Are you happy with your company?

[Orgnizdlbr]

Yeah, he's talking about di-electric over shoes. Word is they want us to wear them all the time too. I work for the same parent company, different employer different state. There were 2 fatalities this year, both on storm trouble, therefore the di-electric shoe rule. Both men were on the ground when contact was made, not that the hot shoe would save your ass if you came in contact.....

Avid, you have valid questions and concerns. Whether you're stupid to stay with the employer is not for your coworkers to say, it's for you to say. Ive been at JCP&L for 36 years, it aint what it used to be...but what company that was part of the old regulated utility industry is? There are some out there, but many have merged or been bought out, now their run by bean counters who dont know the business. Therein lies the problem. Take for instance the fatalities this year, rather than share what was found in the investigations, they enact more rules, as if the rules in place were the problem.

Back to being called stupid, the older guys say things like that out of frustration. They know how it was, see the changes, I share their frustration. First Energy is not an employee friendly company, be glad your in the union, although most wont tell you, I have had 1st line supervisors and managers tell me they are afraid for their jobs. So, thats the envirement they created, if you choose to stay, get used to it. Keep your options open is the best advice I can give. PP&L pays their journeymen better than Medt-ed, If you live near their territory, look into it.

As far as the cost of benefits, look around it's happening everywhere. Healthcare costs are costing all of us more and more. The bulk of your H/C packege is still paid for by the employer. There are working people in this country that would kill for your H/C package. So keep it all in perspective, dont forget, we were paying $5.00 a month for h/c for a family, we had 1st dollar coverage at our HMO/PPO and we still bitched about it.

[mx-5]

did you not read my thread?.not only did most old timer foreman not talk to apprentices but when they did it was to remind you how stupid you were..did i like it,of course not,did i whine and complain,you nuts..if that got back to the foreman,it would have been 10 times worse..not all foreman were like that,some were a pleasure to work with,they would even say hey.as i look back i realized that some of these foreman were just testing you,and some just didn't like app's.. cause thats how they "were brought up"..personally i never treated app's like that cause i remember how it made me feel.. after i made journeyman these "old timers" were totally different. my point to the kid is this,you're character is being challenged..show those "old timers" you can handle it.....sorry if i was a little harsh earlier..

[returntotheeve]

did you not read my thread?.not only did most old timer foreman not talk to apprentices but when they did it was to remind you how stupid you were..did i like it,of course not,did i whine and complain,you nuts..if that got back to the foreman,it would have been 10 times worse..not all foreman were like that,some were a pleasure to work with,they would even say hey.as i look back i realized that some of these foreman were just testing you,and some just didn't like app's.. cause thats how they "were brought up"..personally i never treated app's like that cause i remember how it made me feel.. after i made journeyman these "old timers" were totally different. my point to the kid is this,you're character is being challenged..show those "old timers" you can handle it.....sorry if i was a little harsh earlier..

It's all good. Your input is alot more than some guys are willing to give. I know I appreciate it. It was always a mind game to me. I don't know if I was good at it but I never got messed with, or maybe I could just roll with it. However I do think it's very important to be able to know you can count on each other to be on the same page. Sometimes you get there by getting into someone's ass. At the end of the day its really looking out for you pole buddy. Oh' and aint much wrong with the grunt humping the linemans tools. He's carrying you, what are you carrying?

[Boomer gone soft]

I think Avid may have some valid complaints, but the fact is he is "just an ape". Although the apes pay dues the same as us, the fact remains this is a lineman's union.

Too many apes get into trouble by shooting off their mouths out of frustration.

A lot of the fault of that situation is with us JLs. We need to be the ones to speak up. We should be the ones who are willing to take the heat when we see something needs changing.

I don't give a damn what the "old timers" think about that. If my apprentice is a failure, who truly failed? ME. It's my job to teach him not just the job, but how to negotiate the political pitfalls. Too many "journeyman" are willing to take the easy way out.

