My ecig caused a huge crapstorm at work.

[316lvm]

I read your post, and have a few questions. You said you work for a large corporation and mentioned a foreman.

Is there a possibility that the objection to vapping is a safety issue? Are you working around machines, chemicals, heavy equipment? If it's a safety issue, then I don't foresee you winning this one.

If it's not a safety issue, then the advice you have gotten from posters is good advice.

I'd listen to what everyone has to say. Then educate them on the e-cig and then hit them where the money is - that your productivity would go up since you wouldn't be taking all that time going in and out vapping or smoking.

Hit them with how much this saves on health insurance, sick days lost due to health problems from smoking.

After your presentation, turn to your partner and tell him, "Hey man, I'm real sorry if this thing has bothered you. It wasn't my intention to cause any problems with anybody. I got mixed messages and I'm glad we're here to clear the air on this." Kill 'em with kindness (but hey, it might be a woman thang - u know?)

Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[seegood]

I agree you should treat it like as real cig. It looks like one to everyone else. Unless you are the boss and it is in your own office! I always stick with the smokers with mine and go outside. Only smokers understand the greatness of vaping anyway! Trying to be a trouble maker is just going to ruin it for vaping....it is a smoking alternative period. Better than a analog...what upsets everyone right now is that the public largely does not understand this...educating in a in your face way will just met resistance.

 

[Firegrl]

I agree you should treat it like as real cig. It looks like one to everyone else. Unless you are the boss and it is in your own office! I always stick with the smokers with mine and go outside. Only smokers understand the greatness of vaping anyway! Trying to be a trouble maker is just going to ruin it for vaping....it is a smoking alternative period. Better than a analog...what upsets everyone right now is that the public largely does not understand this...educating in a in your face way will just met resistance.

Yea, I have to agree here. Is losing your job, or worse, being the "black sheep" that always causes trouble and gets treated like CR*P at work really worth being able to vape here and there? I wouldn't think so.

 

[sbphotog]

I wouldn't want to raise a stink about it in the office, but I wouldn't want to have to go out with the smokers either. I wouldn't want to expose myself to others' smoke when I don't do it anymore. What I would do is, no matter who wins I would continue to vape in the office....I would just stealth vape (not exhale the vapor). They'll never know you are doing it and there will be nothing for anyone to complain about.

 

[Drozd]

I see this totally different from most everyone else here..
They're all saying state of the economy, don't risk your job etc..

What I'm seeing is that you're working a union job in a union plant not a place with a no cause firing policy..so you're kinda protected..they have to have reason and good reason at that..
Theres no policy on it, HR hasn't decreed that it's against the rules, one foreman said it was ok, another on another shift said he didn't know about it..
Theres no combustion so you don't have to worry about open flames or even 100% spark containment areas..

I'd say you're good..vape on..now in the meeting you might get a final answer or ruling by the company..and that might change..they might tell you to knock it off..if you want to be vindictive about what the other guy is doing well that might not be kosher for the union steward thats going to bat for you since you're calling out a "brother" (and I mean that in a union sense not a racial thing)...
Just come armed with info..make sure that you mention that it got you off regual cigs (if it did) and that it's unfair to stick you with the smokers and have to suffer their second hand smoke now that you kicked the habit..if you have non nic juice arm up a spare with it and bring it into the meeting..let them try it if they want and question it..

I actually think that we need more people in more union protected jobs to do as you're doing..it pushes it more into the light and public eye and will help set definitive policies (though you might not like the policy set) at least we'll know where we stand instead of having to tip toe around everyone..
Depending on your steward, I'd be ...... at the other guy for ratting out his union "brother" and being a company shill..and I'd bring up anything the other guy is doing wrong quietly with the union rep first (like knocking off early for lunch etc.) and let him bring it up if he chooses though..

It's definitely a different age now where there used to be worker's rights and know it's turned into a be thankfull for a job, kiss .... and sell out your fellow worker, and be sneaky kind of attitude..

