''Greenhorn''
″ a person who is new too or inexperienced in a particular activity″
1984 A hot Summer night heading too work on 3rd, shift, I’m in my 12th year working at this plant, still, have hopes of becoming a Supervisor. Been married now 2 years no children, through marriage yet, I was working daytime the first year of our marriage, had too come too 3rd shift too make the most money, been on 2nd, for many years, back too daytime and now back too the ″Graveyard″ shift. I see how the company, bringing in more and more College students and placing them in managerial positions. I’m trying not to get discouraged but it’s pretty hard, having too work for an Intern who knows absolutely nothing about the process and nothing about ″getting work done through people″ so, I’m telling myself
″ listen carefully ″ too my own thoughts, I’m so, use too being in charge, over the Dyeline, area as the Leadman″
and now they have promoted someone from finishing as the Supervisor over the Dyeline, this is an area, where the Only Supervisor this area ever had, works daytime, only, and the 2nd shift and 3rd shift, Leadman, is in charge of the Dyeline of eight operators and one chemical man and a utility coordinator and now I have a direct Supervisor, the Finishing Supervisor has always been the one person, I went too when I had personnel issues, with an operator and now for the first time, the Dyeline has a Supervisor he’s a longtime employee who, was a Compactor Operator in Finishing , however it’s someone, I knew, and he has been here longer, I’m cool with that. See, as a
″Leadman, for many years, my primary responsibilities″
gave me the freedom too do things the way it’s productive and effective, This new Supervisor has no Dyeing experience, so he’ll rely heavily on me showing him the ropes we got along very well and he really wasn’t interested in knowing the Dyeline, he just jumped at the opportunity too be exempt he made no attempts too learn the shade approval nor did her learn about the machinery he eventually was moved back too an area he was more familiar with still remaining a Supervisor, his knowledge in Compactor machines was solid and now he’s right at home which is Finishing, the company, brought in another Supervisor who, was a College grad, who was recently laid off at ″J.P. Stevens Textiles in Virginia″ he had some knowledge of our operations except for Dyeing, his resume was strong, coming from ″North Carolina State University″, he and I hit it off pretty good, he was willing too listen and learn, he wasn’t really interested in Dyeing and Bleaching either, he just wanted a job, he was a fan of ACC Basketball so, yeah, we were cool from the beginning and then he was moved too Daytime after the daytime Supervisor over Dyeing retired. The company promoted one of their favorite and feared, ″Good Ole Boys″ from the knitting department, too Supervise the 3rd Shift Dyeline he was very outspoken in plant meetings, as a Knitter he knew the ends and outs of manufacturing, and Labor Laws and he impressed the right people, and in my opinion they felt they need this guy on their side, because of his aggressive his vocal ways of speaking facts and figures, he was sharp on Labor laws as he demonstrated many times in meetings and grievances, when he spoke, they listened. I always knew he would climb the ladder in management and I ,was fortunate too learn under him he caught on too protocols of the Dyeing , fast and the technical aspects of faulty Dyeing, he was truly a ″Wiz″ he helped me grow as well, taught me the importance of knowing what you are talking about when speaking on the Dyeing process and the Bleaching process. I knew the labor standpoint, but he taught me the Chemistry of Dye and Bleaching, and how too recognize what went wrong and how too correct it before irreversible damage is done, it would come too past, that Greg Petree″ my, mentor, when I was finally promoted too , Supervision, which I’m sure he orchestrated, now he is the Head Supervisor of all shifts, he was a stone redneck, a ″stone brilliant redneck″ he was, smart witted and he was also, wise enough too know, a leader, when he saw one, and that was me, he gave me everything, I needed too succeed in this business of management, he only ask, that I, give him something in return, by not making him, look, like he made a mistake, in grooming me, too manage a department full of all walks of life people, sometimes, his redneck, ways flourished, and we bumped heads, because, I’m stubborn, too and I’m also, a wannabe, Black Panther, and he was familiar with my uncle , the Leader of the Local Chapter, and racist antics and remarks, don’t fly with me, we Men you know my daddy, don’t play that, and you know I didn’t play that, we gone understand one another in that aspect, we treating people with dignity, no matter what, we label ourselves. After about a year, working under, Greg, it all happened upon coming too work one night, Greg, met me at the front door of the plant, as I came up the steps,he looking real serious, instructed me too ″
go too the Conference room, the Plant Manager wanted too talk too me″
I thought, I was in trouble, I walked in the Conference room, The Plant manager, smiled and said,
″I wanna know if you interested in coming too Management, we have moved Greg too Daytime, effective immediately and he recommended you too replace him″ ″
″my voice cracked and I said″
″yes very interested″
he said ″Welcome Aboard″ I’m truly excited, the next day, I met with the Human Resource Manager, a notice was placed throughout the Departments,
″Please join us, in welcoming, Chuck Frost too Supervision. we are pleased too have him join our Management Team, his past experience should serve him well″
I’m excited about Supervising the shift, I’ve been on and the people I’ve known many year’s , yes. I’m what they call
″Wet Behind The Ears″ a ″Greenhorn″ too Management, but not the operations and I’m thinking too myself,
″We Can Do This″
″Always told myself this, ″
Patience paid off, same as for the Vulture , I have demonstrated the patience of ″Job″and now my Debut, in this Exempt position, , came with a few hard, lessons, My Dad, told me, coming from the floor too Management, people gone
″Try You″
It comes along with, territory, of working side by side with people and becoming their Superior , nothing personal, some are happy for you, and most, know you have a job, too do, however, you not one of them anymore, many of them, nearing retirement, many of them, resent you because you enforcing Policy on them, employees encounter many situations where they have too challenge the Policy, and Rules, that need too be changed for whatever reason,....you, are committed too preserving guidelines and representing the Company, at all times, in all times, and if you not, you need too turn in your new pager, and Keys, go Job hunting, you most likely will not be returning too the floor, if things don’t pan out , after a broken pledge and agreement, ...″
″if you not engaging in pushing, Production, Polices, and reluctant subordinates″.
