Each level of boxes on the pallet was five boxes. That meant after
four levels I had stacked 20 boxes on a pallet. And I used to do this
for an employer who had contracts with a client producing the For
Dummies series of books. The employer I worked for handled packing and
distribution offsets for their client at a lowered labor cost.
The employer got away with this by only paying half wages to its
employees who are differently able. There were all kinds of legal
rationale for them being able to do that, for one there place of work
was considered a 'sheltered' work environment. Another aspect was many
employees drew stipend from Social Security and could only earn so much
from 'work' or 'otherwise'.
Not being on the stipend and finding myself more often than not passed
over when there was 'work' contracts, made it difficult to stay employed
there. I took up with a temp service who got me a fill in spot for that
employers's client at their 'workplace', doing much the same work but
paid better even with the temp service taking a cut.
The temp service though let me out to hang for a week. During that week
my wife had applied me for an apple place, got a letter to go to an
interview. Looked at the HR secretary's signature and knew I had a job.
I had worked with the gal at another job, she would get me on.
Worked at the apple place for a while as 'seasonal' help. Must have
somehow integrated as full time, or simply as a favor from the plant
manager, got 'bumped' into the full timer slot. But I was still let go
during seasonal layoffs. "The season is done son, so are you. Finish out
this fortnight shift and then don't come in. Want us to call you back
next season?"
The job was okay but okay was all. Wife had decided to come back to her
home in WV. Told the HR man not to give me a call back, had other plans.
So, there I am. Always seems my creed is 'go, do, move to next, go, do'.
I was raised and trained to be a 'template' person. This means I plug
into whatever is needed done, fill the hole as best able. Often, I fare
better than those who are actually doing it. I get lost in the mechanics,
process and end up being dubbed 'a machine'. Yes, have outworked
machines at times. Other times in all fairness a machine has put
me down. No shame or glory either way, only is what it is.
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