Power Watches again.
Another topic suggestion from a reader. Again, the names have been removed to protect the, coworkers, we suppose. And also again, if this is you, and you want to take credit for the suggestion, we'll be happy to add your name. But we assume that people prefer anonymity to protect themselves.
Greetings...
How about talking about the10 hour shift petition being circulated by PCOI ****** on 2nd watch. She told me she stopped AV3 on the floor one day and asked him about the 10 hour shift posibilities and he claimed to have no knowledge of it at all....in the past and future. Personally I think he is lying...but that's just my opinion...!!!
Well, this is the same person who told the who city via the media that the 911 Center is "adequately staffed." Or whatever the exact words were, we'll update later.
GREAT blog by the way...don't let the negative comments get you down. You are doing a fantastic job.
And we thank you. We would've published your letter if you'd mentioned nothing about the job we're doing, but we appreciate the kind words. And negative comments getting us down? Not hardly. We're like Timex.
You understand that one if you're over 25.
posted by CPDDispatch @ 3:10 PM
52 Comments:
As a former power watch pco2, my only fear of it coming back.......is how they , the administration , will fill the positions! Will they follow our contract....post a notice to bid or just assign a bunch of cry baby ass kissers that compose the most tear jerking story in a to/from? Time will only tell.
To the great blogmaster: keep up the great work that gives us all an opportunity to comment, learn, vent and be amused.
All watches should be ALL Bidding. Management picks are bullshit. There has been the same few people on days for years as a management pick and you can't tell me it's not because of who they know or are related to and that it's all about hardship or need.
The power watches were always, and should always be, for "experienced
dispatchers' only. Plain and simple - a dispatcher who can move to any zone in the room , have knowledge of that zone and run the radio as if they were a "regular". If they bring back the power watches I hope they stick to the original theory that experienced dispatchers are the only ones eligible for that assignment -- ot make it 10 hours for everyone!!
I am on my watch as a management pick and I don't know anyone nor do I have a hardship or need. I come to work, I do my job and I go home at the end of the day. That is how management picks should be. I am glad that I was able to get the watch I wanted.
Agree that power watches should be for the experiences pros. There were some in some years who weren't, but there were many who were.
Back in my days there I was assigned everywhere as needed. It was definitely not a coincidence that I was never present on a zone when a PO was shot, but I was assigned as the follow-up (for the remainder of the regular tour) on 5 or 6 such shootings. Several others on my watch were used similarly.
As for the "management" thing, I think all "management" stuff should be supported by paper. I have no problem giving people a break if they or an immediate family member is sick, or if someone has a new baby at home, or if someone is in school or whatever.
But there were definitely a few (still my friends, but whatever) who had no such reason as far as anyone seemed to know. Maybe they did, but whatever. It should just be on paper, and temporary (like 1 year, or 2 at most).
This would cause havoc in the CPD if it were tried. Imagine having to have proper paper for all of the merit picks. Holy geezus would THAT be funny reading.
I'm an 8 hour person, no more, no less. 10hr shifts are not for me. I was hired on the this job as an 8 hr employee, who will rotate shifts and rdos as needed.
I do understand the plight of the 10hr person. I believe we should have a power watch, but not 10hrs across the board. I'm concerned mgt will not do it fairly by bid and time in title if that's the case. There will always be management picks, that's city wide.
For the power watches I don't think there should be. If someone is that ill (to/from), I'm positive their doctor is not telling them, go work a few more hours a day. BID BID BID, if you don't get it this year, maybe next. At the rate people are dropping out of here you should be up the food chain in no time.
10 hr days has alot of kinks to work out.
#1 Start this process after MK is out of here. (could be sooner than you know) If Mk sees you happy and your babysitter schedule is in place, she'll rip the rug out from under, like she did last time. Mk doesn't want the watch, so if it gets passed, I'm sure there will be no dodging the daggers on the ops floor.
There is also the issue of comp/furl/med pay/pers day... day for day??? or hour for hour?? have to come to a conclusion that is fair for everybody in the room 8 or 10hr. This rule should be in place before the shift is enacted upon.
