Lia

We're getting more people on the production line. The dust has finally settled from our move out of Spokane, and the last of their trainers have left for home. Management got it in their heads we had to have a few more bodies in the area. We didn't really need them, but whatever. Our supervisors scrounged around for anyone they could find. The only people we got are turning out to be more bottom of the barrel losers that keep getting shuffled around from area to area. Really, I don't know why line supervisors don't get these people straightened out. Must be afraid of lawsuits.

One of the new bodies we got is an old Filipina woman named Lia. They tossed her on swingshift with me, and let me tell you it sucks. Lia doesn't read English very well so I figure that's why she makes so many dumb mistakes in her work. I've ruled everything else out at this point by careful observation and by spending alot of time talking with her. Being illiterate would explain alot more things about Lia that are weird actually. I've been doing everything I can to train her properly but man, it's frustrating. She's either just that stupid or she's doing an excellent job of pretending to read all the documentation on the instruments she's building when I'm around. The docs are laid out really well so even an eight year old could build some of this stuff. Each page has a color photograph or mechanical drawing of the part of the box you have to build, or wire or solder. And on each page there could be like three or four steps you have to do in a certain order. Each step is color coded as well as numbered. After a while you can just memorize the step color codes and not even pay attention to the numbers anymore. All the parts you need are clearly marked in the photos and drawings with their corresponding part numbers. It's mindlessly simple.

When I find a instrument that's BBQ'ed a PC board, or the techs bring back a box that's completely jacked up, I've been able to trace the root cause back to operator error. Lately it's all been Lia's work. No matter how professional or delicate I am when approaching her with feedback she always gives me the same reply, "I no do." Makes me want to strangle her. Really. I mean, once or twice I can let this slide. But every damn time I have to bring back something she messed up to show her and all I get is an "I no do" that really starts to piss me off. Not to mention the fact it's wasting the technicians time as well as mine. I feel like I'm babysitting a 55+ year old island dingbat. Swingshift was much better when I was alone. Ironically, since management thought we needed more people and they got Lia we're now getting less work out on a daily basis. Way to go, guys.

I mentioned to one of the dayshift slobs that I thought Lia can't read English. I don't know why I let it slip, but I shot my mouth off to one of the worst ones, The Troll. She'll tell everyone on the line what I said and it will make it back to Lia's ears. I should keep my mouth shut, but I never do. When am I gonna learn?