Should I ditch work to go to an ISO meeting?

[Veovis]

Not my whole shift, mind you, but just the last two hours or so. There's a weekly meeting of a socialist organization on PSU campus, but my work schedule would make me miss it. Normally, I'd just wait until the following week, but dammit I need to be around people who think like me! I don't get out much anyway. I would be taking a half of an attendance occurrence point, but I have one coming off this month so it wouldn't be so bad in the long run.

Advice? OK, maybe I'm just looking for validation, but anyway...

[o well this is ok I guess]

Last time I walked off the job I was called and told I was no longer employed there.
Just call in sick, man.

[Veovis]

Last time I walked off the job I was called and told I was no longer employed there.
Just call in sick, man.

Calling in the whole day sick I would get a whole occurrence point instead of a half and I'd lose the whole day's pay. Doctor's note wouldn't help. Besides, I work in a call center and it's pretty easy to fake a lost voice after a whole day of back-to-back calls.

[o well this is ok I guess]

Calling in the whole day sick I would get a whole occurrence point instead of a half and I'd lose the whole day's pay. Doctor's note wouldn't help. Besides, I work in a call center and it's pretty easy to fake a lost voice after a whole day of back-to-back calls. Ok what the fuck is this "occurrence point" business?
But yeah, if you can get away with it without losing your job then that's honestly fine.

[Veovis]

Ok what the fuck is this "occurrence point" business?
But yeah, if you can get away with it without losing your job then that's honestly fine.

It's a system my employer has in place for attendance infractions. You get a point or a fraction of a point if you're late for work, leave early, call in sick, etc. depending on the severity of the infraction. After accumulating 10 points they boot your ass. :glare:

[TheGodlessUtopian]

If you do not have many points accumulated at this point just call in sick for one day and enjoy yourself.:)

[Devrim]

There will be another meeting the next week, whereas in the current economic climate their may not be another job. I would advise against it.

Devrim

[citizen of industry]

Do it. Wage slavery is preventing you from attending the meeting of an organization trying to end it.

[¿Que?]

Keep in mind that they can boot your ass for any reason at any time, but I'd say, yes, go.

[Olentzero]

If you know for a solid fact you're going to be able to go next week, I say hold your horses for just a little longer. In the meantime, head on over here (http://www.internationalsocialist.org/branches.html) and get the contact info for Portland State - even if you can't make meetings on a regular basis, comrades are always willing to sit down and talk on your days off or before/after your shift to keep you up to date on activities both within and outside the branch. It's also a good way to get your hands on lit, the latest copy of SW, or the ISR.

Meetings are good to attend but they're just one aspect of the ISO's activity and not even a mandatory one at that. There's plenty to do and get involved in if/when you finally decide to join.

[The Jay]

You go to Penn State too?

[eyeheartlenin]

It's a system my employer has in place for attendance infractions. You get a point or a fraction of a point if you're late for work, leave early, call in sick, etc. depending on the severity of the infraction. After accumulating 10 points they boot your ass. :glare:

"Depending on the severity of the infraction" Just so I understand, calling in sick is an "infraction"? For real? So you and your fellow workers are penalized for getting sick? I never heard of such a thing! Someone should inform your boss, anonymously, that slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century.

If you feel like writing about your job sometime, I would be interested in learning what it's like to work in a call center. I feel for call center employees, since I can't imagine doing that. Good luck, whatever you decide!

[ellipsis]

If you need the time off, take it. However you might want to save those points for when you REALLY need them, especially if these are weekly meetings. Also olentzero's point about being able to contact them any time is a good one.

[danyboy27]

It's a system my employer has in place for attendance infractions. You get a point or a fraction of a point if you're late for work, leave early, call in sick, etc. depending on the severity of the infraction. After accumulating 10 points they boot your ass. :glare:

I dont live in america (canada) but this kind of shit sound pretty illegal to me.

[scarletghoul]

Yeah, surely firing someone for getting the flu or something would constitute unfair dismissal ?

[TheGodlessUtopian]

If you need the time off, take it. However you might want to save those points for when you REALLY need them, especially if these are weekly meetings. Also olentzero's point about being able to contact them any time is a good one.

