Started a new job today. Big commercial job. All union. I have always had my card and kept the dues but for a few years I took a leave lets say and worked for another non union company. Made the same money as union and had benefits for my family. Also moved up in the company real fast. Sometimes it was a good thing other times was not.
Anyways I seen the same things here that I seen before I left the union world a whaile back.
Now all you union guys dont get all upset at what I’m about to say. But are all union jobs slow and a little lazy?
Hers some examples:
sparkys- no ladders just those little electric lifts. Takes longer to get the lift into position and work than it would to get a step ladder and do the job. Also with the ladder there would be less damage to the framing and door frames.
Plumbers and pipe fitters- same thing about the lifts as above and the slow rough ins. Two bed two bath unit takes four days to rough in?
tinners- again with the lifts and the production.
I know this is a residential geared site but they are condos that I’m hanging so close enough. but some of the guys I work with do just enough to get by. We have a program based on the size of the unit on how long it should take to hang. Now if this was piece work those guys would starve. The main reason I took this job is our housing is slowed way down and I hate to be off and my family, but I’m worried this might make me lazy and not want to go back if the other company picks up.
So i guess my question is any other union jobs like this?
Oh yeah almost forgot. When I tell the guys that I work with about piece work rates they have this look of how can you hang that much and make that kind of money. Maybe not cut out to be union.
update:
Started hanging retail spaces all demising wall on the first floor. Easy work 20′ to the ceiling all 12′ stand up 95 sheets tops and bottoms by myself. one day. foreman comes to me and says you need to slow down because this is t &m. I asked how many sheets a day do you want from me and he says 35.
he says tommorow i am giving you one of the other foreman from a job that just finished and he will make shure that you hit that number.
I have a feeling my back is going to hurt tommorow from this guy.
also alll the mechanical trades had a major lay off about 50% so the guys that are left now are going slower than before. i miss houses.
however it is good pay and at least I’m working thank god for that.
Edited 1/13/2009 9:43 pm ET by dirtysanchez
Replies
As a Union T- bar guy I've seen it both ways.
I've seen some real lazy job sites and sparkys as well as other trades that don't want to climb ladders. This may also be a safety issue as we have been on a few jobs where rolling Perry scaffolds were not allowed without locking the wheels but a man lift was. there is a bigger chance of getting injured climbing up and down a scaffold say 300 times/ day than just scooting along while running grid.
FWIW: I don't drink the union Kool- Aid.
ML
As a commercial drywaller/ framer that came up through nonunion residential piecework also, I totally understand your post.
Only thing I can say is that it is a different world. Safety rules nearly eliminate ladder work for most trades. I am no fan of lifts, I spent a half of a day last week taking pictures of ripped up work from sloppy driving, and our contract "up fronts" state no back charges for trade damage.
The way we used to hang with planks and ladders over stairs and stuff like that just does not fly anymore. Most hangers today would have starved in the days of 5 cents a foot. Oh well, times change.
Most of the projects I work on are of such a large scale that it takes the unions just to be able to aproach the logistics of being able to build them. After a couple of years it becomes clear why it costs so much to build these projects. Production may seem slow, but just the vast numbers result in some huge buildings in an relative fast period of time.
As for yourself, it sounds like there is not much choice. You go to go where the work is, or make a change in your trade.
For myself, commercial work is sometimes very frustrating, always behind schedule, never enough production, building things with half a$$ed plans at furious rates. Hey, its what I do and I am paid to do it. Here I go again, out the door at 4:50 am for another day of abuse!
Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
I think you answered your own question.
Somewhere in there you said that there isn't much work around right now. When that's the case, many guys will dog it as much as they can, to avoid the inevitable layoff, for as long as possible. That's true of both union and non-union tradespeople.