Absolutely DISGUSTED right now!

Let's start with the good news... Yesterday we had another adoption fair with the shelter. A total of 21 cats/kittens found forever homes, including 6 of my foster crew! (Adults Fred & Barney and kittens Ocean, Punky Brewster, Sweet Pea & Abner.) I was on cloud nine!

The adoption fair happened at 2 different locations. I was in charge of the adoptions and everything at the location I was at so today I went into the shelter to bring Kathy, the manager, all of the paperwork, money, supplies, etc. She wasn't even supposed to work today, but they are so short staffed due to people taking stress leave, and those who ARE left to work couldn't care less about the animals!

I sat down and talked with Kathy and she was literally almost in tears. She and Kari, the executive director, are trying SO hard to make the shelter a wonderful place, all about the ANIMALS, but the workers are unionized, and I guess it has been a MESS lately. A lot of work doesn't get done, but the KICKER is there have been many instances where the workers don't bother to sex cats and males end up with females and females are getting PREGNANT AT THE SHELTER! How can we change anything when the people who are supposed to be HELPING are contributing to the problem?!? Kathy just wants to be able to fire them all and start fresh but where they are unionized, it is easier said than done. She even said she tells them all the time to just PRETEND to give a crap for 8 hours a day! She and Kari are heart broken!

I took home 2 new pregnant fosters, and there are at least 2 more there along with NUMEROUS moms who have already given birth. I was in tears in the intake room, in shock and so upset. All I can do is do everything in my power to help these 2 girls and their unborn babies. We have Irma, a DMH black beauty and Prudence, a DSH grey & white tabby. Send those vibes for the kitties, and all we can do is HOPE that somehow they can find a solution to these totally incompetent workers!

That really sucks. I don't think our employees are unionized, but if they are, they don't act like it.

It's a little like teachers; their unions have nothing to do with kids or education, just protecting the teachers, good or bad. They even put boys and girls together in the same room, and they're getting pr....hey, wait a minute!

That is so sad that these people are contributing to the problem.

I'm wondering if a new tactic should be tried. We know that cats work better on positive reinforcement. Maybe there is a way to do small rewards to those behaviors that are good. Something that would motivate these people to please those around them.

(Maybe break out the clicker training? )

ETA: Another idea: are there some statistics that could be prominently posted and some reward for everyone is there improvement in the numbers?

It's really bad when people don't bother sexing adult cats. All it takes is a real quick glance. I can see not doing it or getting it wrong with tiny kittens but not with adult cats. It is really too bad that the employees only care about showing up and collecting their paycheck.

Don't get me wrong, I COMPLETELY get that a shelter would be a horribly stressful place to work, but if you're not passionate about the cause, why bother? It's just a job to them I guess. I just don't get it.

wow, its not that hard to sex them and make sure they are not mixed. I can understand the stress you and your boss is going through

Just because you are in a union does not mean you don't have to do your job.

How is she managing their performance? Where is the union steward? What are the performance expectations that are called out in the contract?

A union is no reason to just throw your arms up and give up. I would suggest she sit down with the union steward, discuss her concerns and work with that person to change the performance of her employees. At the end of the day, they are her employees and have a responsibility to do their jobs.

Originally Posted by RAFM

Just because you are in a union does not mean you don't have to do your job.

How is she managing their performance? Where is the union steward? What are the performance expectations that are called out in the contract?

A union is no reason to just throw your arms up and give up. I would suggest she sit down with the union steward, discuss her concerns and work with that person to change the performance of her employees. At the end of the day, they are her employees and have a responsibility to do their jobs.

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I didn't have the proper terminology, but this was exactly my line of thinking.

I completely understand it's frustrating - and angering. Cats getting pregnant at a shelter really is unconsionable.

And I hesitate to ask this question, but... when we TNR, we spay the females if they're not too far along. Does the shelter not provide spay/neuter services? Is that not an option for... reasons of logistics/financing or philosophy?

Not to let the union workers off the hook or anything. This really is something that needs to be discussed with a union rep.

Originally Posted by RAFM

How is she managing their performance? Where is the union steward? What are the performance expectations that are called out in the contract?

