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| PIC WORKER'S UNITE |
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| The restructuring that PIC inflicted on us has hurt all workers in various negative ways. Our wages have dropped significantly over the years more than 25% in some cases and overall job security is at an all time low. New workers have been hired at lower rates and are being phased in to bring down costs. Seniority issues have arose after all the changes took effect and many workers do not get 40 hrs a week. PLEASE READ.... A MESSAGE TO ALL WORKERS This is what AL Duffy states on The PIC GROUP website: The continued growth of The PIC Group is truly a success story. From expanding our range of Training & Consulting services, to establishing quality services such as Inspection and Quality Engineering, we have worked hard to ensure that we exceed our customers� expectations by offering a full range of quality solutions. This success is a direct result of the dedication of our employees, successful partnerships with our customers and our ability to �Make it Happen�. As we look toward the future, we are committed to ensuring that we develop products and services to meet the growing quality needs of our customers. We are branching out into new and innovative areas to meet the diverse needs of our customers. The Durham Contact Centre, a division of The PIC Group, was established in 2002 and has quickly become a leader in the area of customer relationship management. I am proud to be a part of a company that emphasizes quality services, quality customer relationships and quality employees. On behalf of The PIC Group, I look forward to continuing to help your organization reduce costs and improve productivity by offering complete solutions for your quality needs. Al Duffy President and Chief Operating Officer The PIC Group ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Al Duffy is right we are a dedicated bunch of employees and we are hard workers and we are a successful company. We have provided PIC with the credibility and quick response, and have pleased so many vendors with our abilities. We have done so well, that PIC now has the ability to branch out into new areas and explore new side businesses as well. Even those expansions are successful. The big question is then: Why are we being treated this way? Al Duffy loves to �make it happen�; he forced cuts on hardworking employees right before Christmas. He promised before no cuts and no changes! Sorry Al you can only cry wolf so many times! Management loves to come out with excuses as to why we aren�t doing so well, but always fail to look within their own departments. Instead they force cuts on the hardworking inspectors, who are the main reason this company is as successful as it is. Management has their own set of rules to govern there office and another set of substandard rules (which are kept in secret) on how to govern inspectors. Al Duffy talked about fairness and equality in his restructuring meeting, which is interesting. We should take an in-depth analysis of fairness; Let's talk about fairness! . |
- PIC is downsizing? Yet Durham Call Center, one of PIC�s new side businesses is doing extremely well, so well that they offer their PIC DCC employees full health care benefits after three months while PIC inspectors have to wait 3000 hrs! (which is almost 2 years) Is this fair? Especially when this expansion into a new business was created due to profit made from the sweat of our backs! But wait a second we are downsizing right? Office staff (management) has full benefits as well, are we not as equally deserving of these same benefits? We are the reason this company is a leader in this field yet we are treated with utter disrespect. - Project Managers, supervisors and other management did not take a cut in pay; they were in a pay freeze but still got bonuses according to their contracts. How come we don�t have a contract? Where is our security? Do only white collar jobs deserve contracts? Is this fair? - PIC was profitable according to Al Duffy during our first restructuring meeting. But they needed to be more profitable, and he stated we are losing ground to competitors. If we are profitable why are we facing cuts? Sure Al Duffy says that �we are not the only game in town� and that these other sort companies are underbidding us. Did he not also state that GM doesn�t pay their bills on time and that our competition has offered us back certain jobs because they cannot handle it? These other sort companies do not have the capital PIC has and will not last in the industry. We are one of the larger sort companies, with credibility, quick response, and Durham College behind us. All these other sort companies will not last. PIC makes millions yet Al Duffy seems to think we will lose our jobs because a company that runs out of someone�s basement will out compete PIC for contracts. If a competitor that runs out of someone�s basement can out compete PIC isn�t there a problem with our management? Can they not run a successful company? Is Al Duffy trying to say the only way they can make more profit is by dropping our wages? What happened to their expansion into the U.S.? How was that funded? What happened to Durham Call Center? How was that funded? What happened to our strong ties to our customers such as GM, Lear and all other vendors? Are we the Inspectors responsible for this? We are the bread and butter of this company yet overhead and mismanagement is killing us, is it fair that only we the Inspectors suffer? If we are still profitable, and are expanding to more areas in the U.S., How could you possibly say we are downsizing? Why are we facing cuts when you are expanding into new regions and businesses? Obviously, you have the money for expansion, what about the Inspectors? - Sometimes we are forced to work through our breaks, is that even fair to begin with? Yes we are paid for our breaks, but certain amount of breaks are mandatory if we work through our breaks does that not constitute overtime? Is it fair that