Medical "abuse" discipline, are they going to be harder to those on powershift,, i.e. more rdos so you can get sick on your own time?? A higher occurrence of hooking up with " weekends" ? (both totally unfair)
Speaking of fair. Is our union going to sell us down the river again, tell everybody they took a survey?
As long as the current admistration is in place , there will be no 10 hour shift. There is NOTHING the union can do, its not something that can be neogiated. So stop wasting your time and energy dreaming about it. Find another issue this is dead and has been for a long long time
Medical time is allotted 8 hours per month, regardless of when its used. That is city wide, its across every civilian department, and is NOT a topic of bargaining.
The union did not "sell anyone down the river" w regard to THIS topic (perhaps that charge has more resonance for other topics). The contract allows for broad managment rights which include the right to set working hours, shifts, and allocate manpower. The union, nor anyone else, had zero control over this issue.
Please refer to both city rules handbook and the union contract before espousing bad information.
Finally, the primary problem at OEMC is not the union, management, or the sworn coppers still on the floor, its US. The PCOS who fail to stand together, recognize solidarity, and work in unison to force managment to accommodate us. But its always easier to blame someone else, or others, for one's own problems.
Jerry stood in a room at the police academy when we went to get a copy of our contract and told a whole room full of us that their was a survey done on all 3 watches regarding 10 hr days. He thought the whole building was for it.
And if you all remember correctly....the 10 hour shift had been agreed on and we were all set to go on it but it was the UNION who stopped it at the last minute.
The UNION (RANKIN)thought we didn't want it because the UNION (COOPER) didn't want it.
As much as I hate MK and what she has done to make us all miserable she had finally agreed to the 10 hour shift that RP (PCOII 1st watch) presented to her. RP did hours and hours of work on the 10 hour propoals and met with MK and management many times and finally got her convinved that WE would make it work....only to have the UNION (COOPER) throw a hissy fit and have it stopped at the last minute.
I never saw his survey. A lot of people never saw his survey. Did he fill them all out for us???
It's time to get rid of this clusterf%*k of a union that doesn't represent us ALL fairly.
As someone else pointed out..it's time we all stood together...POCI's and PCOII's....and fought for the same things.
WE TOGETHER have a very powerful voice.
WE TOGETHER are a great number of people to deal with.
WE TOGETHER are a great number of VOTES for the politicians.
WE MUST STAND TOGETHER AS ONE GROUP!
to 10:26 p.m
You didn't fill out a to-from along with your watch selection form as to why you needed that watch? You must be on 3rd then because if you are on days there's no way that happened.
That's bullshit that you think people with a baby or young children at home should automatically get days...total bullshit...Just because someone doesn't have kids doesn't make their reasons or lives any less important.
I've got the solution:
All those 'dracula' types that can only function well when it is dark outside get 1st watch.
All the young party animals , you know them , 21 - 35 year olds , I don't wanna grow up types. get 3rd watch.
And finally........
The over 50 group, all kids have grown up and left home, only have a pet at home to feed get the honor of waking up at the ungodly hour of 0330 - 0400 hrs and report to work for 2nd watch!
All in favor .........say AYE! ! !
This should be used in the pre-employment interview in place of the question .."Are you willing to work 24/7, any shift?"
to 409
I am a call taker on the "new" 4th watch. The to/from I filled out w/watch selection picks said that I had no hardship, but was a good employee with no disciplinary history. I don't think it is right for a "hardship" to be the only reason to get a management pick - if you can only work certain hours, you should find yourself a different line of work.
I agree! That's why i said what i said. When we started this job we were all told that we could be on any shift. That's why certain people that think they are entitled to a certain (i.e 2nd ) watch even though they don't have the senority to get it by bid are wrong. There should be a limit to the amount of time you can be on one watch as a management pick. Something like 2 years maximum. Then you have to work on another watch for at least a year.
