My Letter to R. R. Donnelley

To the staff (supervisors, foremen, operators) of R. R. Donnelly:

To help us in making the Kelly temps feel more comfortable and more useful, please read the following suggestions, observations and comments.

Kelly temps come in all shapes and sizes. No one shape or size fits all. Some of them are college educated, some were down on their luck. They make up every state of the American population from those who barely made it through high school to those who did not, from those who were unemployed for a long period of time and are grateful for an opportunity to work to those who actually riskjed everything to move to this area because work was available. Some Kelly temps are very smart and others need a bit of encouragement and still others may need a lot of assistance.

To make this work more purposeful, please introduce yourselves and find out the name of the Kelly temps you are working with. Knowing names makes the job more enjoyable and gives the temps the ability to feel more engaged--no matter how easy the work. When you know someone by name, they respond more positively to the task at hand.

Please, never go off on a temp in front of others. It's not that difficult to take the temp aside, use their first name and then in a regular speaking voice explain what the problem is and how it might be solved. No one likes to be embarrassed before others and oftentimes the result of negativity causes a negative reaction that flows through the workforce like a yawn. (Note the next time an operator, for example, goes off on one of the workers how many other temps suddenly need to use the bathroom even though they just had a break fifteen minutes earlier.)

Not everyone is mechanically skilled. Just because someone is college educated does not mean they have the skills to work effectively with their hands. On the other hand, some individuals who can do certain tasks will have a hard time with cognitive tasks. Because everyone comes to this temp job with a different set of abilities, give complete directions. There is no reason to yell or make someone feel stupid. If you as an operator or foremen, for example, like the work done in one specific way, explain why. Remember Kelly temps work under many operators and each operator has their way of doing things. This does not make the temp wrong when he begins a job the way a previous operator or formen told them to do the job. It doesn't take but a few seconds to find out why the temp is doing the job their way. Oftentimes it's simply because that is what they have been told to do previously.

Keep in mind many of the temps do not know the exact and full chain of command. Too often they are told to do something one eway only to be immediately corrected by another. Please explain to the temp who their immediate supervisor is.

Many of the Kelly temps are beautiful women. This does not mean flirting is acceptable or other forms of harassment. Some of the women may actually feel threatened by this overt behavior and even though they are scared to report it, this does have a negative affect on their job. Keep in mind the women do talk among each other even if they never report any sexual abuse be it verbal or physical. Furthermore, the women temps should not feel they have an obligation to make comebacks to feel they can keep up with the others. For the most part, the jobs of the temps can be done effectively by either sex so there is no reson a woman has to display a verbal interplay to feel acceptance. R. R. Donnelly is not a men only workplace.

Lastly, the "I am the operator so you have to do it my way or go back to handwork" is not necessary. Many temps have been given numerous instructions for that same task, but if they are given correct and understandable directions, they can accomplish most jobs effectively. The key here is coherent, correct, and understandable instructions. In other words, instructions that make sense. If a temp does not get it the first time, two more explanations and/or demonstrations should be enough. There is no dishonor to not understanding how to do a job--so please ask the temp after the third time giving instructions if they would feel more comfortable going back to handwork. If they say yes, fine. If they say they want to continue trying, this is your decision. After all, the job has your name on it, not the Kelly temps. For this reason the three strikes or your out for any job should be put in play so the best end product can be produced.

Michael H. Brownstein

Is Missouri a Right to Work State?

Please go to the following link. Missouri is not a right to work state.

The link: www.missourieconomy.org/pdfs/mo_nonrtw.pdf www.missourieconomy.org/pdfs/mo_nonrtw.pdf

Notice the average wages in Missouri. R. R. Donnelley pays its temps and its returning laid off workers 8.50 to 9.00 dollars an hour--way below the average.

So I guess right to work means right not to be middle class.

Is it Friendship or is it Hard Work?

Do you work in a factory where friendship is more important than hard work? Where a pretty smile is more important than hard work?

If you make friends easily and have a pretty smile, please ask to work for Dan at R. R. Donnelley in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Dan Spencer is a Liar

The foreman in handworks, a gentleman named Dan Spencer, at R. R. Donnelley regualrly gives out below average evaluations. There is no due process because for some reason a right to work state means you can get fired for any reason--even if it's based on lies.

Dan gave a below average evaluation to thirteen temps one day and all of them lost their job. For one employee who regularly worked through his breaks and through lunch, the reason given was: "The employee would not try new things and he did not work hard."

This was a bonafied lie--but due process and conferencing does not work at R. R. Donnelly where foremen can create lies about people, so the employee was fired.

R. R. Donnelly in Jefferson City

The individuals who work here as operators get paid union wages without having to be in a union, but many were laid off and then asked to come back at a much cheaper wage.

Temps are hired to replace operators who were making more than $20.00 an hour at a cheap $9.00.

A job is a job, so many of the laid-off workers are coming back at the cheaper waqes.

So much for creating a middle class, but all the better for the owners who get richer and richer.