problem at work

Just wanted to know what advice anyone can give me on my situation that I am dealing with. Basically, here goes; for almost a year now (will be a year next month) I have been punished at my job for something that my supervisor caused. Funny thing is there is nothing anywhere in writing or anywhere else. I have basically been demeaned and ridiculed by the assholes that I call my bosses because of something that happened. To make a long story short this is what happened. I work at a fire department and have been there for 15 years. Well, one morning my captain was out in the bay and noticed a small amount of water in one of the hoses on the truck what we call a crosslay as it sits crossways in the bed of the truck. He unhooked the hose and slid the aluminum tray out about 12 or 14 inches while he was holding the hose, otherwards one hand on the tray and the other on the hose. Well, here it comes; that night we ran a call and guess WHAT??? The hose came out of the tray and coincidentally enough it was the one that he had handled earlier. So, it was pinned on me that I was driving too fast and no mention of him doing what he did to it earlier that morning. I did some research and found out that I'm not alone. Apparently, the National Fire Protection Administration has seen that there is a BIG problem with these hoses coming off of fire trucks and guess what? They passed an amendment that requires any trucks built after 2006 to have restraint devices. I took a copy of the article with me to show to my boss and gave it to him, but guess what, he really didn't care. I want to file a complaint against my employer, but I am a white male under the age of 40, so I guess I'm up the creek. Does anyone have any advice for me about where I could file a complaint against them with the government? Oh and by the way, I am not the first as several people have left because they got fed up with it. If I could find another job tomorrow I would go somewhere else, too.

quote" If I could find another job tomorrow I would go somewhere else, too."

Until you have that other job.........can you afford to lose this one?

Sounds like a good time to mace the toilet paper. There is not enough water in the fire house to put out that fire!! Good Luck

Unfortunately, the workplace isn't fair, blame-games are going to be played until the end of time. Otherwise said, 1000 atta-boys can be erased by one aw-sh**.

Not trying to be unsympathetic, but really there are two choices, thicken your skin and go about doing what you know is right, or else go on to the next job.

fireman

Ok,
your a fireman, thanks for doing that job.
but this is a machinest site and I don't know what the result of the hose coming off the tray. Did it fall off the truck, was not conected when needed????? Is this a big deal or what.
Your being punished after a year, How are you being punished?
Do you also work at a machine shop, have your own shop????
I am not trying to put you off, just don't understand this and how you expect us to understand and give you advice. Most of us have our own problems and work to deal with them in a forum that may help.
ben

start smoking dope

This might explain why last summer I saw a fire truck stopped in the middle of 4 lanes of traffic with a long hose stretched behind it and no accidents or fires anywhere around.


I do have to ask. By punishment, do you mean, no raise or something of that sort where there is an actual physical effect? or is it that they just keep bringing it up because nothing funnier has happened in the past year?

The complaint deparment is called The Equal Employment Opportuniy Commission and your complaint is a hostile work enviornment.Since that is a government agency they will be put under a microscope.Get names of others that have had this experience because this shows a pattern,let them handle it from there.If they retaliate that is another complaine.For each complaint you can be awarded $100,000.

You better just suck it up and live with it. I retired from the Fire Dept after 30yrs and if this guy has let you take the sh t for this long he is not going to come right now. Your biggest mistake was letting this go for so long. You should have made a written statement to the Chief and or the Union within 24hrs and stopped it then. Course then you would have had retribution for covering yourself. At least you would have had a paper trail to go with. As for doing anything now - FUGEDDABOUTIT.
Best Roger

Easy still...

Watch this goober. If he did that he will do something else. Apparently he does it often enough for there to be a pattern with other folks. Document the incident. In other words get something on him and then strangle him with it.

Often times the sneakier person is the one to survive. I have found that the union ( at least mine) in the past has been resistant to get involved. They would rather sit nice and comfy in their offices and pretend they are benefiting me somehow.

The EEO folks are worse yet. You right about being a white male. Your case will get ZERO priority. All you get is a proctologist scope and 4 to 8 months of it at that. Afterwards probably an issue of a "no finding" and then the real alienation begins.

Digital voice recorders are incredibly small nowdays as are video devices.

Ok I am off my soap box now.


Steven

At least they didn't try to feed you dogfood in your spaghetti.

Take him out behind the hose tower and give him a good thrashing if he don't straighten up. But, deal with it one way or another soon and don't allow it to waste any more of your thoughts; get done with it.

Where I was serving my Tolmaking Apprenticeship, I made a run with the Company Pick-Up Truck. When I returned I parked it inside the shop's overhead door. Someone else had to move the Truck for some reason and pulled it outside and Left The Keys In The Ignition and closed the shop's overhead door!. Well, someone stole the truck and I get blamed, I did not say a single word, later I gave the guy who moved it a freindly glance or two, and the next day he admitted to the boss that he moved the truck out and left the keys in it, not me!.

