As this years contract deadline is less than 5 months away, with negotiations slated to start in 3 months, TWU local 100 top officers and division chairs seemed uninterested in what TWU President John Samuelsen has to say about the campaign to bring us a great contract.
No one in the room is taking notes, heads are tilted to the side, people are looking at phones etc. Roger Toussaint was quoted as saying after seeing the picture “Note: Less than a quarter of all the officers were invited. The vast majority of elected officers (division and sections) were excluded.”
Seems as if Samuelsen had only his close allies for this important meeting. Why wasn’t all the officers invited is this meeting is so important especially in a contract year?
RTO Vice President Kia Phua whose department is in turmoil regarding managements discipline, looks as if he wants to tip over and fall asleep.
TA Surface Chair Willie Rivera seems to be busy in his phone, maybe on Facebook as usual calling members derogatory names and threatening members like he has recently done.
Stations Vice President Derick Echevarria looks as if he’s still looking for an excuse to tell the cleaners as to why he participated in the blatant lie about the cleaners bill being passed, which it still hasn’t.
Education Director Nick Bedell is yawning probably bored of listening to the speech in which he probably helped Samuelsen write and rehearse over and over again.
Not to mention the countless other officers in the room who coincidentally at the same exact time seem very uninterested in what Samuelsen has to say.
This shows his poor leadership qualities and his lack to grab his own officers attention in this very important contract year.
The 2017 contract can be the one to make or break transit workers.
Body Language Research
The CP-Journal explains what individuals body language look like when they’re uninterested.
The Uninterested Cluster
This shows their attention and interest are elsewhere or are bored with the conversation
Lower Body
– Feet bouncing (body preparing to distance themselves from the person or object)
– Feet oriented away from the person or object in the direction they would like to move
– Legs crossed – use of leg barriers
– “Shifty” behavior, person moving or rocking back and forth
Upper Body
– Arm barriers up (closing off front of torso)
– Torso leaning away from person or object
– May see “stopping” gestures with hands
– Rubbing of their wrist, whether they have a watch on or not
– Increase use of pacifying behavior
– May have closed off body language similar to the uncomfortable cluster.
Other Indicators
– Acknowledging their cell phone or other distractions
– Their gaze being all over the place, not looking at the person talking but anywhere else
– Repeatedly looking at the clock on the wall
– Doodling or finding other things that captivate their interest instead of listening
– Showing signs of tiredness, such as yawning, slouching in their chair, leaning up against the wall
– Blank or neutral facial expressions
– Preparing to leave, such as legs uncrossing, picking up bags, straightening clothing
If a person is feigning disinterest because they don’t want you to see that they are interested, look for conflicting signs of interest or readiness to do something.
What do you think?
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