What I Know

Tuesday I was approached by the section head (Dr. Hyde) of Racing Chemistry and told about a job position he had posted. He encouraged me to apply for it and said he was forbidden by personnel to say anything else. When I asked if he was telling anyone else about the position, he said no. I went to talk to my section head (Dr. Ensley) and told him what had happened. He didn't know what was going on and said if I went to talk to the director (Dr. Main), he would like to go. We did have a meeting with Dr. Main. It was not very fruitful. The rest of the week consisted of many meetings, many phone calls, and lots of rumors. This is what I know for sure:

1. My current position is being eliminated, despite the fact it involves a project that could fund the Diagnostic lab and the Chemistry/Toxicology is short people already.

2. No one can specifically tell me that my position is being eliminated.

3. The position in Racing Chemistry will not be eliminated, unless their contracts don't come through. (Dr. Main DID specifically state that if the contract Racing was trying to establish didn't work, the position would be there until January.)

4. Regardless of where my job is at, it is the first one subject to layoffs because I'm lowest on the lab tech seniority. (This one was straight from Human Resources.)

5. Dr. Hyde is retiring in September.

6. I can transfer back to Chemistry is they have an open position, but have to wait six months before I can. (If you do the math, that's sometime after January.)

7. If Racing can't get this new contract, it is possible they will close the whole department.

8. If Racing closes, I will not be able to transfer to Chemistry because I won't be eligible, and everyone in Racing will be able to do the job meaning I would have to compete with everyone with more seniority than myself.

I'm not happy about having to leave my position in Chemistry because I love my job there and love the people I work with. I have accepted a position with Racing so I can still work for Iowa State. I'm trying to give the job a fair chance, but I feel that I was forced to take the position to keep my job. I'm more mad about that fact that no one can tell me anything other than rumor and "I'd like to tell you, but I can't." I've heard that many times this week and have gotten lots of cases in that has kept me so busy, I'm skipping break to keep up.

It's been a very long and stressful week. I'm working part-time in Chemistry next week to try and train someone to do my job, then the following week I'm in Racing full-time. Dr. Hyde has agreed to let me be available to Chemistry on a limited basis to run tests that aren't run very often, as long as I tell my lab manager. I'm not happy with the situation and there are a lot of people that have given me sympathy over the last week. Dwayne (my lab manager) and Dr. Ensley went to Dr. Main to fight to keep me in Chemistry, but my impression is that Chemistry doesn't make enough money and that's where they're going to cut people until they can't justify it anymore. I'm at least thankful that there are several people within the lab that feel I'm worth fighting for and worth keeping in the Diagnostic lab.