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Union employees blast ‘incompetent’ managers
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by Pedro Oliveira Jr.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Several Wisconsin Union student workers are unsatisfied with working conditions at the Memorial Union and said the union has lost its “student voice,” according to a letter sent to the Offices of the Dean of Students Wednesday.
Thirty-three students signed a letter sent to Assistant Dean of Students Suzanne Jones saying the Union has shortcomings “with regard to the treatment of student workers, the Memorial Union building itself and management’s overall incompetent direction.”
According to a copy of the letter obtained by The Badger Herald, the signees include current and former student employees working at building services, Der Rathskeller, Hoofers, the dish room, kitchen and the Daily Scoop deli. Twenty-nine of the 33 signed names were listed as students on UW’s website.
In the letter, students accused the management — most notably Union Assistant Director for Facilities Paul Broadhead — of creating a “hostile, stressful and unfavorable student working environment.”
According to the letter, Broadhead has worked at the Union since the spring of 2007 and cut the building services budget, leading shifts to be understaffed.
The students said with only 11 student employees on staff for 42 four-hour shifts that used to be filled by 25 workers, several workers have been asked to complete tasks not originally in their job description, like shoveling sidewalks outside Memorial Union’s jurisdiction.
“We fear that the Memorial Union is going to lose the student voice that carried it into prominence and importance for many organizations and students on this campus,” the letter says. “Originally the Union was at the forefront of student unions across the nation; now, the centerpiece of the Wisconsin Union — the students — can’t even say they like it there.”
But Wisconsin Union President John Barnhardt, a UW senior, said Union staff makes every effort to ensure students “are in the know about Union Council.” He added employees should voice their concerns to their managers or one of the student committees, rather than going “going around to the dean of students’ office.”
“The Union is always pushing for students, and I know it’s tough to see that when you get a letter from students complaining about management, but the leadership staff at the Union is very student-focused,” Barnhardt said.
Barnhardt added Broadhead is “definitely different than the last assistant director,” but thinks he is “fair, a hard worker and wants to make sure all the work gets done.”
UW spokesperson John Lucas said he does not think ODOS is the appropriate entity to receive this letter or respond to its contents. He added Union management or Union Council would be in a better position to address Union issues.
Jake Witter, a senior at the Madison Area Technical College and one of the letter’s signees, told The Badger Herald he quit his job at Der Rathskeller after a December incident in which five UW students were arrested and charged with theft.
According to Witter, nearly 20 student employees also quit their jobs in protest of how the management handled the incident, particularly the way he said students were handcuffed and taken from the Union.
For Witter, the new management — including Assistant Director for Food Carl Korz and Der Rathskeller manager Jim Long — has “corporatized” the Union, and “Paul Broadhead is a huge part of that.”
Two other employees who wished to remain anonymous independently corroborated Witter’s story.
“They quit either in protest or because they were scared of what was going on there,” Witter said. “Either they didn’t want to be involved because they didn’t want to be disrespected that way, or they were just afraid for their well-being; nobody wants to be taken out in handcuffs like that.”
Witter was out of town when the incident happened and said he heard about it from several co-workers.
Broadhead and Marc Kennedy, Wisconsin Union communications director, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday evening.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 6:56am):
i'm glad someone is stepping up to voice their opinion. while it may be true that their is a "student voice" involved in the union, those students are not the ones that work these jobs. they do not interact with the managers in the same capacity that the student workers do, and therefore can not fully understand our point of view on the subject.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 8:38am):
The union staarted to sell out the student voice the first year they tried to pass the union resolution without even the backing of 50% of the WUD board.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 9:09am):
Well, if you don't want to be taken out in handcuffs, don't steal money from the till. I have no problem with thieves being cuffed. You don't earn respect with actions like those five displayed.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 9:15am):
I believe SSFC just passed the Union's budget for several million dollars. SSFC needs to get on the ball and revoke their awarded seg fees. This whole system is broken.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 10:38am):
MULO!
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 10:50am):
I believe the students that have signed this petition/letter are just whining uselessly because they are no longer allowed to steal beer and money from the Union. OH WOAH, you actually have to work when you're at work. Get over yourselves and work for a while! Lazy liberals.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 10:57am):
It's no longer the student's union, it belongs to WUD. Too bad.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 11:09am):
They should fight for a Union. This entire campus would definitely get behind them!
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 12:20pm):
I worked for the union delis for two years and i'm elated to hear that others are speaking up.
The union has long been padding the wages of incompetent management with the underpaid labor of students and community members. My favorite work day was always labor day, when all the labor at the union work double shifts with no bonus and the filthy managers get the day off.
Off the bosses!
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 12:38pm):
I can completely understand why the student workers went behind the Union Council's back because otherwise nothing probably ever would've gotten done. Maybe if something was actually accomplished concerning the student workers' voices via the council or WUD than they wouldn't have had to go above them.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 12:52pm):
My experience as a Union Caterer was the worst job of my life. Not only are the shifts unbelievably long and unpredictable, but the pay is disgustingly low, everyone is over-scheduled , and asking for time off is an uncomfortable struggle. Student caterers and their incompetent managers have also created a ridiculous social hierarchy which serves as an excellent backdrop for all of this employee manipulation. It is time to unionize the Union!
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 1:23pm):
HOW ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT THE MOST RIDICULOUS PLOY OF MANAGEMENT PUSHING A PEET'S COFFEE SHOP IN WITHOUT EVEN CONSIDERING STUDENT OPINION - SHAMELESS
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 1:32pm):
The Wisconsin Union is a horrible work environment. The managers switch your schedule at a whim, and threaten 'possible disciplinary action' if you can't make the shift. Every day, they show how little respect for us they have.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 1:37pm):
I would take this article a lot more seriously without the comments by Jake Witter. Seriously, dude? You're pissed because your friends got busted for stealing? We're not talking about swiping a sanwich here, we're talking about thousands of dollars...and those are just the ones who got caught. How many of the cadre of 20 people who quit were also in on it and just didn't get caught?
It would have been great for the letter to be published to see what kind of compliants we are talking about. Is someone just bitching because they actually have to work instead of studying or slacking? Give us the whole story!
