CoolB*log

Ugh, It’s already June and the building where I work still has the heat on. In most of the building the temperature is between 80 and 85 degrees, and humid as well, not fun working conditions. Luckily I can open some windows but there’s no cross-breeze so it only helps slightly.

We complained to our boss about it but he said he wasn’t going to talk to the people who handle the heating and cooling because it might “Make them mad.” So apparently, it’s ok that we’re irritated and working in abysmal conditions as long as the heating and cooling people not upset.

Well, I’m a little upset. Last Thursday night the place I work was closed due to the weather and I was told that people who called in sick and said they couldn’t make it due to the weather wouldn’t be charged a sick day. Now I could have made it but I had was getting over a bug or something and figured since it was a free day I’d stay home and recuperate some more.

Well, last night my boss comes around and says one of the people in charge decided not to give our shift a snow day after all. Our union is filing a group grievance on the issue and if we win we’ll get an extra vacation day, but the fact that we were told one thing and then they changed their mind is what really gets me.

Last night at work they had a potluck at lunch, it was pretty good, although I ate and left instead of staying the whole time. Since it was in the building I normally I have lunch in after I ate I went and hung out with the people I normally have lunch with. I know it’s sort of anti-social but I’d rather spend my lunch time with people I know and like instead of with people I’ll most likely only see once or twice a year at these potlucks.

At our mini-party we talked a bit then played three games of euchre, definitely more fun than talking with people I not really know (and some of the ones I knew I don;t care for so..)

Had a bit of a scare last night at work. When I got back to my building after lunch there was a skunk near the door I usually go in having himself (or herself, not sure, didn’t feel like checking) a little buffet in the trash bags. Needless to say I went in a different door.

Last night at work the building was hit, didn’t help someone wasn’t there either, luckily the other person did show or I woulda been beat, not to mention having to wait until the boss came to get me one of their sets of keys since my main key broke in a lock the other day and I still don;t have a replacement.

I know I haven’t updated in ages but I haven’t had much to say until now. Yesterday at work we were short two people, normally we’d just have to push in chairs in their area, but I guess they’re having an open house on campus today so we had to wipe down tables as well. Also my supervisor came by and took everyone’s set of keys that we take home, which includes our key to ge into our building, so I’m not sure how I’ll get in my building Sunday night.

On a good note though my dad took me out to Outback tonight since mom went to a conference with some ladies from our church. Thanks dad.

I think all this week we’ve had at least one person missing each day at work, so everyone has had to do lots of extra work. The worst was Thursday night/Friday morning when one person started a 2 week vacation AND we lost the person who was cleaning the bathrooms last week. Our supervisor said he was going to send someone to do them since it’s an all night job, at lunch time though we still hadn’t seen our supervisor. Right after lunch though he came by and told us we had to do the bathrooms ourselves. It wasn’t too bad since everyone helped, but I hope he sends someone over tonight to do them.

On a good note however my probation at work was over Friday so I now have full union privileges and can use sick time without worrying about getting fired.

Well, I got put back in the library last night, however, the lady who I switched with is also still there so I’m not sure how things are going to go, she might also be in the building temporarily. All I know for sure is I’m back where I belong.

I will admit though that there were two good things about this whole situation; 1. I finally got trained to clean bathrooms (although I hope I never need to use that knowledge again) and 2. I realize even more than I did before just how great my building is (I loooove carpeted floors and air-conditioning).

Well there’s some confusion at work right now, my supervisor came to my building last night just before first break and was going to pull the other new guy to another building because there was “supposedly” someone at the library who didn’t belong there, but he didn’t bring any paperwork with him and ended up moving me instead to what is considered by most people to be the worst building on campus. On top of that I had to clean bathrooms, which I hadn’t even been trained to do until that night. Also since they switched me with another person and I had to do what she’d been doing I’m assuming she had to finish my job, lucky for her by the time she got there she had less than one floor of trash to pull, while I got stuck doing 5 floors of bathrooms (I only did 4 though, the first floor they used to train me) and had to clean about 18 drinking fountains. Not to mention that unlike the library this building isn’t carpeted or air-conditioned. The only good thing was that I at least knew one of the people at the other building even though I didn’t really see him much since when I got there the bathrooms were behind schedule and had to work until the end of the day almost. So in case you haven’t guessed by now I was rather upset last night. I did some research though to make sure that the library was where I was supposed to be and they didn’t just place me in the wrong building, which would have stunk since then I would have been stuck doing bathrooms at the other building, but luckily for me, it says in my file that I’m supposed to be in the library. I’m hoping to be back in the library tonight, but since I’m on probation still I might have to wait a little while longer, but I’m definitely getting back in.

