Comon Guys

[Pootnaigle]

There was a time not so long ago when this board was hopping lets get er goin again Any time you get 2 or more li8nemen in a room theres sumpin to be said but here lately no says anything I ,d really love to see this place buzzin again

[Orgnizdlbr]

Good to see you Poot!



Anyone heading to Puerto Rico?

[rob8210]

Hey Poot ! Good to see you made it through the storm . I was also wondering if anyone was heading to the Caribean islands for the rebuilding.

[bluestreak]

Yes I've noticed there isn't much in the way of conversation in a long while, It could be that a large part of the group is retired and don't have their hands in the business much anymore. After 40 years in the business I've been out of it for 7 years, and boy have things around here changed. When I started in 1970 there was 97 company lineman on the dock and another 50 contractors showing up there too. When the company closed the service center two years ago there were 14 linemen working there. the area is now flooded with contract crews and the company is spending money on upgrades like drunken sailors building permanent roads on ROWs replacing wood with steel on Transmission lines and completely rebuilding distribution feeders. Like I say Ive been out of it for 7 years I still try to go to 6 or 7 union meetings a year and what goes on in the industry makes me realize that I must have been there at the best time as for the lack of discussion on the Forum it could be there is a lot people in the same boat as me retired or the younger people use social media to do their communicating or they don't have time to comment here.

[Orgnizdlbr]

Bluestreak, I started in 72. We had 55 linemen on the dock, prolly 25 contractors in the yard. Same line shop today has 16 linemen. The company claims to be spending hundreds of millions of $$$ on the property, but the infrastructure is like a 3rd world nation's. I retired late 2015 after 43 years, I miss the guys but not the employer......

[Old Line Dog]

I started the trade in 69, and you're right Streak, we were fortunate enough to have been in the trade in the very best of the years. Least I think they were the best years. SO many changes...
I retired 9 years ago, and have to say...it just stopped being "fun" to go to work the last year of so before I retired. Lookin back, I still Loved damn near every minute of it though.:cool:

[rob8210]

I am one of those contractors. Most companies I have worked for treated there men fair and it used to be fun to go to work. The old managers have started retiring and the newer crowd is taking all the fun out of the work, making rules over and above the rule books and hiring no nothing safety guys . Everybody is too serious now. Some places even want you to wear rubber gloves on dead and grounded lines! Liability is the buzzword!
As much as I enjoy doing linework, this new world order makes me wishing for retirement to come soon.

[bluestreak]

rob8210 I did not intend my rant to down grade contract linemen it was meant to show the change in times and the way modern management feels about people, we are just numbers now more than ever. When I first started contractors were on the property to fill peaks and valleys made a lot of sense when things were flush and a lot of work to be done lot of contractors and when things were lean the were laid off and they traveled that used to to be the way things worked and it worked well the company foremen had a close supervisory function so our local rules and standards were maintained. Now in the modern utility world of traveling CEOs and executives we learn how things are done in their old company and not always for the better. Employment at the utilities is at a low and when there is a disaster no longer do you travel a couple of hundred miles to help out now you go 1200 hundred or more because qualified help is so far away. Things that used to be handled in house in a few days now take weeks because of lack of local people and incompetent management and policies.

[rob8210]

Hey Bluestreak . I am sorry if I made you think you were looking down on contractors, that was not my intentions. I was trying to make the same point as you, since I came into the trade the quality and ability of Lineman overall has gone downhill. I have worked both sides of the fence . I have worked for utilities and currently am a contractor. Now there are some utility guys that think we contractors are trying to take their jobs away, which is just not true. Most utility guys realize we are just trying to fill in the gaps . The last few years the workload is more than utilities regular manpower can keep up with. To me , on both sides of the fence attitudes have changed a lot. I am old school , go out and get the job done, do it right and do it safe, then take home a fair days pay for a fair days work.

[Orgnizdlbr]

Some of my coworkers at the utility resented outside contractors and, like Rob said, thought that they were going to take all our work. I knew when we had the brothers and sisters from the outside Local, that we ALL made money. The industry has changed, since dereg it's run by bean counters not engineering or construction folks. Do more with less while more and more rules to cover the company's ass is now the way of the trade. As Bluestreak said, I was fortunate to work in the trade when it was likely the best time to do so, although there were times I didn't think so.....

Rob, when your retirement comes, you're gonna love it, it is one of the greatest inventions ever!!

[Pootnaigle]

yes i think it was the best of times for us Union or NON doest mstter we worked in the best of times

[rob8210]

Thanks Labor, now you fellows have me depressed , I have almost 7 years to go to retirement. At least it’s sounding good!

[Orgnizdlbr]

Rob, you're not gonna believe haw fast those last years will go by. Hang in there brother!

[THE KID]

Lack of experience is a big issue. We have guys with 20 plus yrs and guys up to 5 yrs experience and no one in between. Had some guys move to other companies and that's why we have such a big gap. Had some contractors come in and they had a lot of problems with communications because it was a 4 man crew. They had a B class and C class lineman in the air working and the A class lineman had to stay on the ground because he was the qualified observer. It is hard to explain and train the guys when they are in the air and your on the ground. I said the A class lineman needed to be in the bucket with the guys to be able to show and train them the correct way to work. I said the 4th crew member could watch. He said that wasn't their company policy. And the kicker is the line they were working on was Dead and Grounded.
I try to teach all the younger guys all I know and tell them to learn something new Every Day.

[rob8210]

We have that same knowledge gap in my neck of the woods. I think it is everywhere. There are a few good young lads that are willing to listen and learn , but there are a lot that think they know it all. Sure makes it hard for an older fella to have patience with them. To make matters worse, there is some that should not be in the trade, they just don’t have the ability. An old foreman of mine put it best, “many are called ,few are chosen”

[Pootnaigle]

Thanks fellows I just love signin on to sigtns of recent activity

[Orgnizdlbr]

Good to see you posting again here Poot! We Wud worried about ya!

[polehiker]

Started in Jan. 62 and retired in Oct. 99. It's been awhile, but I still like to check in and see what the trade is up to. Not much going on like it used to be on here. Lots of questions were
answered and a whole bunch of arguing, It was all good reading.18 yrs is along time, but I still remember the good times and the old linemen that trained me and the great buddies I worked with. Talking to young guys when I do get around a crew tells me I probably wouldn't like to go to work in today's world. Better pay, but benefits don't sound so hot. And a whole bunch of rules and regs I don't understand

[Pootnaigle]

As much as I enjoy looking back on my days as a linehand I dont think I could hack it with todays rules andLALL

[Orgnizdlbr]

Like Poot said earlier, I think I was lucky and worked in the trade when it was most likely the best time to be a lineman. Today's rules and regs really are a big stumbling bock for the people in the field. They're there to attempt to insulate the employer from liability if shit happens.

that being said, the old timers who trained me felt that their time was the best and that we were 2 blocked by rules. I still see some of the guys who trained me now and again, and I still have the utmost respect for them. If not for those men who took the time and interest to make sure I was trained and learned, I wouldn't be here today. They taught me a lot, always had my back and made sure we all went home in one piece. I tried to do the same with the young guys I had, and I've had many, I only hope I measured up to those men who trained me.

[Pootnaigle]

a BIG REASON WHY WE couldnt go back is knowing what we know now wouldnt jive with the so called safety rules of today