Unionising My Workplace Part 1

[New Harry Cramb]

Hey everyone so this will be a lengthy post but I'm curious on opinions and if anyone has been through anything similar. 

So to clarify if no one knows I work in Outdoor Education basically I teach outdoor sports to everyone of all ages. I currently work for an Outdoor Education Centre which in both the UK and Ireland means I work for the government under the education and training board or what I will refer them to frequently is E.T.B. 

So February 2nd 2023 I went back to work at the OEC in Ireland even though I was aware the boss there was very manipulative and at times abusive i felt with my new found experience and confidence I could better manage the environment and honestly I needed an all year round job. Fast forward 4 months and I had yet to be given any form of contract all I had to go off was my roles and responsibilities. Under Irish legislation by law a company is meant to present you with a contract within 31 days of you joining the company. So I requested to be given a contract stating I have waited by probation period and before the summer season kicks off can we get one signed. The Director agreed and sent me a draft straight away everything looked very generic but said I was glad to see a date till the end of December where I would have to get it renegotiated again. Well it took from May till September for him to finally print it off and sign it and give it to me. It took ages with constant nagging but at least i got it.

3 weeks later we are in the kitchen I had been pulling three 6 day weeks 8 till 5 or 6 everyday trying to fix boats, organise a programme that I was running for the first time all while running sessions each day so overall I was shattered. In the morning we were having a briefing and Jon (the director) decides at the end to spark a conversation about how our local college has gotten rid of their recycling bins and have asked now for the students to take it home to recycle as they weren't recycling properly at the school. This led to him suggesting we should do it and a few opinions were said and of course I chimed in saying "this could look like they are pushing it onto students in a negative way though no? Most students are just about affording their rooms and back when I was in college majority couldn't afford bins". Well this was a mistake to say the least. Jon instantly came back and said "Harry you are uneducated about the situation go and get educated" i followed up with "ok Jon  I was only voicing my opinion" he reiterated 5 more times "stop talking and get educated" and each time I responded "ok Jon". The room was in complete silence everyone just staring at me including his daughter.

People checked on me after and I was fine I just knew he would want to do a 1 to 1 after that little "debate". I had a morning meeting and then had to rush to get ready for a sailing session in 30 minutes in which he pulled me aside and asked "do you have a few minutes" I responded "not really I have a lot of prep to do"  in which he raised his phone and stated "I texted you about having a meeting" so I said "ok lets go to your office then" he disagreed and asked me to follow him where we went up to a classroom at the back of the centre. 

Here is where it gets a bit mental. So I am going to copy paste my notes I gave to the union a week later:

 

As we entered he said "some sparks this morning ay?" and I just knodded and said "mhm". So we sat down in the back right corner of the room.

He then asked me "So Harry I am wondering if there's an issue between us. The past 3 weeks it seems we have been butting heads"

I responded saying "not that I am aware of I have been keeping my head down and getting stuck into maintenance"

Jon then said "ok thats good but you seem to be avoiding the question"

I replied "I don't have an issue with you but I am frustrated at times when tasks are dropped in on me last minute since I have so much to do currently" 

"Do you mind clarifying Harry" Jon asked

"So for example when i finished yesterday after the session I got up at 5pm where i then checked my email to see you wanting us to bring a powerboat out of the 
water tomorrow for you but the likelyhood we would be able to is slim due to myself and Jammer being on session till 3pm."

Jon interruprted "When would the ideal time for me to schedule or send a request to you be?"

I said "Ideally if you knew about us needing to do that for you at the beginning of the week, then you could have told us at the beginning of the week so we can factor everything we are doing 
into our schedule as it was fairly packed this week but when I get it told about things on the day that need to be sorted by tomorrow it gets quite frustrating
as I have a lot going on in terms of maintenace and sessions." 

"So what you are saying the  everytime I am sending you a task I need to now worry about whether you will get frustrated because i could be giving you a task?" Jon said

Harry: No Jon I am just asking that you tell us of the task that need done in advance if you know it's coming up

Jon: Seems to me Harry you can't handle the pressure

Harry: What do you mean by that?