I think he just needs one weekend to spend with people who think like him,I don't think the OP plans on spending every weekend there.

I can sympathize with his needs;sometimes you just have to take a break and be with others who understand you.

[o well this is ok I guess]

It's a system my employer has in place for attendance infractions. You get a point or a fraction of a point if you're late for work, leave early, call in sick, etc. depending on the severity of the infraction. After accumulating 10 points they boot your ass. :glare: Oh
Hey
That's actually pretty convenient.

[Veovis]

Well, it's done. I left after three hours (half a point) complaining about dizziness and chills. The chills weren't hard to fake since they keep the temperature sub-arctic in the call center. It's like they want us to get sick - weed out the infirm or something.


"Depending on the severity of the infraction" Just so I understand, calling in sick is an "infraction"? For real? So you and your fellow workers are penalized for getting sick? I never heard of such a thing! Someone should inform your boss, anonymously, that slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century.

Welcome to the United States of America. As I said before, even doctors' notes don't help. I actually sat next to a girl last week who came in sick as a dog but who couldn't miss work because she couldn't afford any more points. I myself take supplements, wash my hands like a maniac, and make sure to wipe down my desk and computer with disinfectant wipes every morning before I start. Hopefully that will keep me healthy.

This isn't even the most totalitarian attendance policy I've dealt with. Two jobs ago back in Pennsylvania I worked at an industrial supply warehouse where the first 90 days were a "probationary period." You couldn't miss work or be late for any reason or you'd get a written warning. The second time they'd fire you. I actually developed a pilonidal cyst (if you don't know, don't ask) working in that hot warehouse and got a systemic infection that needed antibiotics, so I missed work. Thank the gods it was only one day. When I got my written warning the next day I asked my boss if I did the right thing, or if I should have sucked it up and came into work vomiting and convulsing with pus oozing from my buttcrack. He didn't know what to say.


If you feel like writing about your job sometime, I would be interested in learning what it's like to work in a call center. I feel for call center employees, since I can't imagine doing that. Good luck, whatever you decideThe job isn't that bad when we get a few second in between calls. When it's back to back it's hellish and we've been understaffed. Lots of promotions and dismissals lately. I don't think they'll get rid of me easily because they're hurting for Spanish speakers.

The job changes you kind of. At first I felt bad for these people who call in with problems. Now I get kind of a cheap thrill faking empathy and giving ultimatums: "I can take a payment or I can transfer you to an agent who can help you. Which is it to be?"

Lately they've been getting on our asses about average handle time (AHT henceforth). Our goal is a weekly average of 150 seconds, or about 2.5 minutes each call. This means we have to walk a very fine line between not letting people hang on the phone ruining our AHT, and not incurring the wrath of QA by rushing people off the phone. It gets very stressful, especially when these people call in not even knowing the billing address for their credit card.

And it's not all the customer's fault either. I work for a staffing agency that contracts with a third party call center that runs the prepaid cell phone payment centers for a number of different providers. I take T-mobile calls, and their system is so riddled with bugs and stupidity that half the orders don't go through due to processing errors that nonetheless put a hold on customers' funds. I've fantasized about anonymously calling in to the actual T-mobile company and complaining about the unreliability of their payment system. It's completely unacceptable.

I've also fantasized about organizing the place, but I have no idea how to go about it and how much risk I'd be putting my job in.

Anyway, I'll be back after the meeting tonight to tell you all about it. :)

[Olentzero]

I was just checking in to see what you'd decided to do. How'd the meeting go?

[Veovis]

I was just checking in to see what you'd decided to do. How'd the meeting go?

I went to the meeting. Met lots of good people and got a feel for things. It was a small group; not more than twenty, and a good number were first-time walk-ins like me. Most discusstion revolved around the planned Portland occupation on the sixth.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I'd rather ditch an ISO meeting to go to work.

[Olentzero]

So what got discussed about the occupation? I hear a lot about trying to coordinate nationwide attempts in different cities. What did you hear about that?

[redredred]

Been there, done that. Make up your own mind, but I would not recommend it. They treat their lower-level cadre, the ones who are not academicians; don't write books; or sit on the CC, like shit.