Eric Hoyt (February 28, 2008 @ 2:12pm):
Remember when students passed an ASM ballot initiative to demand a living wage for all student workers on campus, and Wiley and WU refused to listen to the students. Not to mention ASM and Union Council hardly doing anything to fight for the initiative that students voted for. I agree, it's time to unionize the Union.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 2:13pm):
I'm so happy that this was brought to the attention of the campus community. I can speak from experience that the facts in this article are indeed true. I have been an employee at the union for a long time and I can honestly say that the direction of the has changed. The new facilities director is not liked by ANYONE. Partly because he does not understand the concept of a student led union. He is from the private sector where being a dictator is the norm. The Wisconsin union is in the public sector, therefore there needs to be input from all parties involved when things change, and in our case the students workers need to have more of voice when the director pushes for change. That cannot happen here however because the new director has told students himself that he does not like working with students.The last director was better because as a the director of facilities he focused his work more so on the larger issues of the union, and not whether students are taking too long of breaks. The larger issues that the union faces include things such as the large gaping hole in the Great Hall ceiling, the constant leaking roof, and our sub par communications with students
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 3:03pm):
Man, wait 'till these kids get into the real world... I am really sick of the whining about having to work while (suprise) at work.
Hearing that they won't be able to read and such while working... boo hoo! We've all worked hard jobs when going to school, and with their starting pay around $9-10, why are they complaining.
When you add in all the money they've stolen each day, it's more than the managers make, I'll bet!
Did you see the WSJ article today that outlined how much these five employees were stealing? Thousands!!! They also admitted (in the article) that this sort of stealing was wide-spread and cultural.
Is management somewhat to blame for allowing a culture of theft to occur? Maybe, but lets take some personal responsibility folks!
Those 20+ people that quit in protest, were likely just scared they were next to get busted (because they were probably thieving too).
If they weren't thieving, I'll be they feel pretty dumb quitting to protest their friends being fired for simply giving away a free cup of beer (as earlier articles mention).
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 3:22pm):
"I believe SSFC just passed the Union's budget for several million dollars. SSFC needs to get on the ball and revoke their awarded seg fees. This whole system is broken."
the union budget is non-allocable. this one is up to the chancellor.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 3:56pm):
I have worked in catering for a while and it is true that the pay is very low, promises are made to the workers of pay raises each semester, but for some who have been working there for over two years have not yet seen one. Expectations of good consumer service is expected, but how are you suppose to serve with a smile on your face when your not happy with the pay you recieve,and the way you are treated. Others are treated better than some, managers are known for their huge mood swings, one day super helpful, nice and kind, the next angry, treating you like you are the dumbs person ever. They need to get standards and stand by them. Working at the union should be a fun experience, not something that you dread doing. The pay is low, expectations high, and mangers sometimes unable to manage. Leave your problems at home and don't share them with those that work for you. Be professional and fair to each and every worker and maybe people will apply, stay around, and be happy to work there.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 5:27pm):
Student Workers Unite!
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 5:34pm):
I'm glad I never worked for the Union. In terms of pay and work atmosphere, I was always satisfied with University Housing. (This was back in the mid-1990s.) Those Union jobs always seemed underpaid even then. Too bad to hear things have gotten worse, because the Memorial Union is an important part of the UW campus. (They can blow up Union South as far as I'm concerned, but that's beside the point.)
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 6:57pm):
Paul Broadhead is a respectable man who works harder than anyone I know. He's been hired to hold people accountable, for once, and when people are held accountable, they don't always like the results.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 7:39pm):
If you work for the Union get ready to learn how to work like A dog.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 7:53pm):
in response to the comment on how people should actually work at the union and not steal beer.... speaking as a Non rathskeller worker, i am forced to work 10 hour shifts, in which i deal with certifiably crazy people, drunk students, over zealous managment, and then after i do my job to the best ability, i hear the "18 year old girl managers can not handle the union". hello. i have not been 18 for 3 years and i have been handling he union for 2 years you sexist jerk
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 9:54pm):
MULO - A UNION FOR THE UNION!
Students and LTEs have not had a recourse for grievances since WUD administrators shut down the Memorial Union Labor Organization (MULO). LTEs and Student workers have recently been fired for speaking about organizing - what do you think this "sting" was all about?
Organizing -- whether it is reforming MULO or something else -- will be an uphill battle. But it is the only way to reign in Union management.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 11:18pm):
I worked at the union for a long time and had a good experience most of it, but I can attest that towards the end there were uncomfortable management changes occurring. And policy was being implemented without the opinion of people who actually work on the ground and know what's going on. I don't know what exactly was in the petition, but I would bet most of it was valid and not "just whining uselessly because they are no longer allowed to steal beer and money from the union".
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 11:22pm):
As a student who's worked at the Union for 3 years in 3 different jobs, I've had to deal with quite a lot of policies and changes which take the job further away from the hands of students and more into the hands of managers. Despite these policies, I feel that this article was a bit unfair as none of the involved Union managers were given an opportunity to defend themselves. To say that the Union's entire management is taking the Union from students is dead wrong. There have been some positive changes - largely thanks to one of the managers mentioned in the letter. I realize that, at least where I work, most things have gone for the worst. Although I wouldn't say that management has become incompetent, it has generally become distanced from students.
I have no reason to believe that this letter will do anything but greaten the rift between students and management. Going behind the backs of the managers helps to feed the distrust in the students the same way that a tattler is never trusted in elementary school. Even if the employees didn't feel comfortable directly going to the managers, there are student managers or supervisors in every department who are there largely to act as a buffer between students and upper management. I personally know the managers mentioned in the letter and would suggest that if you really feel strongly about this matter, go and talk to them. Their doors are open and they're willing to answer questions. You'll find that they strongly believe in their student employees and after working with students wouldn't want to work in a private setting again - we help keep them young.
The arrested employees made a mistake - there's a big difference between occasionally sliding a pitcher across the bar and a loss of 14,000 dollars of sales. As I've worked for the Union for a long time, I have seen things change that make things more difficult for students and make it seem that we were losing control of what was supposed to be a student job. Without a doubt, the most difficult policies came around after the Rathskeller incident - not because the managers thought it a good opportunity to take away our rights, but because the police and other state and university institutions had had to become involved in an incident, removing the gray areas and any situation where upper management might have just turned their backs in the past.
I'm sick of my job and looking for a new one. Doesn't that seem to make more sense than to write a letter to the Dean of Students?
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 1:26am):
3:03-- they don't start at $9-10/hr... it's closer to $7.
There has not been any news of those students being charged of any crime, or any criminal proceedings, or any facts other than what administrators have claimed. There are some rumors that the students were fired for talking about organizing.
