Email

so, continuing with yesterdays theme…

i wrote this email to our shop steward.  i know very little about the rules and regulations in my union, so i posed it as a question:

Hi ______,

I’m sorry to be writing this email, but I have been thinking about it all night and I’d like to do my part.

This entire opera has been fraught with union difficulties, and the more I learn and talk to people about rules and regulations the better understanding I have of the system.  However, I’m finding that the bigger problem (which has nothing to do with management) is the flagrant manner in which a select few (chorus members) lower the moral of the rest of the chorus because of said events by making a larger issue instead of going through the proper channels.  There is no circumstance in which discussing (especially involving malice) a matter in the green room solves that problem, especially when so many bad tempers/attitudes run wild with the situation.

So my question to pose to you is this.  What is the proper etiquette when dealing with a managerial break of union rules?

As I have not even the slightest clue what to do in this situation (as I do find the trap situation troubling) I would make this suggestion…

When confronted with a problem, one that can raise the risk of injury especially through decisions of management; wouldn’t it be more advantageous to write our (the chorus members) concerns down and present them to you (the Shop Steward) to have an official statement of discontent so that you can show the management the concern generated by a single event?  I feel this action would be a greatly improved course of action as opposed to the demoralizing effect that occurs under current strenuous times.

I feel that when people vent about a situation (as in the green room) it causes tension in the chorus, not only that but takes our minds off the task at hand (primarily our job) and we perform lower than our normal standard of greatness!

I truly feel this simple action is the only thing keeping us from being one the greatest opera chorus in all of North America.

In debate there is a thing called ad hominem.  Ad Hominem – appealing to personal considerations rather than to logic or reason.  In a debate, when an opponent lowers him/herself to ad hominem, s/he instantly loses the debate.  The moment we decide to degrade the management for their actions rather than keep to the topic at hand is the moment we lose the battle.

Please let me know what the proper course of action is so that I may do my part in stating my concern and get this mess behind me so I can go back to doing my job well.

Thank you for your time, and have a great day.

Sincerely
Noah Baetge

and……………………………….. i didn’t send it.

i talked with my roomie (who is also in the chorus) and have come to the conclusion that if i sent in this email, i’d be just as bad about complaining as the people in the green room are.  not to mention, how do you enforce a "no complaining/bitching" rule.  you can’t… 

i just hate getting done and feeling like crap because of people’s attitudes when we’re done with an opera.  i really feel the bad feelings some of these people have are whats holding us back.  anyway…  i’m gonna… er…  i don’t know what i’m gonna do, but i’m gonna do it!

– noah