ODOT employees turn out in huge numbers to support Quality

Willa O'Neill talks quality.

David Shackle shares his team's quality experience and how ODOT auto mechanics in District 10 improved processes. And, now they're training others around the state. More Photos...

Dec. 1, 2006 - As many as 300 ODOT employees packed the lower level central office auditorium to attend a recent meeting of the Statewide Quality Steering Committee.

Bargaining unit staff and managers from every ODOT district packed the room to hear presentations on successful Quality initiatives and to hear remarks about how Quality will be transitioned to the new administration.

Many believed it was one of the best Quality events ever. Although not on the grand scale of the Ohio Performance for Excellence awards dinner or Team Up ODOT, the event highlighted some major accomplishments and the ways bargaining unit members were leading the Quality charge in their districts.

LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT From the ODOT Assembly, President Kate Callahan and Executive Board member Willa O’Neill presented remarks. O’Neill is the statewide Union Quality Coordinator. Speaking from OCSEA was Operations Director Bruce Wyngaard and Executive Director Andy Douglas.

ODOT DISTRICT 10  One panel from District 10 described in detail a Quality program that trains mechanics to perform work that had previously been contracted out. Bargaining unit member Dave Shackle, an auto mechanic from District 10, led a Power Point presentation about how his district had saved the state over $400,000 in 2 ½ years by training mechanics to perform diagnostic and other duties. The training program continues today with senior bargaining unit employees training newer employees. The Quality initiative has helped to stabilize the size of the ODOT workforce, especially when you compare how privatization and lack of investment in workers in other states have resulted in job loss.

ODOT DISTRICT 11  Another panel with employees from District 11 and ODOT Central Office focused on the Employee Satisfaction Survey and how survey results were used to make improvements in relationships between supervisors and bargaining unit employees. The union stressed that we need to continue to address the findings of the employee survey.

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