I just got a call from an old co-worker and got the latest gossip on what’s going on at my old job, and let me say I am happy not to be working there anymore. They fired another good dispatcher, and then the two lousy ones quit the next day. The temps that had been working with us for months and months stopped coming in, and now the staff is mostly new temps with one, maybe two experienced dispatchers on staff, at times when we used to run six knowledgeable people. One of the temps outright disappeared, although he is responding to my texts. I know that he was in a protracted divorce, and my old co-workers feared the worst, thinking he might have been murdered; I won’t know if he’s still alive until I actually hear his voice or see him in person.
I’m wondering if all of this is because of budget issues. There was some talk of us dispatchers allegedly being overpaid, and maybe they’re trying to run the operation with mostly temps. At this point there seems to be more upper management than dispatchers if my staff count is correct. Last year they actually started limiting rides due to capacity constraints, something that flies in the face of the ADA. The operation has no hope of ever making a profit (charging $4 for a $70 ride), but is an essential service that is mandated by law. Like I said before, right now I’m glad I’m not there. I survived some lean times in challenging conditions (my favorite was working out of a converted bus in the dead of winter for months on end instead of inside the building), but it sounds even worse now. Good riddance...