Early in my Telecoms career, there was occasionally lots of overtime. I worked in a dial-for-dial cutover crew turning up new 1AESS switches in the PSTN and there were times when you could pick up some extra money by working more.
Union rules required time and a half pay and even double time pay for starting a shift early, staying late, or working weekends. Like most systems of rules, there were ways to game it.
Apparently, one employee had worked out a long-term deal which gave him a steady extra income. He bragged about how much he was making to one of his coworkers. Another employee overheard him, and complained to the union.
The union intervened because the overtime wasn’t being offered according to Seniority rules. So the overtime stopped cold.
The First level supervisor in my group just shook his head and said “9 times out of 10 craft cause their own problems by opening their big mouth. When you’ve got a good thing going, shut up.”
Have you ever blown a sweetheart deal by talking about it?
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