>>2037568A new area manager came in and started micromanaging our operations. The local management team—the plant manager and production manager—both quit in February in protest against the area manager. I emailed a job application requesting promotion to repair supervisor. The area manager ignored me then announced to everybody he was elevating one of my junior coworkers to crew leader. Everybody knew I applied for a promotion, and all the local people wanted me to have it. The area manager did not consult with any local people. I also figured out he did not read my application in full. I resigned to preserve my dignity after being snubbed, but I already had been thinking about quitting prior to that. My plan was to take over running the shop for a year, set things in good order, and then quit after a year. The company has been leaderless and drifting for two years now. Two years of deferred maintenance of equipment and deferred training of new hires have started to eat into profits. I proposed in my application that we should invest more time into maintenance and training, which is the only way to recover profitability, but the area manager is firmly opposed to any time not spent working on repairing railcars. Also, he is engaging in unethical business practices and trying to coerce people into falsifying documents. He is forcing the shop to perform AAR repairs on railcars without waiting for their owners' approval. Many of my coworkers are contemplating quitting after me.
My wage was $29 per hour.