I wasn't referring to the call takers anyway, you guys have 5 watches to choose from, not just 3.
back at you, 12:14
You apparently misread that post of 9:20. The "accommodation" that was referred to wasnt about any specific individual, myself included: it was in reference to the lack of cohesion among Pcos in general. The failure of pcos to stand together has made it much, much easier for management to succesfully employ a "divide and conquer" attitude on the ops floor. Overtime, OJT, "details", mid year shift movement, management picks, work assignments on zones and citywides, comp time....name an issue.....all of these have been corrupted by management in one form or another. Yet the pcos fail to stand together and DEMAND accountability from the management (or from the union for that matter) for abiding by the contract and/or previous past practices.
This post, and the one prior, is not about me, nor any one particular individual, but thanks for sharing your opinion of any of your co workers who may just have a real hardship you know nothing about which legitimately requires an "accommodation" (in the sense you apparently inferred).
And really, crack has been out of vogue since 1992, at least.
0158
hmmmmm I applied for job downtown, took test, passed test, interviewed, was hired. Refresh my memory. Who's ass did I kiss?
to 1021
I agree with you 100 percent. 0158 Must be management trying to troll. You see current management didn't make it without a phone call so they assume every one else had to have one.
The point is there should be no accomodation regardless of any "reason" or "hardship". When hired we all agreed we knew we could be on any shift. All positions on all watches should be by bid.
Here is your answer to hardships.
Federal Laws apply under hardship aka Family Leave Act/FMLA Adjustments to accommodate can be made for child care or other areas for flex hours, part time hours, leave time for Dr appt's., med. maternity leave, etc.
Is the law ever abused? Yes, sometimes it is. Often the requests are legit and approved, other times your in battle for your request do to it being denied. Then you have the none legit's who get approved without question.
Don't know how long you have been with the city but welcome to the organization that often runs without logic. Better get use to our inside-out, upside-down practices or you will be burnt out before your time. Requests are more often than not granted or denied by individuals who either, do not understand the law or disregard it all together, coupled with legit and non-legit mega requester's. Unfortunately this is really a mute subject also do to all the political games.
Management has successfully employed a "divide and conquor" strategy on the ops floor for many years. The tactic--also embodied by separation, dissolution, severance, split, sunder, disruption and subdue, overcome, crush, defeat, subjigation--is simple: pcos see one another as rivals, aggressors, foes, competition (not the friendly sport kind of rivalry which can actually push one to excel and do better. In general management points to your co workers and says THEY are the reason OEMC sucks so much. Its not a lack of leadership at the top, its not severe and critical short staffing, its not bad policy, its not bloated buracracy or too many bosses who hamper operations--its that awful workforce every administration inherits.
REAL TRUE examples by MGMT:
COMP TIME: cant have comp time, not cause we are short staffed, but cause all your coworkers are unreliable and go on the medical. These people just cant ever come to work. Blame them, not us. We just have to staff the place
DETAILS: so and so just got detailed off the floor. Oh yeah, if it werent for HER phone call, YOU wouldve gotten that spot. We KNOW you were a better fit, but you know, HE kissed a lot of butt. I know, NEXT TIME, it will be you, just watch out for so and so cuz he has clout. (now so and so is suspect, whether he has "clout" or not and the whole floor knows)
BAD TICKETS: dispathers who complain about a ticket, not to get anyone into trouble but to try to point something out, are out of line. Dispatchers are "not on the line w the callers and have no idea" Dispatcher just "dont get" whats its like to sit on the phone all the day so just ignore the dispatchers--they dont respect your jobs anyway You are just a calltaker to them. Yet when mgmt talks to dispatchers, the calltakers "just dont get it" cuz they dont sit over here. This goes along with....
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION: Dispathing is "hard", per managment. if you are a calltaker, you are treated w a paternilistic attitude and the idea that you are expendable and of lowest value on the OEMC food chain. The calltakers are not "worthy" of the same investment of resources as dispatchers. Heck, they arent even allowed to run plates and names for the ad desk!
