Chapter 4
He sat down at the desk with the yellow pages phone book and started making phone calls. Within five days his office trailer was setup and he had his phones in. Park Machinery had accepted bids months ago and had the contractors that he would use already lined up, and under contract. He reviewed the schedule again and again. When he had his plan worked out to the smallest detail he called the local restaurants to find a room big enough to hold all of the contractors and representatives of all of the unions that would be involved in the project. He called each contractor and asked them to meet with him at a dinner at the restaurant. He then called the president of each local union and asked for 2 representatives that had the authority to make decisions to attend the dinner. He told each of them that the purpose of the meeting was very important and would be explained in detail at the meeting. He invited Rolf and Ann to attend the meeting. Rolf said that he had other commitments but asked Ann to attend in his place. Rolf, Ann and Jim were the only ones that knew the purpose of the meeting.
On the night of the meeting he arrived at the restaurant about 2 hours early to make sure that everything was set for the meeting. He had ordered an open bar for an hour before the dinner and he told the owner of the restaurant that he would continue the open bar after the meeting for another hour.
Everyone started arriving around 6 o'clock and after introducing themselves took advantage of the free drinks. Their dinner order was taken as they arrived and they were told that dinner would be served at 7 o'clock prompt. Jim allowed each person to order what they wanted from the menu. He had blueprints for the project scattered around the meeting room on tables and asked that everyone familiarize themselves with the project before they sat down to eat. Ann arrived Just before 7 and Jim asked her what she wanted to drink. He went to the bar and got her white wine and brought it back to her.
The dinner went well and a casual observer would have thought that it was a bunch of old friends having dinner together. Several of the attendees commented that he threw a great party.
After the dishes were cleared, he got up and asked that they give him their undivided attention. He warned them that he was going to ask for a big commitment from them tonight but he was willing to pay for it.
"Gentlemen, seated to my right is Ann Bristol representing Parameter Fabrication, Inc. Parameter, as you all know has hired Park Machinery to build two large additions to their facility and to install the most modern metal fabrication machinery available. This installation will be 4 times the size it is now and will employ many new people from this area. Parameter will become one of the largest employers in the area."
"What I am proposing is this, I want three shifts, five days a week. Each foreman will get 1 hour of overtime each day so that he can coordinate with the shift that is relieving his shift. Park Machinery will pay that hour each day. I want a guaranty that there will be no work stoppages or slowdowns. I realize there is a shift differential and Park machinery will pay that on one condition. I want each worker on each shift to sign an agreement that this will be their only job. I don't want someone from the third shift coming in to sleep all night after working their day job.
Several of the union representatives and the contractors started talking to each other.
"Wait a minute. Hear me out. Park Machinery has been working on this plan for months. We think that we've worked out most of the bugs. You contractors are going to feel that this is going to cost you all of your profit. It won't. Prove any cost over-runs to me and I will pay you the extra costs. I have people standing by from Park Machinery to held you expedite any material or special equipment that you might need. If you have a problem, don't sit on it. Let me know right away and we'll help you solve it."
"Now for the unions. This is a winner for everybody. Parameter has contracts they could start today if the machinery was installed and running. The contractors stand to make more of a profit than they figured in their bid and they'll get their money faster because the project will be completed faster. They can move on to the next project sooner. Park Machinery will make a nice profit. The community will gain a lot more well paying jobs. And, lastly, the unions will send a message to the construction industry that if it has to be built right and fast it has to be built union. I'm sure you union reps know as well as I do that you need all of the good publicity that you can get. I'll hire a publicity agent for the project and a full time photographer. The unions will get a copy of any of the pictures they want. I honestly feel that if we do this project right, it will mean a lot to your members. I feel that the publicity alone with be worth a lot to your unions.
"Now I want to hear from all of you."
Jim cut off the debate after an hour, "This can't be settled tonight and I don't want it to be. We've all had a few drinks and I don't want anyone to tell me later they I got them so drunk that they didn't know what they were doing."
That got a laugh out of everyone, "Sometime in the next couple of days I want to hear from all of you. I don't want to hear why you don't want to work with my plan. I want to know what it will take to get you on board and be willing to work with me. Now, I'm thirsty. The bar will be open for another hour."
Several of the people had to leave and talked to Jim and Ann before they left. The ones that did stay made good use of the hour that the bar was open. Ann and Jim drank sodas so that they would be alert for any hard questions that they had to answer. By 10:30 all of the contractors and union reps had gone.
As they walked out of the banquet room Jim grabbed her by the arm, "Would you have a drink with me before you go? I'm so keyed up I'd like to sit down and relax for a few minutes before I lay my head on the pillow."
Ann thought about it for a minute and then nodded her head. He seemed like a nice man and, God knows, she didn't have anything to rush home to.
Jim led her to a booth that was a little away from everybody and asked her what she wanted. He went to the bar and got their drinks and slid into the booth opposite her.
"How do you think it went?" she asked.
"It went well. If you'll notice no one really voiced objection to the proposal. I'm sure that there will be at least one that is going to act like Jesse James, but I can deal with them. The big problem is what are you going to do if I finish 6 or 7 months early. I worked up a schedule for accelerated construction and I think that it's possible that I just might finish that early."
"Gosh, that would be great. We've had to turn down almost as much work as we've accepted. We're busier then we've ever been since I came with Parameter."
Both of them were silent for a minute. An finally said something to break the silence.
"You were pretty good in there. You seem to know what you're doing. I'm glad we got you on this project. Gosh, if you could finish 6 months early it would mean a lot to this company."
"Yes," he laughed, "You'll be making so much money that you won't know where to spend it."
The conversation died down a little.
"How do you like being on the road so much? Does your wife get on you about it?"
"Oh, it's just me I have to worry about. My son's married. He lives with me though. I don't know how to get rid of him. Seriously, he just got married and I offered to let them live with me until they could afford a down payment on a house. The way they spend they'll be 90 before they have enough for a down payment."
"What about your wife?" she asked again, she caught his reluctance to mention his wife.
"Well I don't have one of those. About 4 years ago she left me for a younger man. It seems she had a couple of affairs while we were married and she found a young guy that she liked better than me and we got divorced. How about you. I see the hours you put in. I don't see a wedding ring. Does that mean that there's no Mr. Bristol?"
"I'm in the same boat as you. My husband decided that he liked younger women and left me for a woman that he had been having an affair with for over a year. That was about 8 years ago, so I have been divorced longer than you."
He was sorry that he had asked her about her husband. He saw the hurt on her face and knew that she was not over the pain yet.
"I always thought that it was worse for a man when his wife leaves him for a younger man, but apparently the pain is just as great either way."
She nodded. He changed the conversation to their kids. He told her how sad he was that his son didn't want to go to college.
She told him how proud she was of her daughter and how she was a teacher now in California.
They started to talk about their jobs and then about their life now and then about how they felt about politics. When he asked her where she usually went on vacation, she admitted that she hadn't had a vacation since she went back to work after her divorce.
They continued to talk until they heard the bartender yell last call.
"I haven't closed a bar since I was in college," she grinned.
"It was my sparkling conversation that made you forget the time."
She smiled. He was easy to talk to. They had similar circumstances in their marriages and that probably made them kindred spirits she thought.
He walked her out to her car. She turned to him and told him good
night. He shook her hand and waited until she started the car and
pulled away. He saw him in the rear view mirror as she pulled out of
the parking lot. She had enjoyed the evening. It had been something
different.