After about a week, the police department in the city next to us found it and said we could come and pick it up. Well, the Company had no spare key's, so I told the boss I could hot wire it and get it back to the shop. It was an old truck without the steering wheel lock!. While I was hot wiring the truck a cop got out of his own car and asked what I was doing, and I told him I Was Hot-Wiring It To Take It, Darn, should have seen the look on his face, it was awesome and then I found out he was the Cheif of Police, Cool. Well my buddy who was hooking the new battery up explained it to him, and he just shook his head, criminals stealing the truck, and a wanna-be criminal hot wiring it to get it back to the shop!. I Love It When These Unusual Things Happen!!... Jim L.

Well, fifteen years on is not junior. I'm surprised you didnt nip in the bud right from the get-go, these are things you learn early on, self protection..

As it is, its way too late to attempt to drag that back up outta the woodwork..

Unfortunately I think you gotta suck that one up and put it behind you..

Now if there are current things going on you deal with them specifically.. Each item on its own.. If you start grouping a bunch of stuff together and specially stuff from the distant past you will just look like someone who has issues with everything and everyone.. You have to be specific and timely when handling these things..

And on a nutther note.. If you are truly concerned with the safety of the rig as it is now you should act on that, but as a separate issue, all by itself. Dont drag you personal issues into that safety issue cause all it does again is show you have personal complaints and are trying to load the safety issue up with yours to gain merit... One thing at a time... JR

You say you're under 40, don't know by how much, but IMO you gotta make the transition from boy to man, assuming you wouldn't take that shit from a kid, why take it from him?

The guys a bully,.......... prob why he made the rank he holds, bully's don't like anyone who bites back,.......... watch him I'll bet there are guys he wouldn't dare try that shit on.
Next time he starts, (and I'll bet it's in front of others) I suggest you keep icy cool and look him traight in the eye and tell him calmly 'Enough is enough, go pick on somebody else.'

He will more than likely bite back, let him have his huff and puff, then in the same manner tell him 'We can do this the easy way or the hard way, your choice.' whatever happens, don't let him wind you up, icy cold works every time.

If it doesn't walk, and make as much trouble as you can.

Sounds like he like nothin better than for you to walk,so as he can get his nephew a job,I say stay put and retire from there,good jobs,specally union jobs,are gettin scarce.
most bosses suck,been one myself,it is hard not to.
respect
gw

In all actuality, the punishment that I have been recieving is that I have NOT been able to do my job for nearly a year as I have not been able to drive. Also, to let everyone know, the butt wipe that I was working with has since been moved. This cycle has been going on for two years now. It all started when I told my chief that I planned on contesting an evaluation and was told that it "would not be in my best interest." Also, interestingly enough, I have been told by the big boss of how I have made so many mistakes, blah blah blah, but NO ONE can give me one single instance of what I have done that was so terribly wrong. Also, I am now having to go through training before I can even drive again. Is this fair, NO, I think not, but what do you do. I am taking it as personal as I think some of you would also. Oh how much I love working for a county government.

As good jobs are getting harder and harder to come by these days you probably should "really" love your county job. You need to learn how to start playing the game to better your own position. After your new training couse ask if they have a more advanced course you can take. Let them know how much you enjoyed it.Their payin for it and you don't have to be around the asshole you don't like during this time,right!
Most employees learn quickly who's toes not to step on ,and when and how to handle things when they feel they have been s&%t on themselves.

I learned how to handle my work related problems back in 1996. I became self employed and have never looked back, and don't plan on going back. I have taken on some part time stuff over the past 10 years or so at a local machine shop and I let them know when I show up that I am there to work hard for them but absolutly refuse to stand in front of some cnc machine all day and exchange parts. I am there to do one off stuff and to better my learning skills and benefit the CO. They tried me one day. I ran a shopping basket full of small parts and when I came in the next day I went straight to the boss and let him know that If I was running the hass again that day instead of our "agreed" terms then that was my final day at work ! Within an hour I was back on the manual lathe making one off stuff again. I wasn't trying to put him in a bind or anything like that,just making sure he knew where I stood. A deal is a deal.I worked for him through that winter and we are still on good terms with each other with a standing offer to work there anytime I need extra money..Very nice to have

I hope you can get things worked out at this job. If you don't, you will most likely have the same type of problems at your "next" job. It'll just be a different face and name with the same sort of problems.....good luck. Randy

So were you driving too fast or not?

1) did your boss leave the cross-lay loose?

2) if yes to (1) then did he take responsibility for this?

3) if yes to (1) and no to (2) then is he still your supervisor?

If yes to (3) then you have problems. If he threw you under
the bus once he will do it again. Get away from him.

Jim