I go through life thinking there is a silver lining behind every storm cloud, yet the reality is there is very seldom a silver lining. Yet, I press forward thinking one day I will reach the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Why do I have such thoughts or hopes or dreams. I have struggled through life, trying to get ahead, only to be knocked back down the hill.
Recently, I thought I had found a hill I could finally climb, to discover I will not be able to climb that hill. Age is the preventative in climbing the hill. Those who are above me think I am perfect at staying where I am, as I am perfect there and an awesome assistance to those above me. Yesterday the disillusionment was dissolved to revel the true reality of my job position.
I became a meat wrapper, as I had some previous experience as a meat wrapper over a year ago. Then I was being trained to be a meat cutter. Good, I like cutting meat and working in the meat department. But in the store I was working, there was not much time to train me as the store did not have the sales to warrant a meat cutter trainee. So, I transferred to another store farther from home, but with the promise I continue and finish the training to be a meat cutter. Only, I never touched a knife in three months.
Then the company needed help in a store closer to my home. I was sent to help as temporary help until the positions could be filled. After three weeks of working at one location, then the other during a work week, I asked for a transfer to be closer to home – not so much fuel expense. And the new manager promised I would be using a knife.
So I transferred to the location closer to home. I was cutting with a knife, along with still doing the duties of a meat wrapper. Only, I also have to keep a young, first time manager on task, and in the meat cutting room. Their mind wanders, is not focused with a plan on what needs to be done to get the daily tasks completed before the hours of working are gone. The meat wrapper trainee is slow, and calls in once to twice a week saying they are unable to come to work. The lack of productivity is blamed on the trainee and my lack of speed in performing our tasks each day. I arrive home tired, most days too tired to eat. I get nothing done at home, only to wake up and go to work the next day.
When I started at this new location near home, I received a pay raise, from $10 per hour to $12 per hour. I thought it was for the promotion to meat cutter, only to learn the meat wrapper trainee was being paid $11.50 per hour. I pressed for meat cutter wages of $15 per hour and benefits, as I have no health insurance, and told I would receive such as stated if I was going to be staying. Then I learned I would not be receiving a raise or benefits until “they” knew I was going to stay. Ok, so no pay raise, no benefits- I will play the waiting game and hopefully received such in the near future. I would wait, work hard and prove I am worthy of being a meat cutter.
Yesterday, information was reveled by the district supervisor when he arrived early to welcome a new employee starting in the meat department. It was the meat manager’s day off, their only day off. I opened and was told by the meat manager to start the new person as a meat wrapper. The new employee was hired at the same wage I am being paid. The district supervisor had a different idea. I was to start them at the cutting block with me, as a meat cutter trainee. ” So meat cutter training a meat cutter trainee” I stated, if I only had a camera for the district supervisor’s expression. A picture is worth a thousand words, and his expression stated I was not a meat cutter and would not ever be a meat cutter. This person was being trained for the position I was told I would have.
I did my task, had the new employee work side by side with me. Trained them on how to put hamburger on a tray, and they were doing quite well. Then we started at the cutting block. Since this new person had zero experience in the meat department or around cutting meat, I showed and explained the muscle structures of the portion of meat I was cutting and the retail pieces of meat I had created. I had three requests for special cuts from customers, of which they observed how the process was performed. They watched while I informed a customer they could not break a combination package to get a desired package of meat, and became very angry, then how I deescalated the situation and resolved the problem with customer happy and apologizing for their behavior. They were totally amazed on the outcome of the situation. Then time for lunch.
After an hour, we returned to the store to work, and the new employee wanted to talk with the manager. We were informed that a job position they had interviewed for on the same day they interviewed for this position, offered them more money, $20 per hour. They were going to take the higher paying offer.
After the good-byes and returning of shirts, the manager asked me to inform the meat department supervisor, as she had told the meat department manager. I said, “No way, that is above my pay grade and position. The information needs to come from the manager, not me.” She did not want to give the district supervisor bad news as he wanted this person to be a meat cutter.
I finished my day, went home tired as usually. A few hours later, I looked at my phone, I had a text message from the district supervisor say the person quit. I texted back it was for more money, but the person thought the training they received from me was interesting, and they learned a lot in just four hours. Then a text was sent about this new person not having ethics. Ethics? Just because they needed more income, and told went for the higher pay, no ethics. I did not respond, as to judge this person’s ethics when I have been lied to numerous times and strung along. No response would be sufficient to state my feelings.
I will bid my time, work my job, but not as hard as I have. When I knew by actions and words that my raise and position would not be given, I started thinking about other ways of supplementing my income. I am working on a couple of things to produce income. I do know God has me in this job for a reason. Perhaps it has something to do with the person who comes into clean the meat room, who does not have a high IQ, but does a job well when slowly instructed. Perhaps it is for the meat wrapper, who I know is depressed and struggling with some illness as they call in sick and are uncomfortable at work. Or perhaps it is for someone else I have do not know or have not met. I will stay until I am told I can leave. But it is hard to work when truth is not present.
Life has taught me one thing that keeps being proved true: Horses never lie, but man always will.
amtolle
Me, Myself and I 