ZONE/CW ASSIGNEMNTS: We have to put so and so on xxx zone cuz its lighter and easier and thats all she is capable of. No matter that the ones on the busy zones day in day out get their brains beat out for the same pay. Well what do you want us to do, fire her? She has to sit SOMEWHERE. Yet, per managment, no one is guaranteed a spot and everyone should sit anywhere anytime?
"MEDICAL ABUSE" 5 people on the watch are out of sick time and go sick no pay. Now cuz of THEM, EVERYONE on the watch will suffer. Hmm we dont know anything about FMLA or any mitigitating circumstances, but cuz of so and so now you are all caught up in the net here. Yeah, here is your Cr number and thanks to so and so...
FOOT PATROL/SMOKE BREAKS/CELL PHONES: so and so smokes so he leaves the zone for 15 minutes at a time. yeah its a bad habit isnt it? Oh yeah, i see so and so on her cell phone at the console again, but we know she has alot of issues at home so we pretend it doesnt happen. Yet there is so and so away from her console AGAIN, maybe she needs to be written up. Parity? hardly?
These are all examples of arbitrary enforcement of rules, disparity in the workplace, and attitude of managment from the top down which make pcos suspicious of one another, cry favoritism, and think that maybe if it werent for so and so, this place would be okay. Now alot of pcos are smart enough to see through these tactics, but apparently enough pcos think that but for those other employees and fail to think of how management plays its role in all of this.
Thats enough for one post
People are not ENTITLED to smoke breaks. Why should you get an extra break just because you have a filthy disgusting habit?
And seriously, I'm tired of hearing about people getting their butts kicked every day on certain zones because if you tried to move those people (C.R, M.L, S.P , just to name a few) they would have a freaking fit!
1251
It takes me less time to grab a smoke than it does most people to run to the washroom. No one has ever told you as a non smoker you couldn't get up, take a walk, grab some fresh air from outside.
Keep sitting for hours a time, don't get up I'm sure your veins love it. For that matter sit in that non circulated air stanky room.
Be real. Are you whining because you don't get to sit on zone 6, or 10, or the banter of the foot units on zone 4??
I love when i hear people justify their smoke breaks. Going to the bathroom is a necessity. Smoking is not. Furthermore, if it takes you less time to go smoke than to go to the bathroom, then you are the only one.
No one is justifying "smoke" breaks. Trust me ask any smoker if they could quit, they would have a long time ago. I personally know for a fact some smokers, like the talkers and walkers abuse and take advantage thier walk away time. Yes it pi$$e$ me off too and I'm a smoker.
Sometimes just going outside for fresh air wakes up the senses, the room is full of smelly, stale, thin air. When you go for a 5 min walk away, esp if you go outside and come back in, enter our floor and you are literally hit with a stench that almost smells like a rat decaying in a wall. Saves you from going blind later in life too getting your eyes away from the computer screen.
hey anyone know what happened to secondcity blog. No post in 3 days.
2nd city is back in action
Would love to see the feds carrying out boxes of files from the OEMC personnel department on the CBS, NBC, ABC,or FOX,news!
Just a matter of time ! ! ! !
I'm sure they will be ,
all that homeland security money flowing, all those bosses who don't do dick.
Smoker or nonsmoker, give these people breaks. You are not robots. Sometimes I feel like Barbaro answering these calls.
If these Sups had any good leadership skills and know you're short staffed, they need to look out for you.
It's you who need the small breaks to refresh yourself and have a little mental health break. You people are on the front lines and need to take care of yourselves. It's not worth a heart attack because people don't know how to staff properly.
Take the damn breaks and maybe these people will get the hint, althought I doubt it. Demand a better work environment.
and update to the site would be nice.
I hear that the supervisors are getting their promotion "rejection" letters....we should know something soon...
Is this blog over???????? anyone know if a new post will follow??
blog not over
Chicago Gets Homeland Security Grant
Tony Arnold
CHICAGO (2006-09-26) The City of Chicago has some new money to work with to beef up security. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded the Office of Emergency Management and Communications over $7 million in grants.