Jon: well it seems everytime we give you a task or a job you always like oh, ok, well, uh *exhales hales loudly* and then you get frustrated, you are full of 
frustration and anxiety

Harry: I agree I am frustrated but i dont have anxiety

Jon: Well you go like this *exhales loudly* anytime I ask you to do something

Harry: I know

Jon: so why are you acting that way 

Harry: Because I have alot on my plate especially when I am by myself for most of it which makes it more difficult

Jon: Harry *mimics playing the violin* if you are looking for sympathy you are not getting it from me the job is tough,
deal with it if you can't handle it you shouldnt be in this position

Harry: I am not looking for sympathy Jon

Jon: well it certainly seems like it you always negative and your attitude is shocking. Your always *exhales loudly* and getting frustrated
and ever since i signed your contract you've acted like this and it's making me regret doing so.

Harry: How is my attitude shocking?

Jon: Your work ethic is in for 9 and out for 5 you never stay late

Harry: I came in on the saturday to finish sanding the squib

Jon: yes but we paid you

Harry: I still came in when it wasn't planned for me too Jon to get the squib done

Jon: Ok but besides that you are very negative, it seems you are always procrastinating and your attitude at work is very bad

Harry: That is incorrect I had the squib finished within a week, 3 Bahias fully fixed in 2 days while doing Instructor Development Program Admin and prep and
doing sailing sessions. 

Jon: I don't see it did you even put the mast in the squib yet?

Harry: Yes thats why I wasn't done till 5pm yesterday and I stayed late till 5:30pm to plan about the powerboat being taken out for the next day with rob

Jon: Wow you stayed till 5:30! come on Harry do you expect me to be impressed? You are missing a big thing I said though Harry
It's your attitude

Harry: Can you give me some examples of what you mean by my attitude?

Jon:*Points at his phone* It's all in here people have complained to me about you.

Harry: Ok what did they say

Jon: They said you are very negative and anytime you get given work you get frustrated and full of anxeity. You always seem overwhelmed  

Harry: As I said Jon it's when things have been dropped on me and this is my third week in a row with a 6 day week

Jon: Talk to rob about that

Harry: I plan too today

Jon: what about in the meeting today then?

Harry: What about it?

Jon: you were completely rude to me, trying to throw me under the bus

Harry: Jon this has nothing to do with work

Jon: This has everything to do with work

Harry: All I said was my opinion

Jon: For fuck sake Harry

Harry: Don't you dare swear at me there is no need for it

Jon: Well I am upset

Harry: and I am just telling you how i feel

Jon: You shouldn't have undermined me in the meeting

Harry: All i said was my opinion

Jon: No you didnt

Harry: Jon look sorry if you are upset about what i said but this was a conversation to do with something outside of work
if this is why you are upset I am sorry but this is completely unrelated to my work situation. 

Silence for a bit due to phone ringing

Jon:So let get back on track I am worried about time. I think you do a lot of Martyrism... Do you know what that means?

Harry: Yes I do Jon

Jon: As I work from 6am to 8pm unlike you, you barely work compared to me

Harry: That's your choice though Jon

Jon: I would like us to swap for a day and I bet I could do your Job no problem

Harry: That's good for you Jon but I dont want to run my life like that, that's your choice to do that. 
I am just saying I feel frustrated because things are getting dropped on me last minute and when I ask for more people it's 
always a struggle because we are all so busy or and i mean no offence 
to rob at times I don't think he understands the manpower needed for some jobs with sailing

Jon Interrupts: That is not fair Rob is far smarter than people give him credit for and he is staying behind all day everyday

Harry: I didnt say he wasnt smart, I am saying that at times he doesn't understand when I need more people now he has gotten a lot better but in the past there
has been struggles but take powerboating when I needed to wash them-

Jon: Why are you washing the powerboats that is not your section

Harry: I know it isnt

Jon: Then why are you doing it

Harry: I was helping Jammer as it is a lot quicker than with just one person he was then meant to be on session but we convinced rob to take him off as its far quicker with two of us
than just myself as it would take all day but instead it takes half a day and then i can go do maintenance

Jon: Ok but theres other people who can do that

Harry: No there isn't we are all busy. This is also why i advocate for another SI jon. There used to be 4 here and now there is only 1. 

