Y’all might recall some of my recent posts about a difficult project I have going, most recently the thread about the broken floor tiles. More of the same ilk …
About 2 weeks before the branch opened, before the furniture was moved in, when really only the contractors crews were in the building, all of the commodes backed up and overflowed. Ok, “all” is 2 potties in the womens room and one in the men’s room, plus a urinal. Called the gc, he sent the plumber, he snaked the commode and pulled out 4-6 brown paper towels that someone used rather than regular tp. A little fingerpointing, but we had not accepted delivery of the building, so it’s on him.
About 3 week later, the branch has been open for 2 days, and I get a call from the branch manager … all the potties are backed up and overflowing. There has been regular tp in the restrooms for more than a week, and no paper towels. Call the gc, he calls the plumber, same act part 2. GC calls back the next day, says the plumber ran a camera into the line and found a broken pipe outside the building line, beyond their limit of work. Oops, so sorry, not his responsibility to fix.
Next day i have my maintenance dept call their regular plumber to assess and repair. Can’t have a branch without any potties, so just go find the problem and make it go away. Plumber calls back mid afternoon, he ran a camera in the line, found a sizeable rock in the pipe between the cleanout and the city line. Did not find a broken pipe. They jetted the pipe, moved the rock to the bigger city line, and all is well.
I have not called the gc back yet. 1 – I’m on vacation, and 2 – I’m formulating my response. I stongly suspect that his plumber did not run a camera into the line, and I know he didn’t find a broken pipe. I suspect that the rock got into the line when the new building plumbing was connected to the existing pipe outside the foundation line during this remodel. Could have be someone playing a joke, could have been a rock falling into the excavation and bouncing sideways directly into the open pipe, could have been the Cookie Monster … who knows.
So what do i tell the gc? I pretty much have my response made up, but I’m looking for advice.
“Put your creed in your deed.” Emerson
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
Replies
I'd just call him up, tell him what your plumber found and ask him to pay for the second service call.
"Let's go to the video tape". If you have the evidence to show him, something clear enough to identify the problem and it's position then you've got a point of leverage. Otherwise it's up to him whether he wants to keep you happy or not.
Edited 7/4/2008 12:16 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
i concur
the video tape is (should be) pretty conclusive evidence.
carpenter in transition
When I was a planner responsible for getting a HUD elderly housing project built and then ran it (because idiot boss didn't hire a manager on time), one lady's toilet kept overflowing. We'd plunge it and it would work for a while, then it would back up again. She lived on fifth floor. Then one fine Saturday morning, I get called that two units on first floor have overflowing toilets. Long and the short of it is, after boss came over with maintenance guy and auger and destroyed one toilet and flung sewage all over the bathroom, we had someone jackhammer the concrete floor and opened the line to find that there was a fist sized piece of concrete in it.
We had had "labor problems" during the construction and apparently one union guy dropped the concrete down the vent stack and it lodged for a time on fifth floor (where it also acted like a flap, that plunging would temporarily flip open), then came loose and lodged on first floor. Union alos dropped a cable spool on a balconty and broke off the corner. Probably did other things they are still finding out about.
And I bet that non-union tradesmen have never been involved in jobsite sabotage or personal vendettas......
Or tradespeople that get PO'd at each other due to non-existant job overlays (plumber, sprinkler, main electric and HVAC all in the same spot and elevation)...
How bout issues caused by the GC scheduling everyone at once to get the project done faster and get an early completion bonus?
Yup, its gotta be the fault of a unionized worker.
Believe what you want, but you weren't there--there were many incidents of union guys doing stuff to the non-union guys they didn't think should be on site. The union guys were the ones who had a problem, so why would non-union guys who were glad to have the work sabotage a project where there only problem was with the union employees of the GC? I know I'm wasting my time explaining, but in the vain hope that you'd listen to reason, I tried.
Unfortunately, there are still union members that think they are entitled to sabotage the work of a non-union tradesman...
And the unions wonder why they have a bad rap.
One of the houses I worked on back in the 80's was victimized by the union. They used something to scratch every window from the inside on a very nice, large home. My union brothers LOL. The situation started when someone told me that the union was picketing the entrance of the sub. I went out there and found a crew of carpenters picketing the non union "scabs"...me LOL! I knew one of the guys...we went through the apprenticehip program together. He told me I was paying substandard wages and cutting his bosses prices. I told him I paid whatever the carpenter asked for. He asked me "would you pay me $23 per hour?" That included benefits during that time period. I said "Yes and I'd put the entire amount on your check and you could spend it any way you want". He then told me I was cutting prices. I told him "I'm not even working for the builder your company wants to work for, but tell your boss that my price is $5 more than his and I'd appreciate it if he's stop cutting prices!"My union brothers didn't have an answer. All they could mutter was "well, you're making too much money by not paying your help the right amount...". I still laugh at that today. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Pardon my ignorance, but you are detailing an event that took place between 19 and 28 years ago. Kinda like thinking that all diesel vehicles are bad because of the GM 350 diesel.
I was not in a union during that time period.
I would hope that things are a little better today. I have not been on a jobsite yet that has union members yelling things like "scab" to the non-union tradesmen. Nor have I witnessed union/non-union vandalisim, but that doesn't mean that those things don't exist.
The only thing the union provides for me is benefits and a decent wage.
I'm only detailing something that I know happeded to me on a first hand basis. I'm not implying that it is happening today. I'm not anti-union, nor pro-union. I'm glad that you are getting the wages and benfits that you deserve. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
why would the non union guys sabotage the job?
because everyone woud think it was the union guys who did it, and because they are jealous of the union guys making more money and wanting to get even.
it could well be either group, and is the fault of management for not creating and maintaining a fair and equitable work site for all parties involved.
if they couldn't do it without some union crafts they should have done it all union, trying to save money cost them more money in the long run.
i'm not saying its right, that the guys will do that, but the guys will do that and as a manager or business person you have to be aware of the environment you exist in and manage accordingly. all managements fault.
The truth will set you free.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07