ERGONOMICS IN AN OFFICE JOB
Ergonomics is the science of survival in a repetitive-motion job. Most jobs nowadays involve using a computer, but the problem really goes back to the time of Henry Ford, when workers first started doing the same thing over and over. By doing the same thing multiple times, your body builds up problems that come out after a while. The best-known is carpal tunnel syndrome, where the tendons (and ultimately the muscles and bones) break down, usually first in the wrist, but also affecting the fingers, forearms, elbows, and upper arms. For some people, the injury is a permanent disability. Likewise, sitting in the same position for long periods of time will affect the feet, legs, back, all through the spine. Not to mention the mental breakdown, blurry eyes being the first symptom. After 10 minutes of sitting at your computer, your posture falls apart, you slouch and then you wonder why your back hurts.

A good company will take note of ergonomics in all aspects of their worker's jobs. It was reported a few years ago that someone had isolated a string in DNA that would predict a person's predilection for Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome. Whether that was true or not, it prompted many governments to pass laws disallowing DNA profiling in hiring or even in issuing insurance.
Many Ergonomic studies have concluded that, when your job involves typing in a computer, you need to take a "tiny break" every 10 minutes or so: do something as simple as close your eyes and stretch your arms. Further, you need to take a "small break" every 30 minutes to an hour: get up and walk around for 3 to 5 minutes. The ability to get up and walk while talking might help, if you are not typing into a computer. In fact there are numerous computer programs that virtually force you to take those little breaks. Without those breaks, accidents during the last 15 minutes of a 2-hour period are twice as frequent as during the first 15 minutes. Avoiding tunnel-carpal and similar problems is common among all modern companies. When I worked for the Union at Qwest (then U.S. West), I remember seeing a book published for the Union, nearly 100 pages long, just regarding the selection of chairs for the workers to use.

In a post I made a few days ago, I assumed that it was common knowledge that you need to get up, take small breaks several times during your workday. Apparently, many of the new middle managers have never heard of ergonomics, and they really do think it is okay to tie workers to their desks for hours at a time. I guess that is another job of the Union: to train managers.

OFFICE WORK

Let's say you work in an office, or a call center. People in your office occasionally get up to go to the bathroom, or get a cup of coffee. People read their newspaper or do knitting when there is time between calls. Sounds like a normal office, right?

Enter the Union. The Union contract says that you should have one unpaid 1-hour lunch break and two paid 15-minute "rest breaks" during your 8-hour work day. Enter Middle Management. Manager Joe Blow says all the other time during the day is "my time," so no more bathroom breaks, coffee breaks, newspaper breaks, or knitting breaks other than the prescribed 15 minutes. "I'm sorry," he says, "the Union has tied my hands."

As it turns out, state law prescribes "one unpaid 1-hour lunch break and two paid 15-minute "rest breaks" during an 8-hour work day." Manager Joe Blow is using the Union as his excuse to force the unnatural flow of the workday into his vision, tying the employees to their chairs for 7.5 hours a day. (See a later post on ergonomics for why "extra breaktime" is necessary.)

The result:
... Without a Union, people quit the dead-end job and move on. Since they are probably not paid much, it is for their own good. Manager Joe Blow is promoted and goes on to destroy other parts of the company.
... With a Union, a grievance is filed. The company denies the grievance, steps 2 and 3 are taken and finally, after about a year and a half, an Arbitrator says that Joe Blow is an idiot and perhaps he awards a small amount of back pay for all employees. Because the employees are paid fairly well, some people have moved on and some have stayed.
... So the customers have made out better with the Union since they had some experienced people to help them for longer. The company has lost some money with the Union, but hopefully better customer service has actually helped the company.