The daily newspaper, the Missoulian, treats a 30 year employee with total disresppect and an inappropriate force of action in dismissing her!!

As I've mentioned in another post, I am familiar with the goings on in the circulation and distribution department of the Missoulian newspaper having worked there for many years. Sometimes I stray from "school talk" and discuss other issues in our city.

One thing that has always bothered me is that a favorite employee of mine, who had worked at the Missoulian for 30 years, was run out of her job about 3-4 years ago, unfairly and inappropriately by those that knew her and her work ethic . for this post I will call her "Debbie". 

Mind me, I only heard about this dismissal after it happened.  And it was a big deal. How could it not be -  this very conscientious and caring and responsible employee was not at work one morning when I went to pick up my papers. And everyone, including myself, was in shock.

This is how it what happened. An employee from the Missoulian Human Relations Department (aka as Personnel) and a security officer came into "Debbie's" office and escorted her out the door. Having security involved in letting her go seems a little overkill as "Debbie" is a very nice person.

Was this anyway to treat a loyal employee that had held together a very demanding department in a newspaper with many pitfalls and challenges? Was this anyway to treat a long-time employee who kept a department humming efficiently as possible for many years?  "Debbie" always looked after her work force for which she was responsible. "Debbie" always treated her employees with a sense of loyalty and fairness and was cognizant of any special problems that needed to be worked out. 

 "Debbie" was so loyal to her department and her employees and to the Missoulian that she had many, many hours of vacation that she never used, saving the newspaper money. And many shifts "Debbie" worked long over her scheduled hours.

And this is how our daily newspaper, the Missoulian,  treats one of their most loyal, most industrious, long-time (30 years plus), hardest working, and efficient employees ever? Inexcusable.

"Debbie" requested that if she was not allowed to work in her current job as circulation manager that she be allowed another job within the Missoulian, such as just stacking papers in the garage. the Missoulian was so mean-spirited that they would not even allow her to work at a lower level job within the system for which she would be immensely  qualified.

What a shame and what a gigantic mistake Lee Enterprises made when they escorted "Debbie" from her office a few years ago, direly harming the Missoulian as the circulation department has not run as well since she left. 

Other business/government entities besides MCPS are run abominably as well

Another business or part of a business that is abominably run is the Missoulian circulation department. The department pays the contractors who deliver the newspapers a very low wage. Additionally, the department pays inconsistently. For instance, a new carrier could actually be paid MORE than a long time carrier that has done a good job for the newspaper. I've seen long time carriers who have done excellent work be treated poorly. The long-time carriers feel that, although they like the work of delivering papers, they could not put up with the poor treatment of the circulation department of the Missoulian newspaper and have quit. After a long-time carrier quits the train of carriers begins. Usually, the customer receives poor delivery as the new carrier does a horrible job or does not put up with the abuse the circulation department dishes out either due to low pay or mean and unhelpful district managers(who also have a high turnover). Problem: District Managers who have hung on to their job despite causing hundreds of carriers to quit.