POWERGRAMS

19 SAFETY Labor Pains S O M E E M P L OY E E S M U S T W O R K W H E N O T H E R S E N J OY H O L I D AY S "Sorry, daddy has to go to work." Countless disappointed kids have heard this refrain. And when your mom or dad works for a company with 1.4 million customers who depend on it 24 hours a day, working on holidays can be unavoidable. "Everybody's got those stories," said Riley Wells, plant manager of Greene County Steam Plant. "When I was in operations, one year I worked every holiday: Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it. There are times when you celebrate early in the morning or the day before." Still, Alabama Power's managers and supervisors work hard to minimize the pain of missed holidays and special occasions. "We never want to force an officer to work a holiday," said Security Operations and Compliance Manager Steve Luciano. "If someone has young kids at home, we try to make sure they're there at Christmas morning." Luciano manages 21 armed security officers at Corporate Headquarters. At least two are on duty every night and weekend, working 12-hour shifts, seven days on and seven days off. The unorthodox schedule, plus the ability to trade or switch shifts, gives them a chance to stay connected with family. "I remember having to get the kids up at 11 at night in the car, as my wife was going to work and I was coming home," said By John Herr • Photography by Ted Tucker Operations Assistant Debra Champion. Birmingham Power Delivery Distribution DOC Team Leader Kevin Cox on controls.

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