 

[Poeia]

In an organization as large and structured as that one, the most important thing is if it is against the rules. I doubt they already have a rule about PVs. After this, they probably will have one.

On your side is the fact that you asked several of the foremen and was told that it was okay. I assume your committeeman has to do with the union. You also checked with him and he said it wasn't against the rules. You definitely asked for permission before you started vaping at work.

Working against you is the fact that the general boss said "I don't know about that and I wouldn't do that if I were you." You should have followed up on that and gotten an official ruling from the company then. It doesn't matter that he's no longer on the same shift. He gets to say "I told him he shouldn't do it."

At the Union meeting, you need to keep repeating "I asked 6 people -- 4 foremen, my committeeman and one general boss -- before I vaped inside. Five of them said it was fine and the last one said he didn't know." (Or whatever the correct numbers are.)

But what I'm confused about is the behavior of your coworker. You said you had been vaping at work for a while, stopped and just started again. Were you working together when you used to vape on the job? Did he complain about it before or did his reaction come out of nowhere? If he never complained before, could it just have been the smell of the liquid you were using today?

It seems to me that there's something missing from your post to explain why someone would go from saying nothing to tapping you so hard it almost qualified as hitting you. And whatever that is will be brought up at the Union meeting and any company meetings about the subject.

Good luck on Monday. We need as many companies as possible to realize that having employees vape instead of smoke is a good thing.

 

[spaky]

I think this is a problem with so many new people starting to vape now. Since they are told that it isn't smoke, they can do it anywhere and it should be ok. All this is going to do is get vaping banned in places it doesn't need to be banned. Whenever I vape in a place that is nonsmoking, I always try and be very discreet about it. I try to cover up the LED and slowly blow the vapor out down toward my shirt. While I love blowing out a huge cloud as much as the next person, I also enjoy vaping wherever I want and don't want to get into confrontations with people that I don't need to. Any place anywhere has the right to tell you that you can't vape there, but what they don't know and can't see won't hurt them.

 

[devo6786]

just go outside and vape. end of argument.

unfortunately, until ecigs get more exposure to most of the population they look like cigarettes.

i personally go outside and vape

 

[BradSmith]

Good luck, this reminds me of why I don't miss working for the man. It seems that at every union job I have had there were always trouble makers. Often as not the union stewards. I swear it has something to do with having to much time or their hands or just the fact that they are bored with their job and looking for entertainment at someone elses expense.

As for what to do, that's up to you and no one knows your situation better than you.

 

[gratefulbuddy]

I thought this was gonna be a bathroom related thread. Aww shucks. Fooled again.

 

[rosesense]

I agree with Amy. I don't use or ask to use it inside. People would think I was smoking and that would open a big mess. I disagree with the person who said to point out how much money you will save them by not taking smoke breaks. Most places that I know of only entitle you to two fifteen minute breaks per day. I don't want to end up with bosses watching my breaks so closely that all I have is that short time to use the restroom, vape and whatever.

 

[Brandnew vper]

agreed with above thread. I know this sucks but there is still too little knowledge on what the e cig actually consist off and what the vapor chemically is. they might ban it they might not. I would bite my lip. Just go with the flow. There are some really good points here. It depends on how you wanna spend your days or if you want a job. No one is saying you cant stick up for yourself. At the end of the day it comes down to one question. Whats the best way to enjoy your life? Is it NO job and looking. Is it a ....ty job enviorment? Or is it a good job with opportunities for YOU and FAMILY?

 

[Brandnew vper]

....ty= quality sorry

 

[DerekPGH]

How about everyone stop worrying about your vaping, and start makign dependable cars again

 

[Belletrist]

I think this is a problem with so many new people starting to vape now. Since they are told that it isn't smoke, they can do it anywhere and it should be ok. All this is going to do is get vaping banned in places it doesn't need to be banned. Whenever I vape in a place that is nonsmoking, I always try and be very discreet about it. I try to cover up the LED and slowly blow the vapor out down toward my shirt. While I love blowing out a huge cloud as much as the next person, I also enjoy vaping wherever I want and don't want to get into confrontations with people that I don't need to. Any place anywhere has the right to tell you that you can't vape there, but what they don't know and can't see won't hurt them.