Andrew Velasquez is the executive director of Chicago's OEMC. He says he can't be too specific about how the money will be used for security reasons, but a lot of the money will go toward waterfront areas.
"The Chicago River winds through downtown and goes past some of the most, you know, iconic structures you'll find anywhere in the city and so with this money we're gonna take steps to make the Chicago River a safer waterway," he says.
Last year the OEMC didn't receive any money from Homeland Security.
The agency also gave over $3 million to the Illinois International Port District
From City Room public radio.
How about our personnel dept of oemc moving down to Washinton and Racine and we are not allowed to go there with out a phone appointment first due to the high security there!
What kind of crap is that!?!
Was there a threat to our personnel dept?!?! Appointment only??? Must they be reminded they work for us we don't work for them!
Henry C, Robert D, Marty D and Clarence T are who we are hearing...
PeeWee bumping "M" out
No word on where "M" is going but the door to the parking lot is always open
To me it's not the legit smokers that are the problem......it is the same people who tend to wander all shift long under the guise of taking a smoke break and talk to people at the top of their lungs right next to you....AND the ones who sleep all shift so they can work a double. Busy zone...slow zone....city wide or call taking....we are there to work not socialize or sleep....it is the same people day in and day out on all three shifts.....AND shame on the stupidvisors for letting it happen.
next thing you know is we will have to use the bathrooms in 012 and make an appointment b4 going down there
Topic off but have some questions.
Question on the police call takers are some of them limited or full duty? How did they get in? It was said that the position for police dispatch was eliminated after all were gone and most if not all should already be retired. Those were the arbitrator awards spoke of by others. Know call takers are not the higher pay as dispatch was prior but how did they get into OEMC and who do they report to in their police chain of command? Their police and have to have their own chain of command. Anyone know this itchy link break? These call positions can't be arbitrator awards, so what gives? Nothing personal P.O's, how did you get there in the first place, aka who sent you? It's just not adding up, More full duty inside and doing just phone calls. Maybe you can enlighten this dull mind and clear up the confusion.
Dispatchers and call takers non-police try not to get overly protective as CPD has a severe manpower shortage. Issue comes down to don't recall any bids for this job maybe I missed it. Was this a clout phone call, or are you all limited duty or 311 and sent via mgmt. or a mix of all of the above. As Full Duty could only be about bid or clout favor call. Hmmmmmmmmmmm........
My last reponse on this subject. This guy is one that sits there and stares at your sidearm all day and tries to guess if its a S&W or a Colt. And then wants to ask you all kinds of stupid questions about your gun. Can you say, Personell Concern?
4:23 PM
Don't know enough about your gun to amuse him, huh? Not surprised as you look for ways out of carrying it. No gun and your not a cop. Safe storage where? Unloaded in a lock box in your trunk or locker, or maybe at home your no longer the police, maybe you never really were. A real cop always has their gun on their side. Lock up and other no carry zones were because of lawsuits and this was your example. Point proven and to your final word, what a disgrace you are masquerading for the check as a cop. One cop to another your a no-back up uniform. Who do you think your kidding, you need a pay reduction. Comfort what a joke, no wonder other's are rightfully disgusted with your type!
There are no cpd at oec who are only calltakers, they all work in the compacity of dispatchers.
(Dispatchers can work both positions)
Under the impression police dispatchers were removed from the contract long ago, hence the old arbitration award went to the ones winning D-2 pay back in the 90's. It seems they would all be gone by now as they came from the old room at 35th St. If there are police dispatchers they should be D-1. How did they get in and are all full duty, limited or both? If dispatch was civilianized years ago and separated from CPD, why are there still police dispatchers at OEMC, especially if their full duty and with no police chain of command in OEMC or anywhere? Confused taxpayer wondering if this is more city mismanagement of taxpayers money and missing street manpower protection with problematic back logs of calls. Thought able body needed to be accounted for. CPD does not need the full duty inside at 35th street and throughout the dept doing paper work either. This was suppose to have been cleaned up in the early 90's.
Also known at the time as the old 11th street downtown headquarters.
