Dealing with messy alternate shift?

[GazKL440]

Ok... so recently our shift manager fired our offsider, and it has been 2 months now and i cannot see a replacement coming soon, if at all. This has made life more difficult of course, running a 40" without an assistant is a big big job, and its not until they are gone that you realise how much you need the help with all the little shit that takes up your time.

Since i have spent a few years running these things without help, i have adjusted well to no help, but production has suffered. I simply will not hand load a stack and leave the press running, thats a recipe for disaster!!

My main issue with this situation, is that the opposite shift tends to make a fair bit of mess, with ink runs and handprints and other assorted rubbish, and never cleans up the mess, stating that "thats the offsiders job and we dont have one so its just bad luck". What this means to me however, is that i have to waste time cleaning up his mess all the time, and it irritates the hell out of me. Just once i left it how he had left (ie did not clean up his mess) and he sent me angry text messages. I responded in kind, but i DO NOT want this to get out of hand.

So does anyone have any suggestions as to how i resolve this? Diplomatic or other??

 

[turbotom1052]

sounds like the classic night shift vs. day shift struggle. ive been on both ends of this battle and i can say with certainty that if there is any way to avoid this confrontation youd be wise to steer clear of it. the worst part about all this if your on the night shift, is that the day shift usually has the ear of management all day long while your laying in your bed sleeping. Not being there to defend yourself usually has management drawing conclusions that your not there to set straight. by the time you report to work all parties have allready formed their conclusions and have judged you and pronounced sentence. there is however the solace that comes from the knowing that in most instances the night shift outproduces the day shift by at least 10 to 15 percent.

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

This happens sadly in many print shops and does nothing to add value to either the company, the employees or the bottom line. As a print manager and press operator I have been in the middle of this crap all my printing life. Your Print Manager/Boss has to grow a pair and get all the shifts together for a meeting even if it means losing some hours of production(which is being lost anyway through the bullshite) and basically lay down the law. Either start taking pride in the press, the company and each other or hit the road. I have in the past developed a 'Shift change form' which has all the tasks that should be completed at shift changes. Rags and solvents stocked up, press wiped down, ink knife handles cleaned,floor swept etc, things that are basic tasks for professionals to turn a piece of equipment over to the next shift. Good luck

 

[otherthoughts]

Setting aside management's role in the issue for the time being.

I think there are two ways to approach the situation.

1. Become ever increasing enemies with one another
2. Become ever increasing friends with one another

Picture for a moment that your best friend was the pressman on the opposite shift to yours. How would you iron out your differences with him?

It's easy if you think about it like that, invite the guy over for a BBQ and a couple of beers on your days off. You supply the food and he supplies the beer, you let him choose what he likes on the grill and you let him know what your taste in beer is. You get the idea.

Be truthful with each other like friends do and come to an understanding, become friends and the both of you will be much happier, both on and off the job.

I know that what I've said so far sounds like a bit of a fairy tale. You'll just have to trust me on this. What you really want is harmony and teamwork in the workplace. All other things are negotiable. If you compromise a little, so will the other guy. Developing respect for one another will be crucial.

I'm not saying that this will be an easy or comfortable undertaking, far from it!

From what I remember about my days in the pressroom and as a pressman, we are the craziest, most unreasonable people ever! Personally, I think it's the noise, chemicals and the stress of knowing that there are a million and one ways for us to screw up and that there's only one way for us to get things right.

Every pressman I've ever met had a personality disorder of some sort, and that includes me. Just knowing what I was capable of and knowing what the other pressman I've met were capable of, well...it's safe to say that I would much rather have them be my friends than be my enemies.

Best Regards
OtherThoughts