Labor Union Meeting

This past week I had the opportunity to sit in on a labor union meeting for the bakers. The following were all those who attended the  meeting.
- Assistant Directors (2)
- Union Representatives (4)
- Bakers (3)
- Unit Manager (1) she is responsible for the bakers

The room was tense. The meeting had been called to clear up some issues the bakers were experiencing. The bakers and the union representatives were there to represent the rights of the bakers. The Assistant Directors were there to find solutions to the problems. The unit manager was there because most of the issues came through lack of communication among other things with management.

From the baker's point of view I could totally understand their frustrations and their desire for a better system. But they needed to understand the unit manager - all managers - are working for them not against them. The managers are there not only to ensure the work gets done but also see that work is done as efficiently and smoothly as possible. The managers were doing the best they could to make a good flow of systems.

From the managers point of view, I could see how hard it would be to manage a team that did not get along. There was a lot of friction in the group of bakers. how can you be a team without teamwork? But regardless of the makeup of team, managers should quickly work to fix any issues or questions that arise. Some of the issues that arose were things that could have been resolved months sooner.

There were two key things I pulled from this meeting.
1) Communication
2) Teamwork

Communication is vital for a good system flow. The bakers need to develop a system where they log problems that arise and possible solutions to those problems. Managers should look at those logs weekly and hold weekly meetings as to how they will work to accomplish those changes. This is how problems should be solved, instead of telling the union rep and pulling in higher management.

Teamwork. All of campus dining is a team working together to provide quality service to the students. The managers and bakers are working together in this goal. There was a lack of "togetherness" that is definitely causing some problems.  Hiring  people that are compatible with others is crucial. If you don't have unity within an organization it starts to crumble.

It was very interesting to take part in this meeting!