The month was April and the year was 1998. I got a call from Dr. Warshaw's sectary to meet her in the smoking section. This was kinda odd but followed up because something felt ill. I just couldn't put my mind on it. There she was, doing her puffing bit.
"Ok Belinda, what's up?" she took a drag and was like
"You know I saw something that you might be insterested in. I saw that Steve had a meeting scheduled with you and Diane for this Friday." I am like why, well I do know that Diane has had some issues but at the same time, her issues are like flakey at best. Being young and somewhat arrogant, I was a bit standoffish.
"Thanks for the information. But two things before I go any further. Why are you telling me this and what is the meeting supposed to be about?" She was cool about it. She respected me for asking the questions. Her logic was pretty straight forward. She realized that after I put my neck out for the boys, well, it was only a matter of time before my head saw the chopping block. This might be the time to watch my back. As for the contents of the meeting, she simply didn't know. -- This pretty much goes into Russell's Rules. Before you go into any meeting, make sure you know the purpose of the meeting. Of course I had to learn this lesson the hard way.
Friday morning, I walked into my office. Something told me that I needed to be dresed in slacks and be ready for anything. Thank God for intuition. This Friday morning, the students were gone and it was the last day of spring break. At 10:00, I went to see Diane, and sure enough, there was Steve, her direct supervisor. Ok I thought to myself, this is going to be intersting. Diane started by going to the door and closing it.
"Russell, the reason I have called you here is because I have a series of performance issues that need to be brought to your attention." I thought to myself, and suddendly the thoughts became verbalized.
"If that's the case, why is Steve here?
"Dr, Warshaw is a witness."
"Witness, why do we need a witness?"
Then Steve chimed in,
"Russell, why don't you let Diane finish."
Being quieted, I did. She proceded to let me know that there were a series of work performance issues that she was concerned with that apparently had jepordized the resources of the department. After going through a list of aproximately 8 items, I was left feeling pretty low.
Fractured, I really was at a loss for words. The obvious thing I did was to try to refute everything, even the things that had some sembelance of validity. Of course this didn't work in my favor.
"See Russell, it's that type of attitude. You're not taking accountability for anything." said Steve. In the back of my mind I am calling him everything but a child of God. You baldheaded mindless prick, I thought, you barely come down here, how the fuck would you know what goes on? Thinking that and saying that are two different things. If thoughts could be read, I proably would have been arrested. That said I was on shakey ground and chose my words carefully.
"Let's get to the bottom line, are you trying to say I am fired?"
Diane responed as she was reading from a script.
"At this time I am not prepared to answer that question." then Steve lowered the boom.
"Russell what we would like to do is give you some time to think about if this job is a good fit for you." At this time I was handed a letter which thorouglly documented all my faults along with another sheet stating I was suspended for two weeks without pay.
Dumbfounded, "this is a favor?"
"Russell, you gave us no choice." At this time, I had a new found respect for the pharse, no vasilne. I was asked to turn over all keys to Diane and calmly walked out the door.
What had just happened? I was completely flooded but yet somehow I went on autopilot. My paycheck was about to be cut, and that was something I just simply couldn't allow, especially with a car note and a rent payment hanging over my head. Within 45 minutes I found myself at the North Carolina Office of State Personnel. Again in the elevator I am like what the fuck just happened to me? I enter the office of Freda Wells, an HR associate who works with people in disciplinary problems with NC state govemrment.
"Ms. Wells, I don't understand it. I walked into her office for a regular meeting and the next thing I know I suspended without pay."
"Wait a minute Mr. Robinson. You just walked into an office and they suspended you on the spot without any notice. They can't do that."
I didn't understand. Ms. Wells explained to me the basics of due process. By the state perosnnel definiton, what happed to me was a prediciplinary conference. A predicplinary conference offers an opprotuntiy for the employee to address concerns before any discipline is issued. By NCSSM- Diane in particular giving me a note that says I am suspended on the same day of the disciplinary conference meant they were pre-disposed to anything I had to say. In short, I walked into a situation I was not supposed to win.
"Ok, with that said what do I do?"
"What would you like to do Mr. Robinson?"
"I'm sorry I don't understand."
"Mr. Robinson, what they have given you is a two week vacation with pay. This simply cannot stand as it was not done aboveboard. You have the option of alerting them to this fact and returning to work immeidalty or you may take the time to look for a new job or take a vacation." With the law behind me and my job quasi safe, somehow this vacation, didn't seem like I had won the lottery. What do I do for two weeks? Do I even tell people I got suspended for two weeks. This was a tuffy.
I told my roomate what happened.
"Damn, that's foul. But at least you get paid, I wouldn't sweat it. Chill. Sleep in late, watch the satelite tv."
For some reason, this just didn't seem right. These bastards have tried to railroad me and did a pretty damn good job of putting me on the tracks. If I only kept my mouth shut and had not testified for those boys, I'd proably be sitting pretty at the moment. Of course, I failded to adhere to the golden rule, a still tounge makes a happy life. Me and my big ass mouth. Like it said in my yearbook, Russell, you're a smart guy, just don't let your mouth get you into trouble. From my point of view, if this wasn't trouble, it was a pretty good damn simulation.
Not knowing any better I sent some letters to a few people. I started with our HR director. In short I basically siad, the suspension was fradulent, I plan to protest, do not under any circumstances fuck with my money. The arrogance of folk in power of course allowed her to say, we did nothing wrong, everything was by the book and that is that. So to even stir the pot further, I walked in to Diane's office, on purpose while she was in a meeting.
"Russell I'm in a meeting and you are suspended."
"I'm sorry to interupt your meeting as I am sure you too are quite sorry. This is simply to let you know of my immdaite plans." it was the closest I could come to slapping her.
Again she too stated, everything was aboveboard. Since they liked to deliver bad news on fridays, I figured I would return the favor by sending the note coming OSP infroming them of their grave error.
A few days later a greivance committee was put together and Diane returned with my keys.
"thank you Diane, now about my paycheck."
"that really was Steve's idea, I mean we had to get to you somehow. I mean we really didn't want to do."
"I'm greatful, I'll see you at the grevience hearing."
Leaving this, I was like my God, only because of their ignorance, is my paycheck safe. The next time I may not be so lucky.
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