The changes in the relationship between managers and workers is not limited explicitly to students... student workers, LTEs, and classified staff are all being mistreated by Union management. LTE hiring still isn't in accordance with the campus LTE policy, and 171 activists are arbitrarily punished.
The BH did a great job with their expose earlier this year. But keep digging, there's so much under the surface to be found.
And Union workers-- ORGANIZE! Organize for student control of student jobs. Organize for better treatment and better pay. The campus is behind you.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 8:20am):
Have any of you worked at Union South? While the building might be ugly and old, it is a great place to work. Managers are friendly and actually work alongside students. Sure we can't read or do crosswords while on the job; welcome to the real world kids!
Also, they really work with our academic schedules. I have never felt that I can't ask for a day off. Is it really the "culture" of the Wisconsin or just the "culture" of Memorial Union??
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 1:10pm):
Everyone takes the Cap Times article at face value. The cash amounts listed as being "stolen" were determined by adding up the number of voids and no sales logged on five people's cash registers. To count ever cent that was voided as theft is absurd: when a wrong item is added and there is a long line, the fastest way to continue serving customers is to void and start over. There is a reason that the three people who didn't confess to anything weren't charged: the evidence the Union had against them wouldn't stand up in court and, furthermore, is not evidence whatsoever for an actual amount of stolen money. Get your facts straight people.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 2:28pm):
Hey 1:26am...
You need to get your facts straight, and read other publications. I love the Herald, but you have to diversify! The WJS and Cap times (not big fans of them in general) broke the story on Thursday morning. The five students who got fired also got charged for nearly $15,000 in theft of money from their cash registers. That's not a manager fed runmnor! That's a whole different ball game than just taking a pitcher or two. I think the five who got fired are the ones spreadin the rumors.
And to address the issues of harsh practices coming from management, if you read the WSJ article, the one student admitted that stealing money was a "culture" at the Union. How would you expect managers to react when a huge lot of peeps are ripping off their employer blind (and they even admitted it to police). I think I'd take the theives word in that case, and take some actions to prevent future thefts... ya think?
Seriously, people stop crying or trying to defend these people who stole money. Don't you see how stupid and spoiled you look? You wonder why people don't take us seriously anymore?
It doesn't matter how bad your job is, or how much you don't like it, that NEVER justifies breaking the law or or stealing large sums of money. Simply quit. Theft is theft, no matter how you want to rationalize it.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 3:44pm):
Mr. 1:10,
You tell us to get our facts straight, but it's you who are only providing half the facts. Do you think the cops really busted these guys just based on the voids? C'mon. And you said the other three people were not charged? I think they were... read again.
Consider this, the district attys don't charge crap unless the police got airtight cases. I've read they are super overworked and want solid cases or will simply drop the charges. I know a friend who got busted red-handed with a bunch of dope and they still dropped it to next to nothin. His atty said the da's will hardly prosecute solid cases, much less shaky ones.
Ya'll are living in a dream world trying to stick up for these guys. The dudes admitted to it! and one dude had the cash ON him! Then they even said that everyone else does it too... But I'm sure the charges are just trumped up... lol
This forum reads like a MySpace friends list of all the thieves. Choose better friends. Seriously. No matter how u slice it, these people stole. Keep tryin to explain it away, it just makes u look more ignorant.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 9:09pm):
The union workers are also paying segregated fees. A few years ago they lost the voting on the referendum, and curiously they came back with an âimprovedâ campaign to convince students on voting "yes" on the next one... a little while after they lost, a "super flood" took place in the games room/basement area, damaging the art storage room, which obviously became a main point in their second campaign...real convenient, isn't it?, well, I worked there during that time and I was one of the few who saw what they called "a dangerous mold strain", they shut down the games room and the adjacent areas...the lethal mold was about 6 feet long, 4 feet wide, yet they widespread panic into the student- workers community..in the second referendum they also offered "the living wage", ok, lots of students voted "yes" only because of that..guess what, after they won they curiously said that the living wage was going to be initially for LTE's, and that it was going to benefit the students "in a few months, in July(like 9 months after the referendum took place)"..great....well, systematically they got rid of the LTE's and when July came they said the living wage was NOT going throughâ¦that student workers would be making the great starting salary of $7.30/hour...and now the rathskeller people are not even allowed to take tips..sounds good...the union claims 5% is just too little, well, I do not agree, cause regardless of what the 5 people from the rathskeller did, there are more students with concerns and the fact that they went to the dean of students instead of going to the union council tells you something...even if you ask some classified union employees, they would agree on the fact that the "students concerns get buried by the union council over a nice meal"..at convenience, of course. I bet many students did not sign that letter because of fear, well, you guys pay THOUSANDS of dollars for tuition, thousands more in segregated fees over your student career...that's a lot of money, the union said today that 5% of the student workers is "insignificant", yesterday they said that those students should have come to the union council, that they were there to help. Regardless of what your point of view is on this matter, you students should ALWAYS say what you think to whoever you want to say it to at any time, you pay a lot of money for attending this university, stick to your rights, and I applaud the "insignificant 5% union student workers".
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 11:56am):
OK, so the Union employees are upset that they have to now comply with all these draconian rules and are made to feel like they are no longer trusted and valued, blah blah blah... Now, instead of acting like your completely egotistical (the world really doesn't revolve around you), try to consider the other viewpoint.
If you were the manager of a large restaurant/bar, and 5 of your employees are busted for stealing mega amounts of cash. When they are interviewed by the cops, they tell you that stealing is a "cultural" thing, and that almost everyone else does it, then wouldn't you think you'd enact some new controls to try to weed out the bad employees (how would you know which of your employees could trust?), and to prevent any more thefts?
I'd argue that if you didn't take drastic steps, then you'd be labelled as a horrible manager, who didn't react to a major theft problem. Now, to those employees who are upset at how they're being treated, who do you think should take the blame? Even if you think the employees aren't completly to blame, you must admit they share some of the responsibility for the working conditions there.
After all, if you are hard working and responsible, then you'll likely get treated as such. If you're a bunch of whining, sniveling, entitled crybabies who think the world is theirs and they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions, then how do you think they'll be treated at work?