Those coppers won their title for life, when the cpd was putting in civilian dispatchers. Oec didn't seperate immediately from cpd, not til late half of 97.
Confused taxpayer, another thing
you don't have a right to know what is done with your taxes anymore than we do, those of us who are taxpayers, who's taxes are taken away on our paychecks, to be used to pay our paychecks and taxed again. Bet you didn't know that only 2 percent of your taxes go to the Cpd paycheck, did you? 2 whole whopping points, so when you call and whine that the cpd didn't respond fast enough with their understaffed, over worked crew on the street, tell the mayor you want to pay more, like 4 percent of your taxes, maybe we can double the force.
Now if you're really concerned about what is happening to your money, who don't you research that 911 charge, on your phone bill that is suppose to go to the techinians of the system ( that includes myself and coworkers)who can't get a decent contract and will lose our health benefits in the next decade. You don't think it's much that buck something per PHONE LINE, and cyntx lines $5 bucks a pop ( business) and trunk lines at $10 bucks a hit ( picture the Sears tower) Where the f&ck is that money going to per month!?!?!
Excuse my spelling on the previous post, the thought of going to the building of doom just popped a migrane.
Those coppers won their title for life, when the cpd was putting in civilian dispatchers. Oec didn't seperate immediately from cpd, not til late half of 97.
Correction.
Under the old contract that would have been only for the original dispatchers affected and was reflected in their D-2 pay status which was then signed into agreement to eliminate D-2 pay. the lodge and city then signed off no more D-2. There is no Dispatcher title is the contract. If it's there a PO can correct me and cite the page. I prefer to be educated and would appreciate this correction. I can't find it anywhere.
Officers assigned to COS per their contract at OEMC can select steady watches annually. Now if they bid into the COS/OEMC then eventually leave, retirement, different position, etc. their spot is then opened and goes up city wide to other PO's as a bid spot, the same way they got it. The opening has to be announced city wide! The other's dispatch officers in COS/OEMC appear to be limited duty, either ordinary or IOD and are being or were detailed into OEMC. Now comes the question on ordinary from where?
Confused taxpayer, another thing
you don't have a right to know what is done with your taxes anymore than we do, those of us who are taxpayers, who's taxes are taken away on our paychecks, to be used to pay our paychecks and taxed again. Bet you didn't know that only 2 percent of your taxes go to the Cpd paycheck
Thank you for the informative post, but taxes are taxes regardless of who you are and regardless of what you pay. Remember the old saying, about only two things in life being for certain Taxes and death. Your right about where is the money going but that's like asking about the TIF and RAP development wide area in downtown Chicago between Canal, Dearborn, VanBuren and the fork in the River and the near West side. All the money that the developers can put on hold and compile just to develop. Is the register ringing up and the developments in that area not moving along. Yes, where does all the money go? Homeland Security grants, OEMC is a joke and their protecting the city their not even protecting themselves, yes, where does the money go? Yeah it's a raw deal, you pay a portion of your own salary through taxes coming out of your check and your required to live as a city employee in the same city that rapes you to boot, taxes baby! Just remember the tollways were paid for long ago, just like the Spanish American War the phone co. was still taxing you for. Does anyone else think it's time for putting the cities feet to the fire and acquiring new leadership across the board? Think it's still called accountability and that was my point all along.
I think when Hubbie comes home your all in troubllllllllllllle.
Who cares?!! Let him come home! Not going to make a difference, he's only one spoke on a bent wheel. The rim is bent. Until the rim is fixed ain't nothing more than a wobbley ride downhill.
>>>>>>>>.....Excuse my spelling on the previous post, the thought of going to the building of doom just popped a migrane.
LMAO!!!!!!! Yeah... you guys sound like we do heading to our job!! My next day off, I'm creating a new folder for dispatchers on our police memorial. Yep.
I would RATHER be a cop and have someone point a gun at me, run me down with a Hummer, stick pins in my eyes, etc. then to do what you do, because my current job had shed much light on that!!!!
Blog update please!!! Where is everyone?
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