totally agree and talked about it on the blog today. i vape everywhere. but i do it discreetly. why? because the best way to get the public to understand that vaping isn't intrusive is to NOT BE INTRUSIVE. i don't go through great lengths to hide it--i just make sure it's not a big deal, and not even noticeable. i think if more vapers did that, people would have a better impression of vaping and understand more clearly that it's not smoking. when someone does eventually notice me vaping, they're always surprised and impressed by the fact that it's not, well, like smoking. you can't discreetly smoke a cigarette in the grocery store, lol.

 

[Whitbit]

While I agree that you should be allowed to use it at work, I personally don't vape anywhere that's going to cause people to question me or object to it. I know you think these people are being disagreeable, but a lot of what you mentioned is what people here on the forums are looking to try to avoid.

People who 'push the vaping' thing in places where it isn't welcome, is what has us all dreading what is going to happen with the legality of it all. People really aren't giving ecigs a very warm welcome and things like this is exactly why. Of course it is because of misinformation, but that doesn't mean they have to give it a chance. I just think it is safer to go ahead and not cause a stink and vape in the places I used to have to smoke, unless I am at home.

 

[Drummel]

I'm new here and I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but I just saw this thread and felt I needed to apply my opinion as well, we are, afterall, trying to keep a the community of vaping fresh and open, no?

Today is my first full day vaping, yesterday I vaped for 6 hours, so to say I am new at this, yes.... having said that


I've been a smoker for just over 20 years, (started really young) and as far as works concern smoking, chewing, snuff..etc is a break style activity.

Putting the "smoking" law aside, private business can say no, they really don't need a reason. It's their property, wether they understand what E-Cig's are or not. In all fairness pushing the matter in this way is what causes the negativity from outsite groups. The very thing it would appear the community would like to avoid.

----HOWEVER... I did vape off and on throughout work today, I did not let it effect anyone around me, or my own personal workload (in the office or the warehouses). What I did was just take a drag and held it in for 7-10 seconds. The vapor dissipates VERY quickly compared with analog smoke, so in a sense you can enjoy a brief vaping session here and there, and bother noone. If they don't see it, they *more than likely* wouldn't have an association with smoking. That's not to say some wouldn't ask.

Be careful, have fun vaping, and watch out for the eggshells we walk on.

I'm not against you, just giving my point of view

 

[Belletrist]

on the same page with you, drummel.

 

[Katattack]

You probably won't lose your job or get fired if it's not included/excluded in policy. However, now that it's out there a decision will be made and you'll have to abide by it. You're union so...I'd keep a log of what is/isn't said to you as it may be considered retribution but other than that sounds like it's outta your hands now.

 

[Moriah]

I had no intentions of ever vaping at my desk, because I work a helpdesk and we're all in one room with each other. I have someone sitting within 3 feet of me. Even if it isn't harmful, he'd still be seeing it and smelling it, and if he didn't want to smell it (I guess not everyone likes blueberry cheesecake) he'd have no choice.

But I did show my PV to my boss, mainly because I wanted to make sure she knew what it was if a coworker saw me with it and got the wrong idea about which substance it was supposed to deliver to my bloodstream (heheh). And she asked if it was prescription, I told her no, and she said it needed to be done outside.

I have stealth-vaped in a quiet room or in the bathroom, and no one has been the wiser, but I haven't done it at my desk, nor do I intend to.

One thing she mentioned was that since it was not prescription, she felt she had to treat it the same way that other smokeless tobacco products were treated -- which was "not at the desk". If your coworkers are allowed to dip while they're actively working, that might be something you could mention.

One thing, though.... if my boss had said I could use it at my desk, but the coworker who was three feet away from me complained.... I would have stopped using it at the desk. For all I know he could be an ex-smoker who gets cravings triggered by seeing what appears to be "smoking". Besides, I started smoking in the first place to be able to take breaks at work.... why would I give up my breaks with vaping? *grin*