time. He moved between the 3 plants we had, but kept his office in my facility, because he still lived in that town. He told me that the only way I'd be successful in my position was to find a different employee every day and verbally abuse them. Specifically he told me if I didn't use the "F" word in my tirade that I'd never be successful. Everybody at the plant was extremely afraid of the guy and that's why they had gotten a union established at the plant, so they couldn't be arbitrarily fired. I told him I couldn't and wouldn't do that. He didn't pursue it any farther, but he'd still range through my operation doing it occasionally.

He came in my office one day after lunch and he saw that I had some spreadsheet up on my computer about the EQ Home Teaching. He went off on me yelling and screaming. I told him that what I did during my lunch time was my business and none of his own. He'd be ornery like that, but if you faced up to him, he'd back down a bit and respected you.

I had a very open door policy at my plant and I believe my employees trusted me. I convinced them they didn't need the union any more and that I'd never let them down. They voted it out. They hated paying the dues. Sadly, about a year later, the division (we were one of 42 divisions owned by our parent company) was sold as the parent ran into financial difficulties. We were purchased by some British conglomerate. I lost my job the day after I had spent nearly the whole weekend completing the next year budget and they brought the VP back into my position. Within 2 years, the company closed the plant. I went back through there (in eastern West Virginia) last year and the plant and foundry had been razed and a community college had been constructed on the land. Biggest SOB I ever worked for.