I wanted to share with you something that happened to me at work last week (in fact, the very same day that my then BF broke up with me!) because I think it also is a good life lesson I just learned there.

I am a worker on a seniority list and someone who had been hired after me, and who had worked very little in my department overtook me in the list for unfair reasons. I fought back, however, and to my surprise, won.

I just wanted to share what I went through.

First I cried. My initial reaction was to blame myself, even though there was nothing really there to blame. After speaking with friends, I realized the fault was not mine but that there was a flaw in the seniority system, and that I could take action to reestablish the balance. That was the first step.

Second step: I wrote an email to my union representatives, exposing the situation as clearly as I could, nicely, asking them to help me submitting a grievance. I got initial responses that seemed confusing, because I had the impression that they were dismissive, and not really addressing the situation at hand.

So again, at this stage, I felt it was my fault. I felt like David against Goliath. I thought, Who am I to challenge what many people probably sat to bargain for a long time?

Third step: I also kept some hope. I put extra care in my wardrobe this week, because it makes me feel better and more confident, and because it distracted me.

I write this to show how in such an unfair situation, one could just give up and not speak up. And when you do speak up, the most likely reaction, even from otherwise friendly and helpful colleagues, is dismissal. But I think I had touched a sensitive spot with my query, because I recovered my spot on the list!

Like what some battles are worth fighting, even when it seems there is no hope. It's also testimony that there is, sometimes, some justice. There are no words to describe my relief.

PS: I had to shorten this post from its original form.