Well, seeing as my goodbye from SG was a dismal failure (thank you lexxie), I guess I should post some blogs until it really IS time to say goodbye....
The past few weeks at work have been interesting. It started about 3 weeks ago, when my employers thought it prudent to send two co-workers and myself, with over $25,000 in equipment across the boarder into the US and claim all three of us, "were just supervising".
Clever, yes? Indeed it is ( a loop hole in the NAFTA agreement states that if you are entering the USA to "supervise" you do not need a work visa, as Supervising is not necessarily work), if it was only one person and they had proper documents. The catch was, there were three of us, our paperwork was incorrectly filled out and the amount of equipment just made the bridge trolls at the boarder a little supicious... our paperwork states that we were "installing", which is another word for "work"... BIG NO NO.
Apparently, due to the horrible condition of the American economy, we three Canadians, trying to cross the boarder and take jobs from good hard working Americans, can just not happen and I spent 5 hours in Customs and Immigrations getting questioned about my entire life (work history, parents and their occupations, etc, etc...), finger printing and photos. Not to mention a ridiculous amount of sitting silently waiting and hoping rubber gloves and vaseline were not brought in.
Now, thanks to them, I am now and forever will be, flagged in the Customs and Immigrations' system. Everytime I cross into the US, whether it be for work OR for vacation, they will drag me through the coals to make sure I'm not stealing jobs from Americans. Thank you work, thank you very much.
Then about 2 weeks ago, a shit storm wreaks it's havok through the company. High up in the lofty ivory towers of the execs, Investors and the Chairman of the Board fire the CEO and the SVP of Sales and send out a notice to the rest of the execs that if they don't like it, follow them out the door!
Seeing as shit always runs down hill and little old Murdock is at the very bottom, it took a week for the storm to hit me. This past Monday, myself and two other co-workers are informed we will be taking a mandatory 30% pay cut, "thank you, now bend over and take this elephant cock dry, please".
But, myself and one of the co-workers, knowing we are invalueable to the company as the two of us are literally the only two in the company who can do any and all field work and are solely responsible for all shipping and receiving, that if we were to walk, it would cripple the company.
So we promptly told them to, "go fist themselves". Which they then panicked and came back with, a 20% pay cut, work from home, any driving we have to do we will receive compensation for and any deployments we do, we shall "bank days" if the deployment lasts longer than 4 days. Hmmmm, okay. Doing the math I end up with same amount take home, now that I don't have to commute.
Plus, there is a cherry to all this. The mysterious people who I know only as The Investors, have given the company a deadline. 3 months, than it's lights out. Yay!
Anyone want a personal chef?
The past few weeks at work have been interesting. It started about 3 weeks ago, when my employers thought it prudent to send two co-workers and myself, with over $25,000 in equipment across the boarder into the US and claim all three of us, "were just supervising".
Clever, yes? Indeed it is ( a loop hole in the NAFTA agreement states that if you are entering the USA to "supervise" you do not need a work visa, as Supervising is not necessarily work), if it was only one person and they had proper documents. The catch was, there were three of us, our paperwork was incorrectly filled out and the amount of equipment just made the bridge trolls at the boarder a little supicious... our paperwork states that we were "installing", which is another word for "work"... BIG NO NO.
Apparently, due to the horrible condition of the American economy, we three Canadians, trying to cross the boarder and take jobs from good hard working Americans, can just not happen and I spent 5 hours in Customs and Immigrations getting questioned about my entire life (work history, parents and their occupations, etc, etc...), finger printing and photos. Not to mention a ridiculous amount of sitting silently waiting and hoping rubber gloves and vaseline were not brought in.
Now, thanks to them, I am now and forever will be, flagged in the Customs and Immigrations' system. Everytime I cross into the US, whether it be for work OR for vacation, they will drag me through the coals to make sure I'm not stealing jobs from Americans. Thank you work, thank you very much.
Then about 2 weeks ago, a shit storm wreaks it's havok through the company. High up in the lofty ivory towers of the execs, Investors and the Chairman of the Board fire the CEO and the SVP of Sales and send out a notice to the rest of the execs that if they don't like it, follow them out the door!
Seeing as shit always runs down hill and little old Murdock is at the very bottom, it took a week for the storm to hit me. This past Monday, myself and two other co-workers are informed we will be taking a mandatory 30% pay cut, "thank you, now bend over and take this elephant cock dry, please".
But, myself and one of the co-workers, knowing we are invalueable to the company as the two of us are literally the only two in the company who can do any and all field work and are solely responsible for all shipping and receiving, that if we were to walk, it would cripple the company.
So we promptly told them to, "go fist themselves". Which they then panicked and came back with, a 20% pay cut, work from home, any driving we have to do we will receive compensation for and any deployments we do, we shall "bank days" if the deployment lasts longer than 4 days. Hmmmm, okay. Doing the math I end up with same amount take home, now that I don't have to commute.
Plus, there is a cherry to all this. The mysterious people who I know only as The Investors, have given the company a deadline. 3 months, than it's lights out. Yay!
Anyone want a personal chef?
I had a problem with US Homeland Security, due to an ancient crime, that I hoped would disappear when I was pardoned. It didn't, so I was flagged when I crossed the border. After a year and a half, I was able to provide them with proof of my record (which seemed impossible because the pardon seals the record, even to me).
I've been told I 'shouldn't' have any problems in the future, but to carry the extra paper with me every time I ever try to cross again for the rest of my life, just in case an officer decides to give me a hard time.
I've always hated crossing the border, but that used to be based on paranoia that wasn't based on anything. Now there's something to base it on.
Sorry your employer is jerking you around. At least you don't have to commute all the time now.
also, youre welcome. HA!