turn and face the stranger

i told my workplace that i want to review their offer of a buyout

buyout?

mutually agreed upon separation

works out to around 11 months salary in the base scenario, plus whatever else i (or my union rep) negotiate into the package

why?

my workplace currently sucks. with little chance of redemption. vicious infighting and politics - and - i have one disciplinary action that has already been taken against me (under grievance) and they tried to toss another one on me today (also under grievance)

the various items that are under discussion are, in my opinion, trumped up. but that doesn't matter that much. i see a pattern, and it's a pattern i don't like. i work in a political workplace and this kind of maneuvering is de rigueur for politics. i'm on the wrong side of some people (some of our caucus) and they spend their time asking my boss about my work performance. and complaining if there is ever any tiny thing out of line with what they think is the way things should be done. or that they think is opening enough to poke me.

it's sort of like the greek gods - the worst thing a mere mortal could do is get the attention of the gods - whether they like you or not. in an environment where every day is maneuvering and jockeying for position - anyone who is under observation becomes a pawn in the game.

my boss has to respond. other staff who have made worse mistakes have not received warning letters or any such (i know because i am one of two shop stewards - and i am required to be notified of any disciplinary action in the workplace)

what's an example?

this last weekend i was requested to send out an opinion/editorial piece to the papers. the last time the biggest cheese (whose name was on it) had seen it was 2 weeks ago. the caucus and the big cheese had been making changes to all the other communications materials in the same package up until minutes before their release. that suggested to me that i should double check in case there was some nuance change that would come up in the piece that was unreviewed for two weeks

you see - our caucus can't make a decision to save their lives. they have been known to completely reverse themselves on an issue 3 times in a two hour period. it is a standing joke amongst our staff that if you don't like a decision, just wait fifteen minutes and it will change...

i tried to reach the big cheese. he was unavailable. i tried to reach my boss. he was unavailable. they were both gone from the office on friday.

i made a judgment call. i chose to wait until tuesday (it was a long weekend) to submit the op/ed. i called all the newspapers and the op/ed editors to alert them that a piece would be coming in - and how many words it was so they could block out space.

i waited until the big cheese or my boss was available so that i could confirm it was a go.

in my opinion the op/ed piece would not stale-date in 3 days

my opinion was, apparently, wrong

i got disciplined

since fall - since the election and losing government i have progressively had more and more of my communications duties taken away and have become the guy who plugs wires in - the computer guy. we got a director of communications who is - frankly - incompetent (ex-reporter - no political experience). hell - he left on a week's vacation during the last week of the legislative session. that'd be the day any of the other staff would be allowed to fuck off during session - i got shit one night because i tried to leave before 10:30pm... and i had kids waiting for me - yeah it was a special time - budget release - but my work was done

also - we have a bunch of temporary staff who are about to be laid off with the end of session. they were people who used to work with us until we lost the election and they were fired (political staff). they are like chickens in a coop - one chicken (me) has blood - they all peck at the injured one (including one dude who is the boss's "special friend" [boss is gay]. they don't advertise their relationship, because of the political environment, but i know lots - as i've mentioned before - my family goes multiple generations back - we are highly plugged in). the temporary staff are fighting for survival and advancement. you see - whoever survives the four years is extremely well placed for the gravy train and power positions if we win...

the office is a different place to work since we lost

it's beyond dysfunctional

you see - part of the jockeying is among the surviving politicians who are trying to escape personal blame for the loss of the election. also, the jockeying has begun for who is going to replace the big cheese.

it's a vicious place to be

----

anyway

i have a lifetime of experience, AND i get paid good money to anticipate outcomes. and this one won't work out well for me. as i said this morning - if i can't see how this will all play out, then i shouldn't be working here. my boss and the office administrator tried to say it wasn't a plan to turf me, but i called bullshit - even if there is no plan on their part, the anticipated outcome will be the same. i called a "cone of silence" - where we could speak freely and agree not to have that part of the conversation come up in the union/grievance proceedings. we agreed to disagree on parts of our respective viewpoints - but they could not argue strongly with my overall analysis - and the inevitability of my departure given the politics in play

i can get out with 11 months salary and other benefits. i can go back to school and finish a computer course in 2 semesters - about as long as i will have money for. i can get some software certifications over the summer and then go back to university in the fall for 2 semesters until april.

i have my evening teaching job at the tech college and a guy who runs a computer business i can do part-time work for.

i can get the two disciplinary pieces pulled out of my file and guarantee a good reference

there are reasons. i know shit. shit with repercussions. buried bodies and little secrets. agenda to turf me or not, it still works better for all if this happens quietly and smoothly.

so i'm reviewing the buyout offer

the plan works - a new set of certifications - the economy is booming - computer people are scarce...

----

"Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet"

"Just gonna have to be a different man"

"I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence"

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...