brickNblock Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Of the 34yrs Ive been a bricklayer, almost 20 of them yrs I was a company owner. Come winter when the sub zero weather came and its high winds the jobs would be winterized by us for our own good.....Todays bricklayers pay someone else big bucks to tarp in their projects and supply heat. But not turn it on. I would arrive at 4am religiously to turn on the heat for work under the tarps and more importantly under a temporary shelter that covered the sand and cements w/mixer...then leave for breakfeast to return at about 7am ready for mixing mortar......Today, they first arrive at 7:30am and apply a tiger torch or 2 to the sand and water and everyone retreats to their vehicles for warmth until about 10am to inspect the results of their efforts in heating. Well, I live a mite further from work now but have still made the drive every morning, waited til 10am...and then be instructed that it is too cold for the mortar......... No freaking kidding, we've had some serious wind chill and temps.......... I ask the guy, why do you pay the big bucks for all this winterization and dont even work, (something I used to do myself)....His reply.....What?....You want me to come in at 6am or something? Net result........Employees have no hours, hence no pay The project, (in the case residential) is seriously delayed........????????? new homeowners now delayed. It is not a rare thing, I have found this to be a common situation now-a-days. There was a time we'd shut down for the winter for the many reasons and just pound 'er for 9 1/2 months a year. Summer Strikes in the early '80's changed all that and made winters the most worked where most projects were paint ready come the spring. The builder has time frames to work within for the new homeowners......these time frames are not enforced upon the subcontractor at all come winter. I dunno.........????????????????? This bricklayer isnt spending $30 a day anymore in gas for my truck to just be told to go home.......So Im just not going in plainNsimple...Ill await the call when ready. I could be out icefishing or at least shovelling my driveway better or making our ice shoot a little higher and longer. The kids an I have shovelled the lawn as well as driveway into a huge mound that Ive hosed down at night...we've cut a luge type thing into this mound for the kids to have a blast on...they actually travel quite quickly on their snow sleds and boards. Anyone else have an employment that has been changed with the newer practises? (I've already offered my services to come in at 4am as I have relayed this little story to my employer too...Cheap I might add, for my gas alone) I also tried to educate him to a scenario of how great he would look to the builder toughing it out for completion on time)....Homeowners gripe about their homes being built in the winter, when its cold like this it is good...its the spring or rainy weather that does the most damge. Thats my rant for the day.....most likely the rest of the winter....... Broke....but still alive to carp about it. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioFisherman Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Although I am no longer in it, the trucking industry changed from the time I started to the time I left. Most of the changes were strictly due to a cost cutting factor, some also due to advances in thinking. LOL older guys might remember getting behind a truck going up a hill? The darn things were seriously under powered, some of the tractor trailers still used gas engines. The highway system has improved greatly. Palletized freight has speeded up the movement of freight. Being a city driver was for the most part an 8 hour job when I started, overtime was mostly determined by how far away your local run took you from the terminal, obviously a guy that had to drive an hour and a half to his first stop got more. Deregulation of the trucking industry changed a lot of things, do more with less people. Combine runs force people to work overtime up to the legal limits, and turn your back if they go over. If someone complains about going over on a regular basis "he is a trouble maker" if someone complains about being forced to pull loads "over the legal limit" he is a trouble maker! If you get caught doing the above? "we never told you to do that"! LOL it was sort of interesting but I should have got a proper ejumakshun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verno Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Its the touchy, feely, sensitive generation, where people want to be employed but not work. AMEN. One of my part time jobs drives me nuts. Guys will moan for an hour about doing half an hour of extra work, and then end up doing it any ways. Some of the young guys I work with (I'm only 30) rush through and do a really half assed job and then wonder why we lose contracts. They like the idea of getting paid, they just dont like the idea of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickNblock Posted February 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Hey there Paul..........Had no idea you were a truckdriver........forsure some other profession and now a recently retired muddywatah catfish pro. holdfast......... my lord man...yes , you understand big time. Larger then life when it comes to my own petty bief though!!!!!!! You too Verno............... like it was said... Its great to have employment....and you say you want a cheque too.....best be working for it Bud.................Best be working for it.!!!!!!!!!!!1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 I hear ya Pete, been doing this construction thing for 30years and the whole thing has changed since I started. Sometimes it just not how well you do your job it's all about the money and "arn't you done yet". One of my pet pieves is out of sequence work that generally cost more (for the subs) and takes longer. Whopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northwood Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Hey peter whats going on... sounds like your in the dumps,.." Yup sucks with no money,.." Hey i'am in plant 2 General Motors.. I'am on layoff this monday for 2 weeks...this has been going on for a couple of months now.. eventually plant 2 is history.. and it will be transformed into one plant.... I get paid for the layoff thought,,. do you want to hook up next week for some ice fishing... I got a ice hut.. heater... power auger and if it's freezing cold we just hide inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioFisherman Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 muddy water catfish pro? My wife has caught bigger cats in the pristine waters of Ontario than I have caught in the muddy waters here! LOL Peter, I tried the factory thing when I got out of high school, couldn`t handle being trapped inside all day. It did give me a chance to see all kinds of strange things, LOL. I had other job offers over the years, not much on telling people what to do and being disappointed with the results and didn`t want the responsibility of answering for other people actions. Wearing a suit to work seems a lot like a straight jacket to me. Retirement was forced on me by illness, I would still be doing something besides falling down a lot if I was able, LOL. A job was a place for me to go to work and earn a living, I let the geniuses show me they can run it properly. Almost 40 years of working, never had any problem getting a job or two if I wanted them. Dirt washes off, never afraid to get dirty. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northwood Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 ..BUMP,.." Hey Peter,.." What do you think all you have to do is buy the coffee on the way home.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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