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I really don't know as I am not an employee, just a volunteer. You're right though and I agree 100%. I know she is working on figuring out where to go from here, she's just trying to get her "ducks in a row". I'm not even that familiar with how unions work truthfully. I just hope that things change there... The animals need to come first, and need people there who actually CARE about them and their well being. I guess when they went back to the shelter after the adoption fair, the place was a disaster area, and they spent 2 more hours there just cleaning and finishing up things that should have already been done before the workers went home.

Originally Posted by LDG

And I hesitate to ask this question, but... when we TNR, we spay the females if they're not too far along. Does the shelter not provide spay/neuter services? Is that not an option for... reasons of logistics/financing or philosophy?

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They don't have onsite spay/neuter services, but have vets who provide discounts. Sometimes they can get cats spayed/neuter prior to adoption, but a lot of times the adopter does so after the adoption takes place and the vet just bills the shelter, as it's included in the adoption fee.

I think personally it is more of a philosophy thing, but a lot of times too they don't even really the female is pregnant until she is showing and fairly far along.

Quite honestly, if the union steward isn't interested in helping, she needs to go to the local union representative. Not doing your job isn't acceptable. Sure, it's very difficult to fire a union employee but if you have followed the contract and the employee still isn't doing their job, they need to go. They are her EMPLOYEES, she has a right to have expectations for their performance and those expectations to be met.

Coming back to the shelter a mess and the employees gone is absolutely unacceptable. Where was their manager? Management typically are not unionized so they should have been there to ensure the work was completed.

I'm sorry she is having these problems. Union and employee performance is a hot button of mine.

The thing with unions is that everything negative about an employee has to be documented fully. There is also usually a set process as far as progressive warnings. Something like a verbal warning, informal written warning, and a formal last written warning. An employee that doesn't do their job can still be terminated there just is a formal process required with documentation. A lot of large corporations in the U.S. do the same thing without being unionized. It's done through their H.R. They probably do that to avoid having the workers unionize.

Just because they are union does not mean they are immune to getting fired,If they get fired for just cause(and this would be a great example) then there is nothing to fear.
I have been a union employee for a good part of 10 years and recently got fired pretty much because i refused to work the weekend of my wedding.
If the union really wants to fight it(which most don't bother) then fight it.

Originally Posted by LDG

I didn't have the proper terminology, but this was exactly my line of thinking.

I completely understand it's frustrating - and angering. Cats getting pregnant at a shelter really is unconsionable.

And I hesitate to ask this question, but... when we TNR, we spay the females if they're not too far along. Does the shelter not provide spay/neuter services? Is that not an option for... reasons of logistics/financing or philosophy?

Not to let the union workers off the hook or anything. This really is something that needs to be discussed with a union rep.

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I couldn't say it any better than Laurie . I have honestly never heard of this before today, "cat's getting pregnant at a shelter" ( - in a bad way ).

But, Kailie, you have a heart of gold and will do whatever it takes to help these pregnant females. When we TNR female cats, they are spayed regardless if they are pregnant or not, unless they are too far along.... I am just apalled at the union workers attitude and wonder how they can be allowed to work (and get paid ) in a shelter environment and just not give a "D" about the cats. Poor cats . I don't blame you one bit of being disgusted, I would be too.

It is ultimately the shelter Director's responsibility for something that carries this magnitude of importance. I could see if this happened once, but more than that is just unacceptable and goes against completely what a shelter stands for. I definitely see how stressful this must be for Kathy and Kari.

What a shame people who work there are so lazy and heartless (hugs) least they have great people like you helping out! x

Wow Kailie.

That's so sad and frustrating

I am sorry that all of this is going on. All I can offer is a hope that it will get better.

Originally Posted by Kailie

Let's start with the good news... Yesterday we had another adoption fair with the shelter. A total of 21 cats/kittens found forever homes, including 6 of my foster crew! (Adults Fred & Barney and kittens Ocean, Punky Brewster, Sweet Pea & Abner.)

I was on cloud nine!

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That's great news

How could they not tell the sex of an adult cat?