2003-11-13 - 1:02 p.m.

Call Me An Asshole, But ...

Second Entry: 2003.11.13

Since I work for the state, we have a closed shop union. This means that without my say, a portion of my paycheck goes to a union I hardly see. (I think they take between $30 and $40 / month, but I could easily be remembering this figure incorrectly.)

Today they had a pizza lunch thing. I went. While I actually gained some respect for the leadership of the union, I lost a lot of respect for some (not all) of my co-workers. First, Shortround (named this because he is a short fat guy) tried to go. He started walking over with me and other guy and I told him that he isn't part of our union. He isn't. A couple of years ago he moved out of one position to take another position that pays a hell of a lot more, contributes money to a totally different union, and has used his new position to try and pull rank around the office. It pissed me off that he was freeloading at our meeting, so I told him.

Now the asshole bit.

I could have just let him go and thought to myself that he was an asshole. But I didn't. I told him that is "really bothered me" to see people who aren't part of a union going to its meetings. I went on to say that, "we pay, you don't".

He tried to pull this crap that he is still a part of the union or could become part again. I'm sorry, but I said, "That is utter B.S. You aren't gonna take a pay cut just to eat free pizza. That is a stupid thing to say. And if they ask us to introduce ourselves, I'm gonna say, 'This is [Shortround], he doesn't even belong here.'"

Why

More important than the fact that I can and will be an asshole, to a co-worker, is why I'd do it. The guy has abused the system for years. He takes a day off every week. He works short hours, and does little real work at that. He takes credit for other people's hard work, and down plays it when they get credit and he doesn't.

I've been complaining that nobody here has stood up to him. If you let somebody manipulate you and others, they'll continue to do it. It bothers me that nobody tells him these things, but I did. I will not tolerate people who are so blatant about abusing the system that they actually brag about it.

He was so taken back that somebody would stand up to him, that he walked up when he saw there was no pizza (yet) and said, "I'm leaving because of your protest." My only reply, "Thank you."

I wish more people would call people out when they are out of line. I hated to do it in public like that (one other co-worker heard all this), but everybody else knows I hate Shortround's freeloading. I think it adds something to my resolve that I'm not just talking behind his back when I call him a freeloader, but that I'll tell it to his face. I always appreciate people whom let me know where I stand with them, and I do the same. Worse yet, I hate it when people pretend to like you, but say or think nasty things behind your back.

In other words, I'd rather be an asshole than a backstabber.

-=-

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