Susie Sainte: The Other Tribal Worker
There is a person who is the complete opposite of Joe The
Tribal Worker. I am going to call this tribal member/worker
Susie Sainte. Susie, like the rest of us, knows the
difference between right and wrong; however, what makes her
different from the rest of us is this—she actually
practices what she believes in.
Susie follows and enforces the Policies and Procedures at
the risk of losing her job. As a supervisor, she hires
qualified workers as opposed to workers who have political
clout. She also fires incompetent workers regardless of
their political influence. As an employee, she is
conscientious about doing her work. She does not cheat on
her time card; she actually uses leave each time she leaves
her worksite. As a supervisor/manager/tribal council
member, she reports to work the same time her employees do.
In short, she works every hour she gets paid for.
Joe despises Susie. He is also mortally scared of her and,
truth be known, he secretly envies her. She is everything
he would like to be but can’t be because he lacks the moral
fiber. His jealousy often turns into hate; therefore, he
often does everything in his power to undermine her as his
supervisor or fellow worker. Susie unknowingly makes Joe
look bad. She is at work on time every morning, she doesn’t
take more than the allotted time for breaks and lunches,
she doesn’t punch out until the day is over, and, last but
not least, she actually works. Her behavior contrasts with
his behavior and often prompts an unfavorable comparison
from other workers. As a result, he is constantly scheming
to get Susie fired, usually by starting unsubstantiated
rumors about her.