You not cut out for this type of work, I spent a great deal of my first year, attending workshops and Bob Nelson, Seminars, I was sharpening the Ax for the Trees, and I’ll admit it was the best, decision I could have made, didn’t cost me a dime, and the rewards, prepared me for just about anything. I would come in contact with, in terms of managing a department, of diverse people, who, many of them, knew Employment Laws, and been around a long time, many were in their, mid 50′s and 60′s, many have been too War and back, many did, tours and came back, many had 25 and 30 years of Service, because they bridged their employment prior too entering, the armed Services,...so, their years continued stacking up, while serving in the forces, rejoined the company upon release of duty, , and yes,
″set in their ways and habits″
and many felt the company has always bent certain rules, because of their Seniority which made my Job, just that much frustrating, and I’m up for the challenge,......
″The Boyz‴
From, my office, on the Dyeline, I, can hear steel buckets, being thrown around, and operator’s yelling at one another, ″STFU″...″F ’all that, you got my money″.......″Punkass″ ″Whinning Ass″....″Don’t talk about it, be about it, bring it on″.....″keep my name out your mouth″....″
″This job don’t mean that much to me, MF’
These remarks aint, nothing new, these Dude’s a trip, 24/7, ..can’t see, how their Wives, and sides, and GF’s deal with these, loose bolts, they give each other, hell 12 hours, but love each other, and have each other’s back, and they give each other, these nicknames, like, ″Diamond Dan″ ″Poot 9″ ″Saddle″ ″Hen Doctor″ ″Meathead″ ″Xman″ ″Baby Ray″ ″ Shag″ ″9 bellies″ ″Buddy Boy″ ″Stanky Dee″ ″Pinky″ ″Rough House″ ″Holly″ ″ Pretty Ricky″ ″Peas″ ″Jessie″ “Rock″ .″Scooter‴’Skully″ ″Red″ .″Bam″ ″Willie Boy″ ″Lobo″ ″Scrommer″ ″Pun″ ″Wes″ ″Jefhro″ ″Strang″ ″June″ ″Nut″ ″Tate″ .″Big Bird″
It’s always something going on, these guys have worked together many years, and many came from other departments, and linked up, on the Dyeline, many of these guy’s worked 2 jobs, and their nerves were, on edge from lack of sleep and, some have a dysfunctional home lives, and trying to uphold other obligations outside the home, and trying too slide in a nightlife on their, off days from both jobs, actually, burning the candle on both ends, a few had farms, too run, ...so, foolishness they had no time for, they came too work did, their jobs , some had 45 minute drives home, too places like, Galax, Sparta , Pinnacle, Clemons, Lewisville, East Bend, Martinsville Virginia, Mount Pilot, Walnut Cove, they had that
″if it don’t make dollars it don’t make sense″
..attitude, and mentality and a few were veterans who, played Army twice a month, on weekends, National Guards Armory, however, they made my Job, interesting and fun, always these were
″My Boyz″
....you talk about them, you talking about me,
″so, watch your Mouth″
From my Office, in the 80′s and 90′s, I could see, all 24 Dye Machines from this huge chicken wire window, the window was designed for shatter resistance, in case anything crashes into it, my office also, included a Control Panel for all Thies and Eco Soft Dyeing Machines, recently installed, it monitored each machines functions and the readouts and Templates and Graphs, were at my fingertips, I could easily see, each machine and I could easily determine, load and unload times and unattended machines, these features were, wroth it’s weight in Gold, very convenient and accessible, this panel, was the Truth and nothing but the Truth, I could visually, see, all cycle times, and extended and lapse programs minutes, the Control Panel, had all the lights , bells and whistles, , and the operators, had a panel at their work station as well. My most Treasured moments in this Job, was looking out my Office Window, at close too, quitting time and each operator is washing down the entire Dyeline and sometimes each other.....These the moments that makes it all worth the headaches they put me through at times.....it was a constant battle for the guys in the Dye an Finishing Departments, too stay dry, no matter how much protection, you wear, at some point you get very wet, soaked, as a matter of fact, and it was imperative, too take certain precautions during the winter months, otherwise, you will be, congested all the time. operators, get soaking wet when, they have too, catch ends, a term used too unloading and loading, also, climbing up top of machines, and working steady too remove tangles, with 200* steam all around you, for long periods of time....oh, yeah, these were, soldiers of Dyeing and Bleaching, they all are fully aware that this is an expensive operation, designed for lucrative company profits,in the marketplace, narrow margin for error faulty Dyeing and Bleaching, has some strong consequences and that will not be taken very lightly, or as a minor mistake, no, that’s a major big ass, and you must be dealt with.