Jon: I am not hiring another SI

Harry: but you said last month that you supported me in getting an SI

Jon: I said I would support you, I didnt say I would hire one

Harry: Huh

Jon: Harry i think you have a very fixed midset approach to all of this. 

Harry: but yet you said last month I and a growth mindset, are you saying that in less than a month I have somehow changed to a fixed? 

Jon: yes thats what I am saying

Harry: Couldn't you say that about yourself?

Jon: Well all this is making me regret signing your contract as your attitude has been appauling

Harry: Ok Jon

Jon: If things don't change when we have to renew your contract I will be thinking twice and so should you. If you cannot handle the pressure
 maybe just be a DI as you should be able to spin many plates at the one time without being overwhelmed thats what is expected of senior staff.
If you want structured you should go an work on a factory assembly line not here.

Harry: All I am doing is tellingyou how i have felt Jon.

Jon: Well look how about we go away and think on this for a while, lets not apoligise lets just go and decompress it

Harry: well look I can work on my negativivity especailly around rob he doesn't deserve it he just doing his job sorry about that

Jon: Dont apoligise we will reflect on this

Harry: ok

Jon: for example I am impressed how you stood your ground especially around your work with sailing and wanting to get it done

Harry: Ok Jon thanks

Jon: Talk to you later 

So a week later I was still a bit baffled by what happened and worried about my job security I decided to call my union to see what they would say and my rep stated I had a solid case as he cannot be doing that. He asked me if I was willing to go to my boss and ask for the grievance and discipline procedures as this was the first step to making a formal complaint. I said no so he said to email him with my rep cc'd. We this was absolutely nerve racking myself and a co worker read over the email and hovered over send for about 10 minutes as we knew he would call me straight away. We hit send together and both legged it outside 2 minutes later I come back where I had 10 miss calls from him so of course I call him and I have never heard the man sound so friendly towards me. He then asked what the email was about. I said I was just requesting to the procedures and he then asked me was it about the meeting we had last week. I responded " My representative has stated I do not need to tell you what it is about and I wish to uphold that right" he responded "No worries but if it is about that meeting we said we would reflect and later talk about it and going this route can lead to tension between us and especially unnecessary stress" in which I responded " Look Jon I have finished my reflecting and this is how I would like to proceed please send the document by the end of the day". He reluctantly agreed.

He sent an email but with nothing attached and my rep pounce on him very quickly stating nothing was sent and Jon claimed it was down to bad Wi-Fi. This was the first time I felt how amazing a union was and how great it is that they have your back. Really to fast track this I got everything I wanted a guaranteed contract, an a apology and a couple insignificant guarantees like to be more professional. One crazy thing actually is he admitted my meeting was instigated by what happened in the kitchen which I cannot believe he admitted. 

After this the staff realised we can go to the Union without major repercussions from him which will ead onto part two how and why we unionised if you thought this was bad your in for a world of more biblical script to read. 

Jon my Director is a manipulative and a intimidating bully who twists words and tries to pit us against each other, a man with an inflated ego that needs pampering too at least three times a day and if you dare try to challenge him he will tear you down with zero sympathy.

[ADM S Osman]

It sounds like you're dealing with a very challenging work environment, and it's admirable that you took steps to address these issues despite the difficulties. Your experience highlights the importance of having a union to back you up, especially in situations where management may be acting inappropriately or unfairly.

Your story is a powerful example of standing up for your rights and not allowing yourself to be bullied or manipulated. The fact that you were able to get a guaranteed contract, an apology, and other professional guarantees shows that it's possible to make positive changes even in tough situations.

It's unfortunate that Jon, your Director, continues to create such a negative atmosphere, but your efforts to push back and seek support from your union are commendable. Hopefully, your actions will inspire others in your workplace to stand up for themselves and help create a better working environment for everyone. Looking forward to reading part two and learning more about how you and your colleagues managed to unionize and navigate this difficult situation!