March 1950

, . By Allen N. Sheahen < where he can no longer hold his 40 years old, by which time they ‘ ..’Personnel Manager 2 ‘

., I liquor, the employee is called to a have probably built up 15 or more ‘ ‘ Thompson Products conference between himself, the years of seniority. Any foreman; Cleveland, Ohio foreman and one of our personnel or any member of management in, supervisors. The foreman tells our company i s distinctly loathe to the employee that his drinking has discharge any employee with a gone beyond bounds and that he great amount of seniority. must take immediate steps to Before the establishment of our straighten himself out. The per- AA group, we used to go on warnsonnel supervisor then suggests ing the drunk month after month that if the employee needs help, for a s much a s two to three years there is a group of Alcoholics before we finally discharged him Anonymous which meets right here a s a hopeless case. We now realin the plant. The personnel man ize that we are not doing a drunk tells the employee that he will a favor by letting him lie around on ‘ know many of the reformed drunks the payroll. The AAs have taught DEFINITE ECONOMIC SERVICE who will be in the meeting. He us that some people have to bump then suggests that the employee their heads up against stone walls walk over and visit one of the AA before they decide to do anything men while at work in the shop. about their drinking problem. They We feel the group of AAs in our This A A man has been previously say that by babying a man along THE attitude of Thompson Products Inc. i s one of deepest sympathy with the aims and purplant i s doing us a favor by being here. We have made available to picked by our supervisors because he has a great manythings in comfor two to three years, instead of doing him a favor, we are really poses of Alcoholics Anonymous, them a meeting hall for weekly mon with the drunk to such an ex- doing him harm. because we are because we feel that they are meetings. We not only permit but tent that they can talk on a man-to delaying his ultimate rehabilimaking a splendid contribution to encourage our local group of AAs man level without any appearance tation. both the social and economic life to hold social functions in our of condescension on the part of If on the first interview the of the community and of our meeting hall and to bring in other . the A A member. newly developed drunk tells the company. groups from all over Cleveland to The AA member will then make foreman and personnel supervisor We feel AAs render us a definite use our facilities. an appointment to see the man that he does not need or wish AA, economic service when they restore During the past year our group after work here where a conference no effort is made to force him to a drunk to his former status of of AAs have rescued some 20 con- will be held with three or four other join the group. He i s simply told efficiency. Whatever little produc- firmed drunkards who had become AA members. ~ o ~ e t h etheyr plan that the problem is his but that tion time we have lost, we get a serious drag on the economic a campaign for rehabilitating the the next time he engages in heavy back tenfold in the increased pro- life of our company and brought new man. drinking, we will have to disciduction of the new member of the them back to useful and efficient We figure that AA has made a pline him. AA group. We have found that a s members of our organization. lot of money for the company if The normal course of events i s a class, once they get in the group they are successful in rehabilitat- a s follows: About a month later a and stop drinking, they are among the most loyal and hardworking A Sof toourprocedure, whenever one foremen discovers that ing the drunk. We find that most people are able to handle their second meeting i s held, pretty much like the first, and the drunk employees we have. an employee is getting to the point liquor until they get to be about is warned again. Ahother month

and he i s sent home for a week the plant, many conversations rewithout pay to think over his con- garding drinking have been had in .dition. The next month he i s dis- various meetings. The stories charged but the discharge papers which are told of the efforts necesare not processed. They are held sary to rehabilitate a drunk have by the personnel manager who then simply frightened a number of heonotifies AA. Several days later ple who were getting near the line they go out and talk to the man at into quitting drinking. I personally his home. In practically all cases know of several dozen cases like the man knows that he is then at this, and of course if they stop the end of his rope–that he can drinking without joining Alcoholics no longer talk himself out of his Anonymous, they, their families troubles. He must do something and the company are a great deal about them and he usually joins AA. better off. Of course, the credit We have a definite policy around for this should accrue to AA. our plant that we do not discharge people for drinking. A committee AA does not confine its activities from our group of A A s are the only to people who work in the shop. people authorized to discharge a The members are willing to and do man for drinking. When they give go anywhere on their own time at up on a drinking employee, then night to help rescue office emand only then is he let go. ployees, some of whom are pretty The percentage of successful high in the organization.. They cases i s miraculously high. We have taken over the task of rehave processed several hundred habilitating the wives of some of people through AA with less than the members of the Thompson a half dozen who subsequently go organization and have done a back to their drinking habits. splendid job. Quite a number to be sure have This letter i s altogether too trouble getting themselves or- brief to tell of the many good ganized the first six months or things which the AA group in our year that they are in the Program, plant has done for our company, but over a period of years very but I cannot emphasize too strongly few have definitely fallen by the that we are extremely proud of the wayside. men in our AA group and while I A A assists the operation of our am not at all certain that there i s plant in a definite tangible manner. a heaven, if there is one, these Since we have had the group in men certainly will go to it.