Well, what I had heard the other day about everyone in the building I work at getting written up was thankfully only a rumor. One good thing did come from it though, I learned to make sure that light bulbs aren’t sticking up out of the box anymore.

We’re also going to start documenting everytime we ask our supervisor for something, especially since we told him we needed a bunch of supplies last night and he said he’d be by in 2 hours or so to have one of us go with him to get the supplies from the main building and he never showed up.

I’m going to be spending the weekend with my best friend, gonna do some swimming, play a little XBox, most likely going to go see a movie as well, I’m not 100% sure yet but I think we might watch Men in Black at his house tonight and then go see Men in Black II tomorrow at the theatre which should be fun since I’ve never seen either one.

I know I haven’t posted in a while, but haven’t really had anything new to add, until now. According to what I’ve heard, all the custodians in my building are getting warnings put in their files for something that isn’t their fault. Management did a walk-through of the custodial closets and found boxes with old bulbs sticking out of the top of the boxes as well as not being labeled.

First of all, everyone should not be written up for this, only the person who does lights (which is me, but I’ll get to that in a minute). They have their own jobs to take care of, not theirs and someone else’s.

Second, while this does fall under my job and is technically my fault, I was never trained and wasn’t aware that the light bulbs weren’t supposed to be sticking out of the box. As for the boxes not being labeled with a hazardous waste sticker, I did know about that, but our supervisor never brought the stickers when I ran out and asked for them, I did eventually get them, but they should have been brought when I asked for them, or at the latest the next night.

Unfortunately, since I’m still on probation I’m not sure if there’s much I can do about the warning, although the midnight staff only heard about it from one of the day custodians and this walk-through happened a week or two ago, so if they did put a warning in our file the other custodians should be able to win their grievance’s about this since management is supposed to tell us when they do that.

Speaking of my supervisor, I called him today right after lunch because we needed a door open so I could get the trash out (the custodian who has the only key to that room was out today) and also told him we needed some supplies, he never showed up so I had to wait for one of the library staff to open the door when he came in. Also, my supervisor still hasn’t gotten me my own set of keys for the doors in the building, thankfully I have a set to get into the building but since I do trash I really do need my own set of keys for inside the building because it’s getting rather old for myself and the person who’s keys I borrow every night so I can do my job.

And on top of all this, we had to wait 30 minutes after punching out to get our paycheck which really stinks since that’s 30 minutes of our personal time that we have to waste every payday at work without getting paid because they can’t have our checks ready when we punch out.

Sorry to rant so long, but I had to get this off my chest, and needed to make up for lost posting time.

Well I didn’t have to go to work last night since I had to go to orientation this morning, although I do have to go to work tonight. Orientation wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be though thankfully. I signed up for most of my mandatory benefits and took home packets on the benefits I have choices in to look over. I also lucked out since it was raining they cancelled the walking tour of the campus so I’ll be getting paid for 8 hours even though orientation only lasted 6.

Luckily I knew a couple people already who were there and met someone who’ll be working in the same building I do, although they don’t come in until 30 minutes after I go home.

I had a good day at work before the long weekend, got all the trash pulled by lunch, swept the stairs and changed a bunch of lights. I used up the last of the lights tho, so have to wait til we get more in before I can change more.

At lunch I didn’t go to play euchre since none of the other people who play at lunch were going to be able to make it, but one of the people in my building bought donuts for everyone so that was cool. I had a jelly filled and a fritter.

I also found out that I have orientation Monday, June 3rd, from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm. Luckily I don’t have to go to work the night before, but will have to go to work that night.

I got keys to my building yesterday, well, the keys to get in the building, my lock box and the custodial closets anyway, I still don’t have my own keys to all the doors in the building.. But at least I don’t have to wait outside the front door for 10 - 15 minutes waiting for someone to let me in.

Yup, you read right, I found out yesterday that the University I was working at as a temporary custodian has hired me full-time. The best part is I’m in the library, which is the building I wanted. Nice people, good building, and close to where my friend works so can walk there for lunch.

I have to wait 90 days before I get insurance and 120 days before I get full union benefits, but I should get paid for Memorial Day. Woohoo! Three day weekend!

I got my first paycheck today from work. It was only for one week, but still better than nothing at all.

Well, I have new responsibilities at my job now. Along with pulling all the trash and recycling I also have to change lights and take care of the stairwell, starting with scrubbing 4 floors of grout (bleh). But after I finish that I just have to keep them up, although finishing may take me a few days. Also my supervisor asked me if I knew what each of the chemicals was used for and my friend who I ride into work with said that that may mean they’re thinking about hiring me as a permanent employee, woohoo!!!!!!