I feel so trapped

[Jagos]

... Please tell me you have something else in mind here...

[Aerozord]

In mind? Always, but this job was a last resort option to begin with. If I could get a job elsewhere I would have done so.

On the plus side I always prepare and have have about a years worth in savings if I go into full on financial survival mode, a good 6 months if I live how I have been. Longer with unemployment. So atleast there is no immediate danger and honestly I'm trying very hard to not think about what I am going to do when that money runs out.

[Jagos]

I'm gonna recommend looking into a worker co-op or something in your area at least. I know it's a last resort, but damn... You gotta stay on your feet at the very least and maybe a new direction can help.

[Aerozord]

Someone shared this article with me that sums up my main issue with my job. "The customer is always right" not only forces people like me to put up with alot of abuse but creates alot of resentment to both customers and management. I'm like, you dicks not only force ME to deal with this crap but then blame me because the unreasonable customer was still unhappy because the thing they wanted to buy DOESN'T EVEN EXIST!?

[Osterbaum]

I did stop putting up with their crap. I called my bosses out on them giving unrealistic work load, unclear direction, and having me pick up the slack of other people. Now I'm fired so... atleast I dont have to work now....

Getting involved with a Union in your area, even a mainstream one, might be a good idea! The point in mass organizations is that they can fight for all their members, both collectively and individually. Again, if there's an IWW in your area I'm positive you would receive their help to whatever extent they are able to provide. A mainstream union might be less interested in getting involved in the issues of a single worker, but even being a member of one of those would afford you some level of job security.

[Aerozord]

Originally Posted by Osterbaum

Getting involved with a Union in your area, even a mainstream one, might be a good idea! The point in mass organizations is that they can fight for all their members, both collectively and individually. Again, if there's an IWW in your area I'm positive you would receive their help to whatever extent they are able to provide. A mainstream union might be less interested in getting involved in the issues of a single worker, but even being a member of one of those would afford you some level of job security.

Unions are regulated on a state level so not sure if this is true everywhere, but thats not really how they work here. Different unions have different rules but most require you to get hired into the union. In many ways its one of those, you gotta know a guy, kind of situations.

[Osterbaum]

Which is one of the many reasons why so called "business unions" are bullshit. They, or rather their leadership, care more about maintaining their position than winning any real gains for their membership. That's why 9 times out of 10 I'd recomend a revolutionary union. Like the IWW!

I really wish I could be of more help to you. Hell, if I lived in those parts of the world I'd come down there and protest/picket/whatever with you. But as it happens we're separated by quite a distance.

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by Aerozord

I did stop putting up with their crap. I called my bosses out on them giving unrealistic work load, unclear direction, and having me pick up the slack of other people. Now I'm fired so... atleast I dont have to work now....

Sorry you lost your job Aero, it sucks that happened.

Hopefully getting out of there will free you up to find something that isn't as shitty.

How are you doing/feeling? all right? shitty?

What's your family's reaction like, are they getting on your case about it?

I hope you continue to feel like you can talk about these problems openly here in this thread.

So atleast there is no immediate danger and honestly I'm trying very hard to not think about what I am going to do when that money runs out.

That's good, and sometimes a thing like this can work out okay, in that the bad thing you're worrying about turns out to be not all that bad and can free you up to finally move on to something better.

Of course that can be pretty hard to do, especially when you've still got a looming anxiety point up ahead of you like what you mentioned about money. But it certainly can work out for the best.

Just, you know, focus on doing what you need to do to take care of yourself, and again - if you feel all right doing it - try to let out some of the anxieties here.

Originally Posted by Aerozord

Someone shared this article with me that sums up my main issue with my job. "The customer is always right" not only forces people like me to put up with alot of abuse but creates alot of resentment to both customers and management. I'm like, you dicks not only force ME to deal with this crap but then blame me because the unreasonable customer was still unhappy because the thing they wanted to buy DOESN'T EVEN EXIST!?

It's part of a general disconnect I think happens in a lot of low-level positions between responsibility and authority. Higher ups come up with some broad goal like "every customer has to be happy" or whatever, don't deal with the obvious limitations of that, then tell you it's your responsibility to make that happen even though you have none of the authority that would be required to actually make that happen.

Like you could probably make a lot of angry customers happy if you could just go ahead and give them whatever they wanted for free, but you generally can't actually do that.

So you end up getting in trouble if you don't make the customer happy and getting into trouble if you do the thing that would actually make them happy. It's an easy way for management to make themselves feel good and important at other people's expense.

It's also not a given, and a reason why every sucky job is not necessarily the same as every other sucky job; a manager with a bit more willingness to listen to you make a world of difference in your job being sucky vs outright soulcrushing.

[Jagos]

Originally Posted by Osterbaum

Getting involved with a Union in your area, even a mainstream one, might be a good idea! The point in mass organizations is that they can fight for all their members, both collectively and individually. Again, if there's an IWW in your area I'm positive you would receive their help to whatever extent they are able to provide. A mainstream union might be less interested in getting involved in the issues of a single worker, but even being a member of one of those would afford you some level of job security.

Oster, America has 7% union penetration and they're dying out. It's not the way to go in the US because we've already crushed them. If he's in a red state he's basically screwed 20 ways from Sunday. The key to a stronger job is going to be through a small business route such as a co-op or something of that nature. The last 50 years of propaganda against unions has basically destroyed that option due to their influence on FDR to be progressive.

The rich basically halted that with the Taft Hartley Act and the crushing of the Socialists and Communists. That's why the co-op movement is far better if we can get more people to seek out such alternatives for themselves. It can happen once we get something like the Marcora Law along with a Co-Op type setup to a business which allows democracy in a workplace.

[tacticslion]

So, I'mma just say, "Read Fifthfiend's Posts, 'cause he's, like smart and stuff (and always saying things before I can)." as well as just continuing to post only to note that you've still got my support (whatever that means, considering the distance and limited contact we have).

I'm praying for you, sir, and hope things turn around for the better.