From some of the posts here, I'd say most fall into the latter catagory.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 12:17pm):
The harsh working conditions at the MU and the fact that people stole are two different topics. Even if there were no problems with the Rath, the workers at MU would still be writing complaints. It's not a great place to work anymore, and nor is Paul Broadhead holding people accountable as said way above. The culture of this place sucks, all the space is going to the higher up management, bosses are not doing their jobs, and students are being put into positions that are intolerable. this isn't whining because if you really look at MU, it's still a shithole that has money going the wrong places, spending innefficiently, and management that cannot relate to students.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 12:52pm):
I wrote the get your facts straight bit. To the two responses, I repeat: get your facts straight. I worked at the Rath then, I still do today. Let's go down the line: One, I read all of the articles in all of the papers. I know how to cross-reference my facts and use journalistic sources properly. Two, what I was saying is that the 15,000 amount came from void and no sale totals between June and late October, the peak season. It is easy to understand how someone could do this. The three people charged with taking the most were all new employees that summer: they were inexperienced with our rather complicated registers and overwhelmed by massive crowds, so they messed up often and voided things to provide good customer service. Three, the culture of the union was tips under the table and occasional free pitchers for coworkers. You tell me to check all of my sources and then rely on one employee's testimony for all of your facts? That employee was the shortest tenured of all five of them. He didn't know the culture that well.
On to anonymous number two. I am not providing half the facts. I am providing the truth. I know exactly how they were busted: voids and no sales, from June to October, peak time as I said before. Second, why should I listen to you about legal matters at all? Your buddy got busted with "a bunch of dope", so I'm sure you're just as corrupt as the next person. Drop the holier than thou attitude for a second. I work at the Rath. We bust our balls out on the terrace over the summer. I'm not saying that in defense of stealing, I just want you to be clear that most of our old employees were, and many of the new ones are, good, descent people. They don't steal, but they don't deserve to be treated like cattle. As to Adam having a ten on him, consider this: we got tips in singles. That adds up, so we would change them out with larger bills, for example, a ten. I'm not saying that he necessarily did this, but he could have, and everyone changed tips out. It just isn't very good evidence, like the voids and no sales. Nobody stole that much money. Those five didn't. Anthony admitted to skimming, so I'm sure he was, but he wasn't taking that kind of money I guarantee you. Finally, don't tell me to choose better friends: your buddy is the drug dealer, remember. What really makes people look ignorant is spelling "you" as "u", so maybe u should proofread your documents there, bud. I should get my facts straight, no, as I said before, YOU should get your facts straight.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 1:43pm):
Well, as to my friends... I'm not whining how my buddy (who got busted with dope) was screwed or was unfairly treated.. He was a duffus who was doing stupid things and he didn't get half of what he deserved... And, I'm no longer friends with him (different matter).
As to the stealing money, two of the 5 admitted to stealing (and much more than $10 at a pop). $150 on a good night is not chump change. Thank U very much!
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 8:43pm):
If they were taking $150 bucks on a good night that is only 5 or 6 good nights a month from June to Dec to reach 5 grand. I would bet they took what they are accused of taking and more.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 10:07pm):
And... you are still missing my point, still illiterate...
Anonymous (March 3, 2008 @ 8:53am):
No, you're missing MY point. And, I'm still very literate, just trying to reduce webspace and time spent typing. Not lazy, just practical. It's an ONLINE forum. Abbreviations are acceptable. Get over yourself.
Anonymous (March 3, 2008 @ 10:55am):
Well, to the 8:43 post: tip money is included in that. I'd take home $100, straight tips, for a six or seven hour shift on a Friday or Saturday with a big musical act: Jazzfest, Rhythm and Booms, etc. There were the "good nights" in question, and they didn't come around every week. Second, you also are missing my point: the dollar amounts in the investigation were arrived at by adding up voids and no-sales. That is not indicative of theft. Two people confessed, that is indicative of theft. Three did not, but were accused based on things that they voided, times they messed up and had to hit one of the two buttons. This is simply not good evidence to base conviction of a crime, character defamation, and suspension from school - it just isn't.
Anonymous (March 3, 2008 @ 1:31pm):
I got three words of advice for the people involved...
"FIRST OFFENDER PROGRAM"
If they offer it to you, then you'd better take it. Seriously. I've heard a lot of "Oh, they just gave away a pitcher of beer"... Well, even if that's all they're guilty of, it's still a misdemeanor crime, which will stick with you FOREVER!
If you do FOP, then you have to admit to the crimes alledged (according to Mike Verveer), repay restitution, and maybe do community service. If you saty out of trouble, then you get the charges ex-sponged (ka-powed from your record).
Dang, considering the legal costs involved with fighting this all the way, even if you eventually get the charges dropped (not likely), you'll pay more in legal fees than in restitution. You may as well take the sure thing and go first offenders. I've heard you only get one chance at it. If you turn it down, then you're outta luck!
Anonymous (March 4, 2008 @ 5:27pm):
Who do we go to. Our campus dean won't even listen to us. I don't want some PR person telling us who to go to. Students need protection from these hostile and incompetent managers. I will go to who ever will be most effective person to affect change.
Anonymous (March 5, 2008 @ 7:08am):
5:27pm
WTF are you talking about? You are writing this like you're one of the "Rath 5"...
You need protection from hostile and incompetent managers???? Its more likely the "culture" of stealing and entitlement forced the union management to take real-world actions to deal with the problem. Those who perceive it as harsh are in for a surprise when they grow up... Was it a big change to prevent everyone from stealing and giving away the store? Of course!
I think it is more likely the union and the rest of society needs protection from people like YOU and the rest of the hoodlums that stole from the University! God help us if people like those whining in this forum are our future world leaders.
Anonymous (March 5, 2008 @ 7:45am):
What exactly do you want out of all of this? Not general ideas, but exactly what do you want to get from this. If you could make a list of all the changes you want to see, what would be on the list?
Anonymous (March 5, 2008 @ 2:56pm):
1. Fire Jim Long.
2. Organize Stiftskeller employees, students, and alumni, all of whom despise the no tipping policy, and bring it up as an issue with the Union directorate, with the Board of Regents.
3. Set the record straight on the issues of "culture" not as one of rampant theft, but the culture of any bar: tips, a few free drinks for off-duty employees and such. They think tips will go away? Put yourself behind the bar on Saturday at a wild concert with a beer line that stretches around the entire Rathskeller. You have hundreds and hundreds of drunk people shoving money in your face, telling you "just keep it, don't put it in the box." How much cash can these college students get forced upon them before they just start taking it? They're only human, and likely broke.
4. If the intentions of the new management are to make more money, which I believe they are, then affect changes which make the place run better, not worse: Turbotaps? Worse. Self-serve soup? Worse. Restructuring the serving line? Worse. I want to see management consulting the people who work Monday through Friday lunch rush, who are the face of the Rathskeller, and getting their input on changes. It is absurd for the physical restructuring of the Rathskeller to be in the hands of new, inexperienced managers.