an Inspector on the line gets no relief? Aren�t we entitled to not work through our breaks? Are we not entitled to go to the washroom even? Where are the relief workers for Inspectors who have to work on the line!!!! Is this fair? - What about our shoes? Do we not deserve a shoe/clothes allowance? So apparently, we are supposed to take these pay cuts and pay for our own work shoes? Especially for those at Gen Auto, who have to face all types of weather conditions. PIC has provided rain suits, that are ripped, torn, old and dirty, and workers have a choice to use those or buy their own from their own money. Rain and snow gear is supposed to be shared amongst the workers and is never clean nor in proper order. Is it fair that Gen Auto Inspectors have to shell out money for rain and snow gear? Why are we forced to use our own money to provide a service to customers, and then PIC in turn lowers our rates? Nearly all companies we do work for provide an allowance for shoes etc for their workers. What is wrong with us?, Do we not deserve the same? - GM and other unionized companies will not allow their workers to work in certain conditions. Why are we forced to? Do we not have rights as well? Must Gen Auto employees be forced to work in blizzards and rainstorms while other workers that are protected do not? Are we not human? - Also there are tons of occasions where PIC workers have worked in unsafe conditions. Is this fair? Where is our Joint Health and Safety Committee? Does this committee actually protect us? - Over the years many people have seen the nepotism and favoritism at PIC and it is rampant! Most of the people who are supervisors, and inspectors who get more hours are linked in one way or another to someone in management or are friends. What happened to our seniority? Why are call-ins or regulars not called first according to seniority? PIC calls whoever they can get and most of the time supervisors call whomever they know can be there right away. Is this fair for all those others that are out of work? For those that have seniority is it fair that a new worker is working before you get a chance to? You aren�t even offered a chance, isn�t that disrespectful after all the work you have put in for PIC? - Inspectors who have high seniority aren�t all working. Some inspectors with lower seniority got dedicated spots while others are out of work. Is this fair? On top of some dedicated inspectors aren�t even getting 40hrs a week. Is this fair? - Why aren�t we paid when we take sick days? Management gets paid for sick days and many other companies allot a certain amount of sick days. Are we not human? We inspect parts with such repetition and sometimes strain, if we are injured or need a rest or switch are we not entitled? Must we always be forced to go on workman�s compensation? Isn�t there a better solution for the company and inspectors? So I guess we take pay cuts, and have no job security, have to pay for our own shoes/clothes and if we are not dedicated we have to be available(on call) and be at the location within 15 minutes, and on top of that we don�t even get paid for sick days? Plus at times work in unsafe conditions! Is this a western version of a sweat shop? Why do we tolerate this treatment? Is this fair? - It is understandable that PIC employment rates vary according to the amount of work there is. Yet there is not one method as to who gets what job when it comes up. There are never proper postings, and everything is done in secret and �under the table�. We apparently do not need to know how things work in this company. Ever notice how none of our responsibilities are listed? Do you know why that is? Everything is done by word of mouth. This is so that everything can be changed at there whims and fancies, and it leaves us in disillusion!! None of us know exactly what our responsibilities are and management knows that they can take advantage of us! Look how much they have already. We do not have a complete solid list of guidelines and responsibilities. Is this fair? Can they keep demanding us to do things we are not supposed to be responsible for? Can they keep making decisions without informing workers of their processes? Why are there process always changing when there mood changes? There should be a strict and enforceable set of rules and hiring practices that apply to all. I have rarely seen job postings and when I do see them, supervisors who have no basis to be supervisors are hired or even lead hands for that matter. Ever notice how many jobs aren�t even posted within PIC? - Aren�t you tired of being treated like crap by management? Supervisors and lead hands disciplining you for no reason, or getting you to do more than what you are required to do. General mismanagement, disrespect and arbitrary decisions that affect us and yet we have no control. Wouldn�t you like some control of the process? Aren�t we entitled to a say on how we are treated? Just imagine if Management was treated the way we are, do you think they would tolerate it? Al Duffy has rarely treated us fairly and that is being kind. All actions by management are based on monetary situations and economics with no thought of human feelings or emotions. They do not truly care how you feel; you are a unit of production to them. The only time we are made to show our feelings is when it benefits them. We are treated as subhuman, and barely have any rights. They will promise you many things and try to appeal to your emotions but it is all false as you can see from PIC�s �track record�. |
| Many people were told when they were young that life is not fair. If you had the chance to make a more equitable solution possible and create a better place to work in would you take that chance? Would you take a stand?
So I urge you to take a stand, not only as an inspector but as a person, who sees the injustice of what has been done to us. Join Teamsters and let us have a united voice to be reckoned with. IT IS OUR CHANCE TO �MAKE IT HAPPEN� LETS MAKE THIS UNION A REALITY |
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