I was working as a Labor Relations Director for a large, multi-state telecommunications company which stressed safety and safe driving practices at all times. In one of our remote, rural districts we had a 2 man line crew who did not properly park their $120,000 line truck. As a result of their actions, the truck ended sliding down a slope and eventually down a steep embankment and was totaled. Trying to be lenient and taking into account their overall performance, the company decided on 4 day suspensions for both employees without pay. The union was furious and filed an immediate grievance. At the final step of the process, I personally flew there to discuss the matter. I was in the conference room when a large (6′5″ and 300 pounds), loud and belligerent local lineman, who also served as the union’s shop steward, came in with a stack of files and threw them down on the table while glaring at me. I looked at him carefully, saw that he was blowing smoke out of his nostrils and eardrums and then I saw his T shirt. Standing in front of me, shoving his chest out, he had on a black shirt with a bright gold lightening bolt emblazoned on the front with the words “Matanuska Thunderfuck” spelled out in big, bold red letters. Well, that was quite a greeting and needless to say, we did not resolve the matter in that meeting. Later, in a subsequent arbitration hearing, the issue was finally decided in the company’s favor. And somewhere down the road, the lineman and I eventually became friends and were able to take care of our problems locally.
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