5. Get the place staffed, get the staff trained. This is not being done, forcing early closures of the Rathskeller and improper portioning and preparing of food. Moreover, cashiers aren't trained: they don't know what comes with soda, what daily lunch specials are and such. As a result, customers are being over/undercharged quite often. There is currently no training system whatsoever in place, whereas there used to be one which was quite effective.
6. Make management realize that this is a chiefly student job. I am not saying management needs to cater to their employees, but that their employees deserve a certain degree of respect. Old management listened; new management is hostile to the concept.
If these aforementioned issues go unresolved, the Union is in big trouble this summer. They need 13 to 15 student supervisors to effectively run the terrace. There aren't that many now, and there will be at most half left come summer. Who is going to fill that void? The untrained staff? The obstinate management? Yes, the Rath is a UW cafeteria, like Red Oak, like Pops, like the Lakefront, but let's be realistic: in the summer it is the biggest bar in Madison. That comes with some baggage, namely, that you need a lot of people with a lot of experience to hold it together (tips don't hurt either). They are going to have none of it. We can't staff weekends whatsoever these days, and they think we can staff the whole terrace every weekend in the summer with short-tenured employees who have nothing invested in the place. It's a total pipe dream to think that the same high-turnover, low-training policies which can effectively run much smaller campus cafeterias will function at the Rathskeller, especially in the summer. You thought lines were long last year? Just wait. The Rath set profit records every year. 2008 might be their first recession in a while, and if management doesn't watch out, it will be a big one.
Anonymous (March 5, 2008 @ 8:51pm):
2:56
You do make some interesting points about the terrace.
I don't know who this jim dude is, but if he's the new manager, he's likely having a hard situation forced on him. Try putting yourselves in this new manager's shoes. You start and realize there's a bunch of theft going on, and yes, giving away free product is THEFT!
So, your job (as the new mngr) is to deal with a number of dishonest employees. At least 5 of them were dishonest enough to get arrested (and charged by the DA). Now, a couple of these 5 admit to taking large sums of cash, and also tell you there's a "culture" of stealing money from the till, that when people buy beer with "exact change", Rath staff simply consider that as a tip, and pocket the money. Also, these employees tell you that most everyone is giving away free beer to other employees and their friends... ALL THEFT!
What are you to do? Simply ignore the cops and bring those 5 dishonest employees into your office and try to talk to them? Tell them that this is wrong, let 'em back to work, and forget about the rest of what you've heard?
As a manager, you have to take measures. It's your responsibility. I would want to clean house! Those people that quit "in protest" were probably trying to beat the cops to the punch, thinking they were next to get arrested. This is not a normal way of thinking (for average honest folk). If you want to blame anyone for the new harsh rules, then blame those idiots that ruined it for everyone else (the rath 5).
It sounds like these 5 rath employees were somehow using the tip jars to "skim" from the till, which is defined (I think) as taking money from your register and taking steps to conceal it. I can see taking away the tips jars (since it appears they're illegal anyways) to prevent future skimming. I'd give up on this point. You have to pick your battles and this one doesn't seem like a winner.
So, as the manager, what actions are you going to take? I submit that with the overwhelming attitude of entitlement I've seen here in this forum, that simply talking to these 5 would have had little effect on the their stealing.
What I mean by entitlement is this feeling that simply because you have been wronged, some injustice brought upon you by the Union, you are overworked (debatable), or that you are underpaid, that you deserve the right to be able to steal from you employer. That attitude will get you NO WHERE in the real world.
You can rationalize the theft however you want... Just a few beers to ex employees, just to take tip money, blah blah, it is STILL THEFT!
Instead of taking a tone of entitlement and a "how dare he" attitude towards this new manager, how about trying to put yoruself in his shoes and work with him to build the rath back up, instead of trying to tear it apart... just to make a point.
Anything else will probably end badly for you, and change nothing.
Anonymous (March 6, 2008 @ 10:05am):
March 5 at 8:51:
Don't let the others issues distract you - student employees are greatly underpaid. Housing food starts students at one dollar more than Union food service.
The tips were to fill the gap, and it shouldn't be a surprise, nor something that seems unreasonable that they started skimming.
If they aren't getting paid enough and maybe one month are coming up short for rent and have a great night in which they got a lot of tips. Great, they realize that these tips can help quite a bit, and so now that they have a taste they want to continue getting more. Since they're technically having to break a rule to be able to pay the rent, it makes it seem less like it's a rule your breaking, more like it's justified. After a little while they discover that it's possible to get money from the till, and at this point they're looking forward to a spring break trip, so they do so. As long as they're able to keep getting away with it, why not?
I'm not defending the stealing - just trying to explain how it probably happened. These people were not blatantly breaking rules/laws, they were originally trying to compensate for their low pay. Although they let it go too far, they're not monsters.
So what's the obvious solution? Raise wages. Maybe give back tips - it wouldn't really matter much though if they had better pay. I'm sure that it's not that common in the Stifts to really make THAT much in tips in a night - if you get a raise then you're also making more money on the slowest days.
There are too many attacks on this forum - on management and on Stifts employees. One can see the reasoning in both directions, and should try to remember that both sides are just doing what they need to,
Anonymous (March 6, 2008 @ 10:37am):
Since when is stealing money from the till not breaking a law? Almost all the students that work at the Union start at the same low rate, so if your reasoning is correct you should see students in all of the units stealing money or things to make up for their low wages. I have left any job that I did not feel I was getting paid enough or thought I was not being treated fairly by the management, I have never thought I should steal things to make up for low wages or poor treatment. They can try to justify the stealing any way they want, but the bottom line is that they got caught taking something that did not belong to them and will have to deal with the consequences that result.
Anonymous (March 6, 2008 @ 5:32pm):
Amen to 10:37am!
Seriously, I've been reading these comments for a while, and it amazes me how a few reasonable people tell it like it is, but a number of very clueless (apparently Rath employees) are making comments on this board that make me worried for the future of the world.
The post that describes entitlement nailed it! These employees are talking about poor working conditions and low wages and who knows if it's true. It isn't really germaine to the topic of theft. NOTHING justifies stealing, not being down on your luck, behind on rent, getting paid a crappy wage, having to sit through another another horrible episode of "Lost"... Nothing!
If you are even close to thinking there's a "legitimate" rationalization for stealing, I'm here to tell you that you are warped (please seek professional help).
