That's a GREAT
"concept" dallas.
And I believe it right along with ya. CAUSE, that's the way I was raised. We did
EVERYTHING in our Muni utility. Simple as that It was our city. Dist, URD, Trans. Maint?
We did it all....back in 72. When you could hire Linemen, and make apprentices.
Then in 74 I think it was,
PROGESS started to happen. We needed a 69KV Tie Line to another Utility...25 miles away.
Well, in order for us to "do what we did",
AND get the tie line built in the timeframe, our city had to bring in Contractors. Don't really remember if they were union or not...don't matter.
Bottom line nowdays my man....Money and Politics.
What I see, correct me if I'm wrong....Utilities, and Corporations, want as
LITTLE Labor on their payrolls as possible.
They don't want MORE Employees. More wages, more bennies...more "problems".
Contractors are just the "cheaper way out for them". It's all
"Profit Math" man. It's
Capitalism. The most for the least.
The Utilites and Corps are "slimin down". Trouble crews, short crews, tranny maint crews....just the way it is.
The Rest? They'll bring in Contractors. Sorry...it's just "good business". AND...
it ain't gonna change.
Just as a "little example", back in 98 I think it was, FPL had done basically NO maintenance on their system here in Central Florida for YEARS! Just "fix it, and build new stuff". After
YEARS of complaints from customers, the govt regulatory commission stepped in, and
TOLD FPL...You
WILL bring in Contractors to fix your shit system and Cut
your outages.
I think 96-98 was the start of that "corporate" mentality on Labor. It's just cheaper for us as a corporation or utility, to keep minimal employees, and just bring in Contractors. Preferably on "unit work".
It's unfortunately just "Progress" man...for better or worse.