I worked at Sterling Sawmill from 1982 until 1997, straight out of high school. With this cold weather, it has brought up some not so fond memories.
I never worked dayshift the whole time I was there. It was either 2nd shift or 3rd shift.
Several of those years, I worked in maintenance. For anyone who has worked outside in this kind of weather with their hands around cold machinery, tools, and a sawmill or other places similar, it gets cold and I do mean VERY cold!
I remember the maintenance guys built five or six steel heaters to burn scrap wood for these cold nights. We had one plant manager who would come around.
He would see many of us trying to get warm around one of those heaters and say, “Get rid of the heaters tonight! If you are cold you are not working hard enough!”
He then went back to his office where he had climate controlled heater and air conditioner.
I don't care who you are, how much education or power you have, that is no way to treat employees that work for you.
That is one way to lose respect and get less work from them, more than anything else.
I have met with three of my former coworkers from back in those early days in the past few months, and just found out a few days ago that one had passed away (Billy Partin) of an apparent heart attack.
• Wayne Morgan is freelance wildlife photographer and author.