Those that stole might have started out small, and then moved onto bigger things (it always happens that way). It doesn't matter!!!
To listen to how some people's brains are working overtime to try to explain away and justify these 5 employees behavior astounds me. Seriously, it sounds like some of their "friends" are adament that they were not stealing money, that they were only giving away a few beers to friends...
Lets just review the news article that describes how nearly 15k in CASH was taken and how at least two of them admitted to stealing MONEY, described how it was done, and confessed that just about everyone was involved in this "culture" of theft! Now, it seems like these clowns are lying to their friends to save face! Seriously...
To the friends who are keeping this farce alive... do you really think the DA is going to charge these 5 based purely on bullsh*t evidence? Don't you think there's more to it? I bet your friends aren't really telling you the whole truth. Do you think your actions (blasting the Union publicly) is possibly hurting this great institution.
Why not work WITH your managers to make the Union better. Don't expect them to have a lot of trust right off, after all, there was a RATS nest of thieves (5 people + stealing all at once, it a HUGE percentage of the staff)
If it is later determined these five employees actually stole money, won't you all feel stupid for sticking up for them and trying to rationalize and trivialize their crimes? Thus hurting the Union's reputation...
I saw some news video where some 24 year verteran of the Union (supervisor) was sitting with a bunch of younger Union employees. This old guy was backing up the five students who got charged and he said they weren't stealing. He talked about how he quit in protest afterwards... Are a bunch of the other people here rallying around this old codger? lol. I don't think he's doing anyone any favors.
Like I said, lets see where the chips fall. In the meantime, I can't believe the remaining Union employees aren't sitting there with their mouths shut, trying to stay out the limelight.
In conclusion, I really want people to stop whining... after all, the only think I need from the Union rath staff is a cold beer.
I'll hapily pay for mine too!
Anonymous (March 7, 2008 @ 2:09pm):
Alright, time to go down the line again. You people should really just read what I say and we wouldn't have to keep getting into this...
8:51:
Jim is in a difficult situation because his new job is beyond his capacities, mentally and physically. He thought, remember, thought there were people stealing. He didn't know anything. What he knew was that in a two month period, people voided x amounts of dollars, people hit no sale so many times. None of this proves theft, it proves, as I've said before, that these five employees, three of whom (the three with the highest void totals) were new, that they messed up more than others and had to void more transactions to keep lines moving and provide good customer service. Secondly, Jim worked here as a student in the early '90's. He admittedly, in a recorded conversation I have heard, drank a few free beers after close when he was a student sup. Yes, giving away free product is theft, but hasn't a bartender ever "bought" you a drink? It's not Rath culture to hook up employees and occasionally friends, it's bar culture, just like tips.
Let's also set this straight once and for all: the 5 people in question have had preliminary hearings. NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH ANYTHING.
Anthony was the only one who admitted to doing anything, and he did so drunk. Yep, attack me for it: it was his birthday, he was drunk on the job. Again, bar culture, everywhere, I'm sorry. One person, him, admitted to taking small sums of cash, not large. No one else admitted anything. You know why? They weren't stealing, plain and simple.
You say as manager you can't "ignore the cops." Jim brought the cops in! He brought them in when he had unfounded "evidence" of major theft. He did want to clean house and he cleaned it. Played the game perfectly, manipulated people under him, undermined people's authority, and effectively cleaned most of the house. He did it in the most conniving, underhanded way possible, to the tune of forcing a fully qualified, long-tenured manager to leave while retaining the short-tenured, relatively inept night manager WHO RAN THE PLACE AT NIGHTS WHEN THIS SHIT WAS GOING ON. Everyone didn't quit because they were criminals, they quit because Jim is a two-faced prick and they didn't want to work for him. Get it?
The tip jar / theft issue, which I did read in the paper, is conjecture: unfounded and ridiculous. Why do you need a tip jar to steal? You don't, the idea is inane. I do pick my battles, this is one, and you know what? I got the alumni, the students, student employees, WUD committee reps, and SLAC on MY side. It's a battle that may take years, but it would be won. Again, that state law is a bribes law, meant for the Governor, for the State Senators not to accept bribes. Tips for bartenders is different, it's nuanced, and it could get overturned. Maybe if you did some research you would sound like less of a fool.
If I was the manager... Well, if I thought there were people stealing, I would call all of my employees to a meeting and tell them, you know what, I've got a suspicion that something isn't quite right. I'd tell them that I wasn't sure, but I had an idea certain people might be stealing, and to cut the bullshit right there. I would investigate the situation by, oh I don't know, actually going over and watching my employees work, not sitting at a computer saying "Dan voided five grand, I'll bet he stole it!" That's ridiculous. Since I'm still unclear on what exactly tipped Jim off i can't say what exactly his initial suspicion was, but I certainly would have handled things more respectfully.
The whole bit you have about entitlement and theft is totally wrong. That was not the mentality around here. Trust me.
Taking tip money isn't theft. Occasional free beer isn't theft. Bar culture, buddy. Or are you one of those sober stiffs?
On the last thing: Jim tore the Rath apart and is making no effort to rebuild it. Change is coming. Just wait.
Anonymous (March 7, 2008 @ 5:00pm):
2:09
You're uninformed... Let me set you straight.
"Let's also set this straight once and for all: the 5 people in question have had preliminary hearings. NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH ANYTHING."
Wrong, a preliminary hearing IS where you are charged. I suppose you missed that episode of Law and Order? I hope you and your friends aren't offering these 5 legal advice...
"Anthony was the only one who admitted to doing anything"
If you read the news article that outlines the criminal complaint, it says two people admitted to theft, AND they explained HOW it was done (by using voids and no sales). Then they admitted others were doing it as well. Since you've so elequently pointed out that all three where using no sales and voids, you should be able to see your argument's flaw.
"...and he did so drunk."
Getting drunk AFTER you get busted on your birthday, and forgetting you confessed, is an entirely different issue. Also, people lie about NOT doing stuff, they don't usually admit to crimes they haven't done. Alcohol would only make a confession more truthful. Though, I seriously doubt he was drunk. You might want to check your facts.
"If I was the manager... Well, if I thought there were people stealing, I would call all of my employees to a meeting and tell them, you know what, I've got a suspicion that something isn't quite right. I'd tell them that I wasn't sure, but I had an idea certain people might be stealing, and to cut the bullshit right there."
