Not the Right Shop

After I had been working for one shop for a number of years, I was laid off.  Another shop hired me and it was at this time that I was assigned a partner who was the real sharp electrician I spoke of previously.

 

One morning I was, as usual, running late.  I hurriedly parked my car and headed for the employee’s entrance and slipped in.  There was the boss and all his men.  As usual they were standing around listening to him – and they were also all staring at me.

 

The real problem was, it was the wrong boss, … the wrong men, … the wrong shop.  My car had mistakenly made its way to my previous employer.

 

I stopped dead in my tracks with my hand on the door knob and stared back at them.  I blurted out; “Oh! No!  I’m at the wrong shop.”

 

Immediately I turned and left and heard the whole bunch of them burst into laughter as I walked to my vehicle.

 

The new shop was run by a man  who was difficult to work for.  He had the practice of calling all the men in for conference and then choosing one employee to pick on.  He would tell him all the things he had done wrong in the last few months, in front of all the rest of the men.  Then he would dismiss us to go to our respective jobs.

 

After the first time I saw this happen, my partner said that the owner did this all the time.  He said that my time was coming.  I told him; “If he ever did that to me I’m going to walk right out.”

 

So of course my time did come.  As soon as he started on me I walked away, picked up my tools and headed for the door.  He quickly dismissed the other men and met me there.

 

He said; “I didn’t mean for you to quit.”

 

I replied: “If you can’t make a profit on my work, it is no use for me to work for you.”

 

He told me that they really needed me so I consented to remain, but I told him: “I’ll work for you but don’t ever do that to me again.”

 

My partner said to me: “Nobody has ever stood up to him before.”

 

Some people never learn.  On another day he started in on me again and I walked out.

 

I only saw him one more time.  He was advertising over the radio for help.  He came to my home and visited a little while, but didn’t have the guts to ask me to come work for him again.

 

I wondered if I would ever find the right shop.