Discharged Isn't a Dirty Word, It's Not a Label

Discharged isn't a dirty word, it's not a label for " Bad Worker". It's not a disease. There's nothing wrong with me.

I'm a good worker. I came in to work every day, I was never late. I enjoyed my work. My job was 40 miles away, or 1 hour drive. I made it through all kinds of weather, road conditions, and car issues. Nothing stopped me from getting to work. I am chief income provider. Family survival is at stake.

I enjoyed my co-workers. I supported my co-workers. I joked with my coworkers. I got along with everyone.

My last role

I set up 1 to 4 work cells with 8 hours of work, for 1st shift assemblers.

First part of my job

I gathered fasteners and other components stored in floor locations, using a hand cart. There were 4 different value streams, sometimes the bill of material and parts would make me go to other locations to find required parts.

I used bins and labels to organize and identify. I audited the locations, labels, and parts before I proceeded to pick the parts to make sure everything was correct. I double counted. I audited my parts as I set the parts in the swim lane and before the end of the shift. 

Second part my job

I organized components of faucets, kitchen, bath, and plumbing accessories, for 1 to 10 jobs, for 1 to 4 work cells. Parts would come to swim lanes, I had to move skids full of parts and match parts with correct bill of materials, in the order on the manifest. Some parts were huge and heavy. Some jobs were small, and I was able to condense jobs on to hand carts. The huge jobs up to 200 pieces of everything, I had to figure out how to move with hand truck, and arrange for easy access, in a very small space or swim lane. Sometimes one cell had 14 jobs, and I had 3 other cells to prep as well.

I went home satisfied with my work. I liked the satisfaction of everything coming together.

I did my work the best to my ability, despite the constant changes to the processes, and rearranging of work cells, part locations, and swim lanes. Lots of mistakes were being made, by everyone, not just me. 

My assembly role

I was sort of slow at some assembly because, I was making sure the faucets or products were working, inspecting the final aesthetics and audited the packing making sure everything was in the carton per instructions. I didn't have many finished goods audit failures while assembling.

My first 3 years on 2nd shift, I worked without a team leader. I stayed in my cell working. Sometimes I would be so engrossed in my job I would be in a daze. I would take a walk to the restroom, it was a long walk to the restroom. That long walk back to the bathroom and interaction with my coworkers, would clear my head. I would go back to my cell to pound out more parts.

I was discharged, but I don't have a problem with performance, it wasn't because of lack of ability, misconduct, unwillingness to work, lack of respect for management, coworkers, or rules. I am not a bad worker. 

Discharged isn't a dirty word, or defines me as a bad worker. I stood my ground. I complied to rules and changes. I did my work. I was able to work in 3 different value streams, many different cells, and assemble different parts while on 2nd shift. I went home satisfied with my work.

I need the understanding from a new employer as when I first started at my last employer. I was trained in and was allowed to grow. 

My new employer needs to know I'm not a bad worker. 

• 
  

---