and show a lot of confidence in them. Sometimes the best employees are the ones you would least expect. Good management can bring someone along that others look past. I have done it several times, back in my working days. Sometimes it took awhile, but in the end, they turned out to be the best employees anyone could ask for. Many lack the self esteem required until someone shows confidence and trust in them. Once they realize that they can do the job, they do a GREAT job.

All of the people within are qualified to do the work, NONE OF THEM WANT TO, for the compensation offered. On March 31st, that second Senior Tech retires. I'm not sure how the Manager is going to get any of the three Techs to want to take the job.

 

[Anathema]

Once you learn and realize what unions are, and what they do, you'll walk out the door and never look back. Good luck.

Actually, I'm one of the Techs who doesn't want the Senior position. I'm also the Union Steward for the Department. None of us want the responsibilities, headaches, etc... that come with that Senior job. Hell, the remaining Senior is trying to figure our how to get out of the job.

I'm reasonably pleased with the job I have now and for $2.71 an hour, the additional headaches and responsibilities aren't worth it.

 

[Anathema]

If they are doing out of scope work, and are not being paid enough to compensate for it, It's not surprising that you are having difficulty filling the spot. The only real options are push the work back to the managers, or re-scope the work officially to the Sr. Techs, and compensate them at a rate that makes good techs WANT the promotion.

As one of the Techs, and the Steward, that's my take on it as well, but I wanted to see if others had alternative ideas of what the Company may suggest or try.

 

[WinterBorn]

If I cannot get the pay raised to make it proper compensation, I would see about forcing one of the techs into the job. Offer them the position. If they refuse, make it a requirement.

If that fails, take the responsibilities of the retiring senior tech and distribute them equally to the 3 techs who didn't want the senior tech position. They can still be union, but I can rewrite their job descriptions to include the various responsibilities that were previously handled by the retiring senior tech.

 

[martybegan]

If they are doing out of scope work, and are not being paid enough to compensate for it, It's not surprising that you are having difficulty filling the spot. The only real options are push the work back to the managers, or re-scope the work officially to the Sr. Techs, and compensate them at a rate that makes good techs WANT the promotion.

As one of the Techs, and the Steward, that's my take on it as well, but I wanted to see if others had alternative ideas of what the Company may suggest or try.

Considering most people know my views on public sector unions, if you get me to agree with you, you know you have a pretty good case for getting Sr Techs either a pay raise or a re-scoping to remove management work form their portfolio.

 

[WinterBorn]

If I cannot rewrite the job descriptions for the 3 techs, then I would hire a senior tech with union qualifications from another business. I may have to pay relocating expenses to do so, but it would fill the position without an increase in pay. It would only require a one time expenditure of money for relocating the new employee.

 

[Anathema]

Considering most people know my views on public sector unions, if you get me to agree with you, you know you have a pretty good case for getting Sr Techs either a pay raise or a re-scoping to remove management work form their portfolio.

It's a Private Sector Union (utility company). Thank you for your input; it's been very helpful.

 

[Anathema]

If I cannot rewrite the job descriptions for the 3 techs, then I would hire a senior tech with union qualifications from another business. I may have to pay relocating expenses to do so, but it would fill the position without an increase in pay. It would only require a one time expenditure of money for relocating the new employee.

Nope. Cannot rewrite the job descriptions without negotiating them. The Senior Tech description requires multiple years of experience at the lower classifications in the roster.... hiring from outside is not a realistic option without incuring an Unfair Labor Practices charge.

 

[martybegan]

Considering most people know my views on public sector unions, if you get me to agree with you, you know you have a pretty good case for getting Sr Techs either a pay raise or a re-scoping to remove management work form their portfolio.

It's a Private Sector Union (utility company). Thank you for your input; it's been very helpful.

I have nothing against the concept of a private sector union, my issue is when they get away from protecting the workers in general to only protecting the worst workers.

 

[martybegan]

If I cannot rewrite the job descriptions for the 3 techs, then I would hire a senior tech with union qualifications from another business. I may have to pay relocating expenses to do so, but it would fill the position without an increase in pay. It would only require a one time expenditure of money for relocating the new employee.

Nope. Cannot rewrite the job descriptions without negotiating them. The Senior Tech description requires multiple years of experience at the lower classifications in the roster.... hiring from outside is not a realistic option without incuring an Unfair Labor Practices charge.

Wouldn't the fact that no one available in the company WANTS the position preclude and ULP charge?

 

[Anathema]

Wouldn't the fact that no one available in the company WANTS the position preclude and ULP charge?

Nope. They would have to come to the Union and negotiate the situation, as far as I can see. People off the street are not going to fit the qualifications (time in grade on the lower classifications, for one).

 

[martybegan]

Wouldn't the fact that no one available in the company WANTS the position preclude and ULP charge?

Nope. They would have to come to the Union and negotiate the situation, as far as I can see. People off the street are not going to fit the qualifications (time in grade on the lower classifications, for one).

If the parameters for Sr Tech were negotiated by the same union that represents techs, then two things come to my mind.

1. You union heads are idiots for making a promotion less desirable than staying in place, and the company has a legitimate grievance in the lack of ability to fill the role. This, however is contingent on 2 not being the case.

2. If, as you say, management is making Sr Techs. do work out of scope without additional compensation, then why isn't the union screaming bloody murder, and why didn't they do it when the tasks were being added?