What a Waste!

I attended my investigation hearing at work this aft'. It was a waste of time. The supervisor who conducted the investigation is a brain-washed idiot. He's a waste of flesh. And the company will pay me a full day's pay for sitting in an office for ninety minutes. What a waste of resources!

The questions, with my answers, were all meticulously recorded and copies made for various department heads, hangers-on, and other silk tie wearing sycophants.

1. Q. Company records indicate that your name is Dale Pringle and that your PIN is 843166. Records further indicate that you are employed as second engineer on job 10 at Mimico. Is this correct?

A. Yes.

2. Q. Do you desire an accredited representative of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference to appear with you? If so, please indicate who, and if present.

A. Joe Luc. He's present.

3. Q. Have you and your union representative had sufficient time to prepare for this investigation?

A. (Joe said yes and entered an objection, quoting from our collective agreement and also from an award given by a federal arbitrator who was brought in to decide on this very matter two years ago. The arbitrator, Mr. Weatherhill, ruled that employees have the right to book rest and that the company cannot require employees to justify their decision to exercise this right.)

Then the supervisor said, "Your objection is noted. The investigation will proceed.

4. Q. Records indicate that on 04 May 2006, you booked rest during your regular work week and thereby were unavailable for work on Friday 05 May 2006. Why did you book rest on this occasion?

Joe: Objection. This question contradicts the ruling of Mr. Weatherhill as noted in the objection above.

Supervisor: Your objection is noted. The question will remain.

A. I was tired.

From there, Ms J, it just got even stupider. The moron continued to ask the same question for each of the five occasions I exercised my RIGHT to book rest. Each time, I gave the same answer.

I was tired.

This pointless and frustrating drivel continued for more than an hour until at last I had answered all the (leading and/or loaded) questions.

33. Q. What can be expected of you in the future with respect to your attendance and the judicious use of the rest provisions in your collective agreement?

A. I will continue, as I have, to employ rest provisions as stated in my collective agreement as I deem necessary to ensure proper fitness for duty. My job is a safety sensitive one, and I take this safety very seriously.

34. Q. Mr. Luc, do you have any questions you'd like asked of Mr. Pringle?

A. Not at this time.

35. Q. Mr. Pringle, do you have anything further to add which is relevant to this employee statement?

I took a long time before I spoke. A LONG time. Maybe a full two minutes. There was so much I had to say, Ms J. So many thoughts and feelings to share with this sanctimonious clot. I closed my eyes tight and silently prayed.

"Be with me Jesus. Help me to speak my Truth without disrespect."

I turned to look at Joe who was seated beside me. He knows I'm a huge proponent of Truth. For the first time, he looked worried.

"Be careful, Dale. You don't have to add anything ... If you don't want to."

I took a slow, deep breath, Ms J, and I spoke.

A. I feel I have done absolutely nothing wrong. And it disturbs me greatly that the company would so squander its resources by conducting investigations such as this one. Safety is an important issue, and I will not come to work without proper rest. It's an affront, quite frankly, to my integrity when you intimate that I take time off for personal reasons by booking rest. I enjoy regularly scheduled days off, I'm entitled to twelve personal leave days every year, and I have six weeks vacation. When I book rest, I do it because I'm tired. When I book sick, it's because I'm sick. I have not, will not, and do not book rest to gain time off.

I spoke slowly, clearly, Ms J, so he could type it into his report. When he was finished, I asked him to read it back to me. As he read it, I glanced at Joe. He was smiling now, and nodding his head.

36. Q. Are you satisfied with the manner in which this investigation has been conducted?

A. I'm disturbed by the entire line of questioning. I'm disturbed that this company continues to show flagrant disregard for collective agreements and for the ruling of a federally appointed arbitrator, to wit Mr. Weatherhill.

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What a steaming crock of shit, Ms J! But I did get the day off with pay, and that was a rather nice gift on a perfectly gorgeous summer day. Tomorrow's Friday. I wonder if I should book rest and take the afternoon off?

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