After getting on unemployment for starting a union, spending my time padding my resume and applying to bullshit jobs that mean I could afford things like A House and Teeth, it finally seems to have paid off. I had an interview to be the manager of a fancy wine store location. I don't drink, and have never been general manager of an entire location. The entire went insanely well, I was asked when I could start/meet the owner.

I'm just wondering, do you have any advice for someone who may be put into a firing/hiring capacity soon? Any common pitfalls to avoid? It sounds like the location I'm inheriting control of is kinda doing Meh so I don't there will be too much pressure to perform at first. The interviewer seemed to really like me and basically tell me that most of her hard job (she manages another location) is easy and has been automated by her engineer BF and she can give me the files.

I was thinking about hiring staff, having schedules be consistent (I don't wanna do like, gig economy scheduling, easier for everyone,) suggesting weekly meetings and having staff vote on policies? and after I earn their trust during one of the meetings just going "By the way, if you all want to unionize I think that'd be rad. I couldn't be a part of it but LMK if you have any questions about the process."

But that also all seems really risky? Should I just put my fucking head down, do what I think is right, and ride wave, so to speak?

I'm, very intimidated, this 2.5x as much money as I've made in my life before.

  • AHopeOnceMore [he/him]B
    ·
    2 years ago

    It depends on your workplace. Some places will fire you if you aren't a class traitor - meaning that if you don't fire precarious people to make the line go up, then you will be fired and replaced by someone who will. Other places will be more flexible or, arguably, disorganizdd and will relent to pushback or heel dragging.

    For the first kind of place, you'll have to put yourself in a position to get fired in order to not be a class traitor.

    For the second kind of place, you can keep yourself afloat through office politics, protecting the people "under" you from management, contractors, and customers.

    Of course the reality is a continuum between these.

    Also please consider the extent to which you are forced into unethical work by capitalism. "No ethical X under capitalism" isn't free license to betray the working class, but it is an important factor to weigh. For example, any work you do in the imperial core that is actually useful for a company is surely contributing to global exploitation and unequal exchange, but you need to show results in order to have basic security in housing, food, and medicine.

    If you have an upwardly-mobile trajectory, consider using some of your inevitably ill-gotten compensation to donate to the global working class, especially those in AES countries. Bonus points for groups that are building up a socialist project that requires active defense.