| Aftershocks | Commitment | The Memo | One of Us |
MEMO:
TO: Judith Merle
RE: Your Promotion
FROM: Brenda Simpkins
May 29, 1997
CONGRATULATIONS JUDITH!
When it was announced at last month's staff meeting, by the new owners of our magazine, that you were being promoted to publisher, I was initially stunned to silence. In all probability, my virtually bolting from the building moments after the announcement has left an erroneous impression about my feelings.
Really, I could not have felt more excitement than I felt at that moment. I just wanted to take this opportunity, unforgivably tardy though it is, to heartily congratulate you. I honestly can't think of anyone else in our organization who will be able to bring what you'll bring to this new position.
Your ability to hold down wages when your employees could barely survive is just one of the countless things which illustrate a commitment to a higher ideal few appreciate. Remember when you fired Susan the bookkeeper who missed three days of work just because her husband beat her up and threatened to kill her? To my way of thinking, just another example of a hard task well done.
Quite frankly, I don't think I would have bought that story about the women's shelter keeping names confidential either. In any event, the last thing we needed to see around the office was her black and blue face one more time. I was always embarrassed for her. You know that feeling, when you don't know where to look to avoid their swollen eyes or nose — and then you have to force yourself to ignore the whole purpling mess. She's really better off now. We all are.
You've always shown a steely reserve which some of the other managers have described as cold. Some even refer to you as the "Ice Queen," though I never laugh with ALL the others because I don't find it funny. Neither do I have as much time as they seem to have to take breaks throughout the day. I believe your emotional distance is just a sign of your innate dignity.
However, it's clearly not just your comportment which made you the ideal choice for this advancement, it's your consummate dedication to fiscal responsibility above all other — possibly more humane — concerns which has landed you in your lofty position. My own staff in the production department, I must admit, has been less than thrilled about your ascension. When I held a little meeting to announce the exciting event they voiced their dismay in no uncertain terms.
Trudy, most particularly, felt moved to vocalize her objections. But Trudy has always been a troublemaker. She's the kind of person who thinks she can do everyone's job better than they do — your job and mine included. She hasn't been cooperative since the day I was hired last year and had to demote her after her five years with the company. I'll say this for her, she did a fine job those five years. Yet when I was hired as her superior, though she was next in line for promotion, I had no choice but to make sure she understood her place. As you recommended, I cut her hours and gave someone else the position of second-in-command.
She has never forgiven me. I know it's not your problem, but I have been circumspect in protecting you by not relating to her that the demotion came as a direct result of your decree. (By the way, I kept your signed memo.) I hope I never have to tell her what happened. Trudy is the kind of person who would seize on any shred of evidence to demand her rights and get the labor board involved. She's just that kind of petty person.
But I need to relate something more urgent to you at this time. For many months, a few of my employees have been dissatisfied with, what they describe as "the management problem" at the magazine. It was the typical couple of chronic complainers, like Trudy, keeping up a steady whine about little things. First it was just the low wages they complained about. Then, when you cleverly discovered that little-known local statute to avoid paying overtime, a few more people got angry.
I know you were just helping the company on the whole, but you can't expect the kind of people who can only earn minimum wage to understand the concerns of someone like you who has the class to wear Armani suits to work. Their views can be surprisingly selfish and narrow. Since your bonuses are tied to company profits they immediately jumped to the conclusion you had done this to increase your quarterly check, and not, as you clearly stated in that memo, "to trim waste and keep the company from having to eliminate several superfluous positions." It was either the new Range Rover you bought or something I may have said in passing that incited their anger. In any case, they were certain that washing your new car once a week should not be part of their expanded duties.
I talked to my crew and reminded them that there were plenty of other unemployed people waiting for their positions to open up, and I think my reasoning calmed them for a time. I know, even if others do not, that you appreciate how hard we work putting out this magazine. Though I am technically a manager in this company, albeit a middle-manager (as you recently were), I couldn't help finding out about a union meeting Trudy and some of the others had organized a few weeks ago.
Misguided as it is, they believe that your promise of a year ago to institute a company-wide profit sharing arrangement and then reneging on it by claiming no company profits, had been unfair — possibly even illegal. I didn't mention that the managers had received healthy profit sharing during this time, with of course, the deserved lion's share going to you. I knew how this would incense them, and just give Trudy one more grievance. No, I just kept my mouth shut and pretended to go along with the proceedings.
The Union organizer told the group that their only recourse might be to strike at some point. To stop work, particularly in a department like production, would leave the magazine crippled, and give us a strong bargaining chip. I suggested, in order to keep up my pretense of camaraderie, that we should strike on a deadline day when there was no possible chance of getting scabs in to finish the work in time to meet our print window. This would make the magazine at least a day late on the stands, and would infuriate our advertisers so much that at least half of them would pull out.
The production workers thought this was a good idea, and after much backslapping and good cheer, they were certain that I was one of them after all. I convinced my crew, as well as the union organizer, that we had to wait and see what would happen with the new management before we could act. I spoke of fair wages, job descriptions and due process for promotions and in hiring and firing. I almost brought a tear to Trudy's eye when I finished my speech by saying, "and if we don't get everything we want, we walk, and shut this place down faster than you can say Norma Rae".
In light of all the changes in management at the paper, I have been thinking that my dedication to the company needs to be rewarded somehow. I know since your promotion to Publisher the position of Associate Publisher has been left vacant. My years of service at this establishment and my experience in the field make me feel I would be an optimal choice as second in command. Additionally, my understanding of the employees' wishes and grievances makes me ideal to take over many of the duties you have been unable to fulfill since taking on your seemingly overwhelming new responsibilities.
I have already, and I hope this was not presumptuous of me, taken it upon myself to call the new owners to bring up this idea. I had to tell them about the employee unrest, of course, as my duty to the company. They seem to be in agreement that I have my finger on the pulse of the company in a way that you never could since you are either locked away in that glass office, writing budgeting memos, or out of the office with all those important people around town with whom you have constant lunches and dinners at company expense. The new bookkeeper told me in strictest confidence (because this is the kind of information the general staff could really misconstrue) how many meals you have had to write off — virtually three a day, plus your dry cleaning costs — so I know how much work you must be doing.
I realize you had been planning to install your daughter in the office next to yours, in this Associate Publisher's position. Though she may be qualified to manage —I understand her last job was as the grill supervisor at McDonald's — I still believe it would be in the best interest of the company to give me a chance instead. The new owners expressed as much to me when I accidentally faxed them your daughter's resume along with my own. The matter is in your capable hands to decide as you will. I only hope you can come to a definitive decision soon, as the unrest in my department is spreading to the rest of the paper like a viral epidemic.
I recently suggested to Trudy — again, only to retain my cover as friend to the workers — that she send a surreptitious union memo to the whole staff. They have all seized on it and in my present lowly position I have no way of putting down this kind of insurrection. Who knows if there will soon be a staff, a publication, or that your job will exist, if we don't act.
Again, I would like to extend my hearty congratulations to you on your promotion. I don't think there is anyone here who is as deserving as you for this position — except perhaps myself since I have over 20 years experience at magazines and you have a total of four. I look forward to many years of working at this company, serving in the capacity for which I am best suited. I believe that when we are working together more closely you will see just how much we have in common.
Sincerely,
Brenda Simpkins
The Memo © Suzanne Rush 1998
