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The "SIGNAL SHOP GAZETTE" was originally intended for a small readership of about 70 employees working for the New York Transit Authority Subway System. We work at the 215th Street Signal Shop. We supply the entire subway system, approximately 800 track miles, with all the materials related to the operation of the signal system. We repair, rebuild or otherwise replace any piece of signal related equipment. Our Signal Shop has been visited by manufacturing executives, prospective vendors and members of upper management from many other railroads. They do not come to see our managers, they come to see how we consistently output high quality vital components with a rate of defects that has to be among the lowest in the world. Many of these vendors come with propositions to contract our production at dramatically reduced costs. As we all know, nothing makes an executive look better than to reduce the cost of doing business. I have no doubt in my mind, that as soon as the right amount of political grease is applied to the individual on our end who is empowered to make the deal..........THE DEAL WILL BE MADE!
Problem: They must first find a political stooge capable of explaining the inevitable subsequent increase in the accident rate, the death rate, time delays and the final question: What the hell happened to the cost savings???? The reason for this is really quite simple. We, the workers in the signal shop get paid for what we do, therefore, our labor is for sale. However, we also take pride in what we do, we realize that what we do has a direct impact on the safety of the riding public as well as our fellow workers, AND THAT IS NOT FOR SALE. That is the ultimate reason for the unparalleled quality of our workmanship. We don't make washing machines, if we make a mistake people can die. No matter which politician gets greased, it is the riding public that will pay.
Finally, there is
not one member of management who knows how to build a relay, how
would they judge the capability of a prospective vendor to do the
work. Nevertheless, our managers would rather pay a retiring
relay builder, with 15 to 25 years of related experience, an
hours overtime to clean the toilets rather than to train a new
worker to replace him. Our union failed to negotiate a payment
for training clause even though this was done in other areas of
far less complexity. Who the hell is watching the store?
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