This would never work, because if people steal once and get away with it, there is ALWAYS the potential they will steal again. And, if you have a thief in your midst, how would you ever totally trust them? Getting rid of them is the ONLY answer, at least in the real world...
"The whole bit you have about entitlement and theft is totally wrong. That was not the mentality around here. Trust me. Taking tip money isn't theft. Occasional free beer isn't theft. Bar culture, buddy..."
Are you serious? Do you not see the contradiction in this statement? It wreeks of entitlement. I suppose you don't get it at all... If you were capable of applying logic to this situation, you wouldn't have written your last post to begin with.
I have the benefit of not being "directly" involved, so maybe I'm just looking at this without emotional barriers... such as WANTING to believe my friends are honest and decent people. This is a normal reaction, but it colors your good judgment. I'm sorry for interjecting in this debate, but from an outsider's viewpoint, it's very interesting. It's like an episode of Law and Order (ripped from teh headlines). Don't worry, I don't miss an episode, so I'm free to offer valid legal advice!
This whole situation is taking on a life of it's own. Very funny. You have a bunch of people who got busted for stealing (who probably should have kept their issues to themselves like most criminals would), but they decided to go public and get their friends and media involved (and probably told them a bunch of lies) to garner their sympathy.
Madison cops are pretty decent (I know many personally). They certainly aren't corrupt or incompetent. We have a pretty professional (very educated) police force here in town, so I doubt they'd do several months of investigation (according to the article) for a few kids who are just giving away a free beer or two (or three). They most likely wouldn't make 5 arrests, and get enough evidence to convince the DAs office to charge them too (just for a few beers).
Seriously, everyone needs to cool their jets and just wait for the legal system to work itself out. If what you say is true, then you're friends have nothing to worry about, right?
Anonymous (March 7, 2008 @ 6:01pm):
All 5 have been charged with Misd A theft. Statute 943.20(1)(b) if you want to get really picky. Just because it was a "culture" it does not make it not right or legal. There is a culture to speed on the Highway, but if you get pulled over you still get a ticket, you cant say its the culture to speed and everyone else does it so I should not be punished for getting caught.
I really hope the 5 who have been charged are not listening to "friends" like you and are talking to someone who really has their best interest in mind. If they listen to you they will probably really mess up the lives for a long time to come. They made a mistake and got caught, now is the time to come clean, deal with the consquences and move on. It may be the battle you want to fight, but they are the ones that will pay the cost.
Anonymous (March 8, 2008 @ 2:40pm):
So now watching Law and Order qualifies one's confidence in their legal knowledge? Sad state of affairs when people get their knowledge from a prime time drama instead of, oh I don't know, books? the State of Wisconsin website which lists statutes and such? Anyways...
Okay, they have been charged, but their trial date is still pending: trials, you know, are where the defendants and their lawyers plead their cases. This had not happened.
Only Anthony confessed. I have read every piece of press, both print and electronic, from trained journalists and blog writers. Find me one piece of evidence where someone else admits to theft. Adam had a marked ten on him. I explain how this scenario could have happened. what with changing out tips and all. That's not a confession though.
Voids and no sales still aren't evidence of theft. The mechanism was apparently more complex I have learned. We'll await the judge's opinion on that one after the trial.
There's no contradiction in my statement about entitlement. Do you drink alcohol? Do you go to bars? Go do some empirical research on bar culture and get back to me. You're misinformed. You learn jurisprudence from a TV show. Christ.
Anonymous (March 8, 2008 @ 9:29pm):
OK, like I said, lets just wait until this is settled in the courts. Most often, there is much more to a situation than is intitially thought. I'm sure the courts will get it all ironed out.
I'll be tuned into the news to see the outcome. One note, I've noticed that this isn't getting much mainstream press, but the BH seems to cover it. So stay tuned, eh?
Did you not sense the least bit of sarcasm to my Law and Order comment? This is NOT how I get my legal knowledge. That said, I am not really offering people legal advice, am I? It was a vaque slight on your lack of legal knowledge. But, I apologize. I should not throw stones.
I strongly suggest you let this rest until these 5 have their final day in court. You are arguing their case in these forums, but are not checking your facts. You are not doing them any justice. Please do some research. You say that only one of the 5 actually confessed. However, this is an excerpt from the Herald article on 2/29 "Police Charge Union Workers":
"According to the UW police complaint, when approached, Moore said, âYou got me; Iâm sick of trying to be deceptive; Iâll tell you want you want to hear.â ... Lisner denied taking $4,920 from the register, as reported in the complaint, but said he âwould take about $150 a night, on a good night.â "Moore stated that there was a general culture in the Stiftskeller that it was OK to scam money,â the complaint states. âMoore explained that the common practice is that if a customer uses exact change, you simply consider that as your tip and keep it.â
Well, this sounds like two confessions. And the guy with the $10 bill was the one who even specified $150/night... The other guy spelled out the "bar culture" you keep referring to.
I've been frequenting bars MUCH longer than you've been alive (I'm betting), and watching Law and Order (more sarcasm) for about as long. So, for you to lecture me about what's right and wrong, and what's bar culture, is somewhat silly. Especially since you haven't gotten many (if any) of your facts correct.
I'm not saying you're a bad person... You're just a friend who wants desperately to believe your friends are innocent. I hope for your sake that they are, but when come on these forums and spout off about their case (like you're their lawyer) and try to make excuses for them and ratioinalize their behavior, it makes you look silly.
Rationalization of criminal behavior is a 101 level course. You seem to have mastered the rationales, but don't realize that the 202 course explains that if you need to rationalize away a bahavior, it probably means you shouldn't be doing it.
Anonymous (March 9, 2008 @ 2:23pm):
Yup, I agree with the guy above. I hope you're not giving your friends legal advice or pushing them into a battle they might not fair well to fight. I know it's nice to rally around your friends, but circling the wagons when you have a clear path of escape, isn't very wise.
Anonymous (March 10, 2008 @ 2:20am):
You're really only focusing on about twenty percent of what I've been talking about, but, that's alright. I agree that the courts will get the situation figured out, I'm just saying that I know, from experience, a lot more than you do about this situation. My judgement is not being affected by personal interests in this matter: I have only spoken to one of the accused in person since the incident. I am not defending these people because they are close friends of mine, I am attempting to provide another look at this. The only coverage of this story was provided by two articles, in the State Journal and the Herald I believe, and they were pretty much carbon copies. Moreover, I sensed a widespread opinion that our entire staff was stealing and that's why they all quit. Wether you think that to be the case or not, I know it isn't, and I want to make sure other people do too. That being said, I believe the mention of 'taking $150 a night' is in reference to tips, but I'm not sure and, as you said, we'll wait for the verdict on that matter. That is not a defense, that is my understanding of the matter. I say it only to explain why I said there was only one confession. I am familiar with the article and the quotations therein.