[Highplains Drifter]

The way the industry is going today as soon as a man tops out he wants to get right in the seat of a pickup. The bad part is it takes another eight years after topping out to really become a hand. They still smell like an ape for some time afterwards!!! I am a production hand and if the apprentice can’t make it, down the road he goes. I see way to many folks that are here for the pay check and not the love of the trade and I feel these are the problem ones. The folks that are assholes to the individual apprentice either had a terrible apprenticeship or have a lot of insecurities about line work themselves and do not have any knowledge of teaching. The advantage a construction apprentice has over the power company one is that by being placed around different contractors and locations he will be around the teachers, the production hands and get to witness the junk line folks . An apprentice to me is just another tool to accomplish the job and the more I train him the easier my job becomes. It is such a great feeling walking into the hall and seeing a man who was you’re ape signing the books as a journeyman lineman!!!

[Avid]

I didn't mean to sound as if I was criticizing the JL or the leader. They told me they're all viewed as being a PITA by the others. Mainly because they care about what they do, do it right, and don't f around getting it done.

Oh they ride me all the time but it's just out of fun and I don't mind. As they say I'm part of the dark side now. I've got more respect for these guys than I can say and I'm glad I get to learn from them. I've seen and done a lot more than some of the others here. It's great experience and I'm glad since this leader is going to retire in a few years.

They've all told me I'm going to make a good lineman and because of that, that it'd be stupid for me to stay here with this company.

So maybe that makes more sense for those that thought I was criticizing them or complaining about the work.

As organizedlabor said earlier this isn't an employee friendly company. I just wanted to get outside opinions as to how others like their company. And to see if the issues here are just as common elsewhere. I'm not getting any younger (28) and whereever I do end up I'd like to stay for the rest of my career.

[rcdallas]

If what they say starts with something like you stupid f$ck likely means they are in fact really are calling you a dumbass.

Sometimes they'll yell to you, not at you. There's a difference.

Some have had to learn the hard way and lack teaching skills and pretty much say the hell with you, one day your going to be taking MY job.

When you respond or voice a concern a lot of it depends on how you present it as to how they'll respond to it.

Others could be having a bad day (or maybe that's just how they are and walk the world pissed off) and don't want to talk to you, so you need to learn to know what they are doing without actually talking... have things before they need it.

[glovenlove13kva]

Yes I'm happy where I work, of course there are good days and bad.Mostly good.It's like a soap opera at times (when the meter turns) with some of the guys.But no matter where you go you're going to have that.That is just life.If you're looking for a good place to work try the company I work for.

[grizzlybuck]

Avid, I got started in linework just before some of the major changes that all old hands complain about were being implemented. As others have said almost all companies have changed for the worse (remember, we remember the bad and forget the good) The old hands had years of being treated one way and remember the good stuff (they seem to forget being told "if you don't like it, go sell shoes") take what they say with a grain of salt.

We have had some guys where I work leave to work elsewhere, and most seem to feel like it was a good move, but pride might make them say that as well. My only advice would be, if you do decide to go elsewhere after you get your J card, try to talk with some of the hands where you're thinking about going to get a feel of what they think of their employer.

When I came up, a lot of the Journeymen would get on the apes, most just out of fun, some were a-holes. Back when everything was done off the wood, the ape screwing up could really get the Jman in a crack, so they had to make sure they could trust the apes, sort of like breaking the ape down and rebuilding him, if he broke, he was down the road, if not he had been somewhat tempered by fire. Nowadays, if they're getting on you, it either means they see potential in you, or they're just being a-holes.

Sorry if this has been a rambling reply, working third trick trouble shift right now, and my head's a little foggy.

[mainline]

I am not making any comment on anyone skills, but some people are untrainable. The way that utilities are now the managment won't do anything about the weak sheep so they force the linemen into it. Some ball busting is to be expected, it usually menas they like you, but if you are told you aren't going to make it by a bunch of people maybe it means something. Or maybe you just work with a bunch of a-holes.