Arto Heinonen
Many people probably wonder why someone wants to sacrifice weekends to work. Those who work on the weekend shift here at Murata usually want to do so for a reason. Many study in the week, others have small children at home, while having five days off also allows people to work another job or engage in other activities. I persuaded one of our long-time operators to do an interview with me, because I wanted to find out why they like weekend shifts.
Arto “Artsi” Heinonen has been working in production for 19 years. Artsi started working Monday to Friday in the so-called KOH cell in 2003. KOH is a working phase where silicon is corroded with potassium hydroxide or KOH. KOH corrosion at different stages is used to create a spring and a mass moving it on wafers. Artsi has been working in many wafer production cells and is very pleased that so many of his colleagues are still in the same workplace. Production areas change, job descriptions develop and coworkers come and go, but his colleagues still make up an excellent team. This is what is most important for Artsi.
Stay-at-home dad and man of many trades
When the weekend shift was planned, Arts had a small child. After considering the proposed shift change for a while, he decided to try out how work and family life would fit together. And fit they did: childcare during the week and work on the weekends. All in all, he was blessed with three children, meaning that everyday life remained busy and there was little time for relaxing. That was true until his children grew up and he had to find something to do in all his spare time. So Artsi went to school to be a masseur. After graduation, everyday life was filled with masseur work and he continued to work weekends in production.
Production areas change, job descriptions develop and coworkers come and go, but his colleagues still make up an excellent team.
Arto’s colleague has tattooed the “Murata Boy” on Arto’s leg. It is Murata’s mascot.
When COVID-19 hit, Artsi’s masseur work stopped and he had to find something to do in the week. Even at this point, he had no intention of changing from the weekend shift back to the weekday shift. Why not? “On the weekends, I get to do my job on my own terms and plan the course of my working day myself,” Artsi explains. So he started a second job at a warehouse on four days of the week, and he continued working at Murata on the weekends. Four days at the warehouse and two in production. He does need one day off. ”I can’t be idle. I can rest for a while, and then I get anxious if I am not doing anything. It’s my nature.” Because Artsi is so active, he likes to be an operator and could not imagine working in an office. On the flipside, he misses social gatherings usually scheduled for the weekend. But these are things that everyone needs to carefully consider for themselves.
That’s the way it is. But I’m sure there are many different production lines and teams who agree that coworkers are the best!
Text and pictures: Veera Saves
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