As far as the rest goes, I'm glad for your long, happy life of going to bars and watching Law and Order, but I don't really think that it qualifies your sense of entitlement (since the phrase is being thrown around so liberally these days). I am not lecturing you about bar culture, I am saying that bartenders give good customers, acquaintances, and off-duty coworkers deals. You don't deny having ever been on the receiving end of this bargain, so I'll assume you have been, especially with all those years of experience under your belt.
What facts have I not gotten correct? As far as I'm concerned, we're as in the dark as one another as to how legitimate each side of the case is. Perhaps you have had more years to learn the law, but in terms of the Rathskeller, I was the man. I was there.
Character judgements and assumptions of motive, like bad sarcasm, are best left out of things like this. You don't know who I am, who my friends are, what my interest in this matter is, or, quite frankly, what kind of person I am. You're obviously not saying I'm a bad person, as that one statement would pretty much kill your credibility and, regardless of what I think of your sense of humor, do realize you have your head on pretty straight.
FInally, you can equate age to knowledge of right and wrong all you want, but there are good people and bad people in any kind of category you could think to draw up. I don't believe I was lecturing you on the differences between right and wrong, but that is a much longer and more interactive conversation than this forum allows. It looks like we'll just have to rely on our own morals to get by, and I believe I'll be alright. Again, sir, you don't know me and you don't know a whole lot about the situation at the Union. This aspect of it, as I said, is only a fraction of the matter. Quite frankly, it is the least of my worries since I can't do anything about the outcome. Fortunately it is in the hands of people who practice law and not the ones who wish they did. I am not rationalizing any criminal behavior and I really don't appreciate your insinuation that I am. There is more to this whole ordeal than you know about and all you can focus on is an issue which is a ways away from its conclusion. If you have thoughts on any of the other matters or concerns pertaining to the Union, I'd love to hear them, but this whole thing is not really worth talking about any more.
Anonymous (March 10, 2008 @ 2:29am):
what Lisner admitted to was taking $150 on a good night.....in tips. honest tips left by customers. ok.....not completely honest since they weren't allowed by the state (even though management specifically told their employees that unsolicited tips were allowed), but they were never dollars that were supposed to be going into the register. they were dollars left by the customer with the expectation that they would go into the employee's pocket. lisner admitted to taking tips, not stealing thousands of dollars.
Anonymous (March 10, 2008 @ 10:48am):
"You don't deny having ever been on the receiving end of this bargain, so I'll assume you have been, especially with all those years of experience under your belt."
Well actually, I've been a good customer of many good barteders at many good establishments. I've never had one (other than an actual owner) provide me free beer or food. I've always paid and tipped well. I get reciprocated by great service and friendly conversation. And, when I've had a bartender "buy" me a drink, they do just that (including paying for it).
Most bars have tight controls and strictly prohibit this bar culture you talk about. If you OWNED the bar, would you tolerate it? It is theft.
I agree age doesn't dictate wisdom. You seem very articulate and intellegent. My past posts were critical of the whining going on, and that was regretable. I'm not trying to bash anyone, but the sense of entitlement (at least to me) is evident by your assertion this bar culture is a viable excuse for these people's actions, AND by many comments by others defending these guys' actions. The mere fact that people are going public with this (and making it a spectacle) is very surprising to me.
I definately understood the article to read that the guy who pocketed the cash admitted to taking $150 a night (and not in tips). The context of the statement made this clear to me. I agree, lets see what the courts decide and see who had their facts straight. It will probably show we both were incorrect on a few fronts.
No need to keep hashing this out here. I simply hope the remaining union employees work to move past all this stuff and help the union grow and prosper. When I stop at the terrace for a beer this summer, I know I won't be able to leave a tip, but I'll offer a heartfelt thanks for the excellent service!
Anonymous (March 11, 2008 @ 10:06pm):
I signed the letter. I don't work in the Rath . . . and I can say that the majority of the signers were not Rath employees. They're the people taking out the trash, moving furniture . . . doing the things Union patrons take for granted.
Union pay was always low, and getting a raise means a tangle of administrative problems, and shifts can be 8-12 hours (especially since the extreme cuts in the number of employees working).
Even with these kinds of basic problems, working at the Union was still a good experience until Paul Broadhead was hired. Things haven't become "harder"since then, and this isn't about getting more 'study time' . . . instead it's about not being bullied by power hungry supervisors, or ordered to do jobs that aren't what we were hired for.
I go to work, and I do my job to the best of my ability. Since the new administration has caused so many changes, the moral is low. We're still doing our jobs, don't get me wrong . . . but there is so much less incentive to do them because we care about the Union. It's become a job that you do just to get it over with.
For anyone that worked before the last spring, you know how downhill our work environment has gone. It's time to make the Union a student place again, not an alumni/management resort.
Anonymous (March 11, 2008 @ 10:17pm):
GAHHHHHHH! PEOPLE! The letter sent was NOT ABOUT THE RATH ALONE!
I signed it, and seriously . . . the "thefts" in the Rath are not the main issue. The Union isn't just composed of a bar . . . there are students who cook food, move furniture, serve coffee, answer visitor questions, and deal with every other aspect of the Union. It's these employees who aren't being treated with respect, not the one's voiding/skimming from the cash register.
I signed it! And honestly, if I'd done anything close to stealing (or whatever they end up being accused of), I wouldn't have the balls to put my name on a complaint! There's doing something wrong, and then there are the students who are just trying to do their jobs.
And the administration is making it as difficult as possible.
What was so wrong with the Union last year? Can't we all just get along . . .
Anonymous (May 22, 2008 @ 3:54pm):
Those of you who never worked the Rath have know idea. Yeah, there was a "culture" of giving beer away, but no one in my 4 years there EVER stole straight from the till. (Well, except one jackass adult supe who was arrested anyway.) Getting free beer was the only reason most of us worked 20-80 hr. weeks. I can assure you it was not for the $7/hr. OR Scanner Dan/Chess Nazi/Tunnel Bob/etc.
Glad I got out while the gettin' was good!
Anonymous (June 5, 2008 @ 2:46pm):
Anthony Moore and Dan Ursin pled guilty to Misd. Theft today.
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