Word: foremen
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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California Congressman Jim Bates, who asked for a congressional hearing in San Diego last week, says the service fosters "unnecessary intimidation by supervisors . . . encouraged by upper management." Workers complain of being shadowed by foremen toting stopwatches, warned "not to take little baby steps" while moving around, and denied permission to leave the floor to go to the bathroom. "Fear and hostility permeate the post office," charges San Diego letter carrier Gary Pryor. Postmaster General Anthony Frank acknowledges, "This is a top-down organization. I wish it weren...
...amorphous collection of mild-mannered pastors, artists and writers who coalesced only six weeks ago around a vague demand for "democratic dialogue." Although New Forum is technically illegal, it has gathered the signatures of more than 20,000 adherents, ranging from teachers and train drivers to electricians and factory foremen. Unlike Poland, where union workers sparked a popular insurrection, no single sector of society fuels the unrest in East Germany. The dissenters lack both a leader with Lech Walesa's charisma and a specific agenda...
...concessions from unions at Eastern, especially on pilots and machinists, has prompted bitter accusations that the company is flying close to the edge. Pilots for Continental and Eastern claim they are given planes with problems ranging from broken gauges to leaking fuel tanks, while Eastern mechanics say their nonunion foremen frequently vouch for repairs that have not been made. Texas Air attributes ulterior motives to the unions. Says Bruce Hicks, a Continental vice president: "The war cry of 'Safety, safety!' has become the traditional union bargaining method...
According to King, Eastern foremen have a good reason to defer maintenance: they can earn bonuses for getting planes out of the hangar fast. Under an Eastern incentive program started in January, the airline's employees set performance goals for themselves, subject to management approval. In the case of the Boston maintenance station, the goal is to make sure that less than 4% of all flights miss their scheduled departure times because of delays resulting from repairs, preflight loading, cleaning or the like. King says one supervisor earned an extra $800 through the incentive program in the first three months...
Sweeney said that while misconduct by stewards typically results in immediate suspension, grievances against shop foremen typically take two years to process. "Shop foremen swear, too," she said, "and nothing ever happens to them...