That word is often a key, when it comes to selecting everything from vacations, to what shift a person might work at his/her job. With many small companies, or in some cases larger businesses, worker seniority isn't applicable. Here at the Grand Canyon, seniority is the name of the game, regarding the selection of driver routes and shifts. By the end of next week, there will be 54 bus drivers working for the transit company, and as I might expect, being a new hire, I'm right down near the bottom of the seniority list.
But, not at the very bottom. Today is the third day of training with 2 other drivers, and when it comes to seniority, I'm in the middle. We all have the same work start dates, but seniority has something to do with when we were first interviewed for the job. Next week, the company will be training the last 2 drivers, so, I will be ahead of those 2, and I'm ahead of one of my fellow trainees. Wahoooo, I'll be senior to 3 drivers, and junior to 50. I like the first number, but not the second very much.
The 50 drivers who are senior to me, are on the job, and have already picked their shifts, and routes for the summer. Yesterday, the 3 of us were asked to pick our shifts, and routes, based on what was left, which wasn't very much. After the person who is senior to me picked her shift/route, it was my turn. The routes/shifts still available, were obviously what you might say
are the least desirable. But, I still had to pick from the few that were left.
It looks like I'll be off on Sunday & Monday, and working a swing shift (about noon-8 or 9) for 4 of the 5 work days. On Saturday, it will be more of a day shift (8-5). I won't get into the route stuff, since I don't even have all of that figured out myself.
Seniority can be a great thing, especially when you have it! When you don't, well, it's not such a great thing. Perhaps one of the reasons seniority became an institution in the American work place, is that it tends to give workers something to strive for. Sort of like the carrot at the end of the stick. Right now for me, that carrot is at the end of a very long stick.
THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES OF DAN AND PATTY CHANCE
About Me
- DAN
- VAIL (Tucson), Arizona
- Patty & I have been married for 33 great years, & have raised 3 children. Mike & Marc - mine. David - hers. We lost our beloved Beagle Sami in April, 2013, and our kitty Gracie in Sep. Since retiring from co-ownership of Jamestown Harley-Davdson in 2001, we have traveled all over the U.S. in 2 different motor homes. In 2002 and 2003, we traveled the N.H.R.A. Drag Race circuit, pulling the Harley-Davidson, Screaming Eagle merchandise trailer. In the summers of 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, Patty worked retail and I drove a tour bus in Skagway, Alaska. The summer of 2008, I worked as a supervisor for the Glacier National Park transit system in N.W. Montana. During the summer of 2009, we decided to travel, and completed a 5 and 1/2 month, 12,000 mile loop around the U.S. and Canada. During the summer of 2010, we traveled mostly in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon & Washington. We spent the summers of 2011 & 2012, working at the Grand Canyon, where I drove a transit bus, and Patty worked in the General Store. The winters have mostly been spent at our home in Lake Havasu City. We recently relocated the home base to Tucson, AZ.
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