Work In Four Conrners

Date 06-12-2009 21:00

keep your 35 hours a week theres nothing rig related available anywhere. i'm sure it's hard to make ends meet on 35 hrs a week but it's better than nothing

By tigrooter (**)

Date 06-12-2009 22:03

shad you get on a line yet?

By chris2698 (****)

Date 06-12-2009 23:02

I work with a guy who complaining about how he can't take his 40ft boat out because he doesn't make enough but I don't think he understands he's not gonna find anything else around

By raftergwelding (*****)

Date 06-13-2009 16:32

man i cant even get a fence line i guess it's the area i live in i've even tried going single hand and nothing

By Smooth Operator (***)

Date 06-12-2009 23:14

Shad, Your absolutely right about stayin' where hes' at . I got 4 craftsmen workin' in the shop and they finished the last job on the books 2 weeks early. I still have them workin' 4/8's till things get better ,but I gotta draw money from savings to make payroll and S-T-R-E-A-C-H the time to conserve money, they've been with me awhile so I don't want to loose them, but they also have to realize things are tight. "We're all in the same boat so jumpin' ship isn't gonna solve anything" not to mention makin' you look like an ingrate to everybody else. Find some side work or curtail some hobbies this isn't the first time its been like this and won't be the last. PS. GO STEELERS in the hunt for #7

By spgtti

Date 06-13-2009 02:18

I've never seen anyone considered ungrateful for leaving a job that can't pay 40 hrs. Loyalty only goes as far as the check, so as far as that goes if they ain't payin, most folks ain't staying.

There are jobs out there they just might not pay as much, or be next to the house, or as glamorous as you'd like 'em to be but they beat the hell out of repos and foreclosure.

Most people here are waiting on high end 150k+ construction jobs that aren't year round, stable and come and go all the time. No one ever knows what next year will bring so I've learned to:
*never live beyond the income of my worst year unless I do it in cash
*never put all your eggs in one basket, adjust to the next latest and greatest moneymaker and learn all you can about every aspect of the trade (plant work, pipelines, powerhouses and any and all ways to weld what goes into these places)
*give everyone you work for a fair days work for a fair days pay
*only believe 50% of what you see and nothing of what you hear, contractors lie as well and as much as any snake oil salesman, unless their checks are still cashing.

By Tom11980 (*)

Date 06-13-2009 04:10

Yeah I haven't left yet I just want to start looking I do not really care where it is in the USA but Ihave to feed the family so I do not have much choise but start looking

By welderjack (*)

Date 06-13-2009 12:15

heck i went back to building race engines for dirt cars ( round arounds ) and hot rods and i weld on weekends in pipe yards repairing anything from forklifts to test plugs but at lest i am making ends meet for now
there is work out there it just might be a day here and 3 days with a some other comp

By Joseph P. Kane (****)

Date 06-13-2009 12:54

Welderjack

Try some punctuation and capitalization!

Joe Kane

By Smooth Operator (***)

Date 06-13-2009 21:59

Spgtti , I've been in this business since 1982 and have seen alot of ups and downs. The ingrates I'm talkin' about are guys that think they should be exempt or impervious from economies downturns, if business is slow IT'S GOING TO AFFECT YOU period. I take care of my guys best I can, but if a guy can't see it or doesn't care to see it then he has problems besides income. I also like the guys that get suckered into running to another fab. shop because their payin' another buck or two above whats rate in the area, they have to go NOW because their needed imediately and then the job is finished and their DONE that day. It's funny when they walk back in tryin' to act like they did nothing stupid and want to come back ,but they were told on hire " You can leave whenever you want, just don't leave me without 2 wks. notice and you only leave once" guess they think their so good you will always need them.( Have had at least 20 guys since I started pull this) My shop foreman knows don't even bother me with this nonsense! Bottom line is my business will survive to make money again and if you have key employees to take care of (because they make you money) then I do what I can to care for them. I could last alot longer laying everyone off , let the secretary answer the phone and I could go fishin' till things pick up and hire a new crew ,but I wouldn't consider that loyalty on my part. One of the best lessons I learned about business was when US STEEL bought MARATHON OIL and at the news conference a reporter asked the CEO "why did US STEEL buy MARATHON because your in the steel business not the oil business " the CEO replied "no US STEEL is in business to make MONEY not steel or oil", I think alot of people lose sight of that fact about businesses. PS. GO PITTSBURGH, THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS STEELERS AND STANLEY CUP WINNERS, PENS.

By Tom11980 (*)

Date 06-14-2009 04:38

That is awesome I would work for you any day Smooth Operator, There are no shops like that any more. I know in my shop anyways, I am just a number and will always be as such. The day they can pay some one less to do the same thing I can do I will be gone. Really in times like these I know it is just a matter of time till they lay me off. Even though I have never been late day (I hate that more then anyhting when people show up late) and I work for more then my share of my paycheck. It just really doesn't matter to them. I was brought up a good days work for a good days pay, end of story but it just does not seem like it is that way any more. A guy has to be all buddy buddy with the boss or related to him in some way to keep your job. Which isn't fair like I said I am never late I work every minute of the day that is possible and get more work done then a lot of the guys there but in end that will not matter. I feel like a slot machine when I quit spitting out money for them I will be gone.

By ibeweldingsum (***)

Date 06-14-2009 15:23

Well guys I know how it is . I have taken a job for a buddy of mine who's a shop manager in a truck and custom fabrication shop just to keep the wolves from the door. So don't feel alone. I'm not to proud to take a job to feed my family no matter how degraded I feel. Anyways, they think I'm a guru there because I can do so much more then all the other guys in the shop. The moneys not all that good but atleast I'm working.

By Tom11980 (*)

Date 06-15-2009 01:31

I just can not wait to get back to contracting.