Hero of the Basement

First a gratuitous Amber picture:

So today I showed my true liberal Democrat colors and was a representative of the people against management. All rather completely unplanned of course. First, I do admit that the email that I composed to our Director of Facilities was not professional at all. The tone was certainly derisive. Therefore the email I received afterwards from my AVP telling me that it was an inappropriate tone to take with a Director was totally expected and correct. However, it was a calculated risk. I can handle the reprimand. We needed answers AND we needed to get the message across that fer chrissakes there are HUMANS working in the basement! Intelligent, hard working, people who want to know WTF is going on around them. The history as to why I perhaps took a less than respectful tone goes back to some construction work they did a couple of months ago which resulted in me being evicted with no notice at all from my desk. I mean – facilty comes to me with his hair all standing on end because he was just told that he had to tell me to move! Poor guy. I was nice to HIM – not his fault, but the Director got a piece of my mind as well as my AVP’s. Anyway, flash forward to a couple of weeks ago and suddenly there are workers in one of the two stairwells putting up yellow tape and plastic barriers. Apparently they are embarking on a project to replace the wallpaper in the stairwells. Again, no warning or explanation communicated to us. It’s OK at first since they only worked in the one stairwell and the other was totally open (per OSHA standards of course). Then early this week I notice workers and equipment in the 2nd stairwell. But the first one is still not done and is blocked off. Initially the second stairwell is only blocked off from the garage level and above. We can still go from the basement UP to the garage (how sad is that?) Then yesterday they blocked off the second one. Not cool and thoroughly illegal. People start talking and wondering. I find out that one co-worker told our AVP about it already yet we still receive no communication as to what is going on and how long it will continue and WHY are our only non-elevator escape routes blocked off? Then this morning I find out that one of the two elevators broke down with someone in it and she was stuck for an hour!! Well, I blew my cool.There are 100 of us down there. How freaking difficult would it have been to send us an email BEFORE the project started telling us what they were doing? How about telling us that there is no hazardous material being used since one day we came in to a freaking DUST CLOUD and a fine but completely visible layer of white dust everywhere? How about telling is exactly what the plan IS for our escape in the event of an emergency? You know – like sure there is yellow caution tape plastered across the entrance to the stairwell, but in an emergency it is ok to bust through and use it? Nevermind that the stair rails were all on the ground and we would have to step over and around them. Oh yeah – totally safe!!! Gawd I was mad. Knowing that my AVP had already been informed made me more mad. Why hadn’t she asked about this on our behalf already? So, I fired off the now legendary message to our Facilities Director and cc’d the AVP. It cirulates to our VIce Chancellor and the HR director. We exchange another round of more polite discussion. I get the email hand slap from my AVP. Then – bingo! Two emails from the AVP to all the basement departments explaining exactly what is going on, that yes, we CAN break through the yellow tape, that the first stairwell will be completed and ready for use by Monday morning, that Oh, by the way, we will be repainting the hallways too when this is done. Water based paint with little to no odor they assure us. The next thing I know I have people thanking me for raising my voice. Staff members saying they had raised questions earlier in the week to no avail. I even found out that the workers trucks were taking up 2 of the 3 handicapped parking spaces in our garage when we have exactly 3 people who need them!! What a mess. But I really could not give a rats ass what all those execs think of me. 21 years as a loyal employee with many promotions and two outstanding employee awards are there for me to stand on. Let them be upset with me. Mostly they are pissed because they know they screwed up. Big Time. And I called them on it. Don’t mess with me 😉