Who would you pick?

[hotwiretamer]

We had foreman interviews this week and there were three applicants.
The one with the most seniority is a great "employee", hard worker, and dependable. His skills as a lineman are questionable at times.

The one with the second most seniority is a good lineman. Comes up with a lot of good suggestions on the crews. He has had a few run'ins with management. He's is a very "likeable" guy for the most part.

The third lineman has the least seniority. He's a decent lineman, hard worker and very dependable. He is a instructor on the apprentice commitee, honest, easy to get along with.
Has the most "management" skills out of all the candidates, but his experience in management was from somewhere other than linework.

Who would you pick?? The boss will make the announcement Wednesday.

[Lineman North Florida]

We had foreman interviews this week and there were three applicants.
The one with the most seniority is a great "employee", hard worker, and dependable. His skills as a lineman are questionable at times.

The one with the second most seniority is a good lineman. Comes up with a lot of good suggestions on the crews. He has had a few run'ins with management. He's is a very "likeable" guy for the most part.

The third lineman has the least seniority. He's a decent lineman, hard worker and very dependable. He is a instructor on the apprentice commitee, honest, easy to get along with.
Has the most "management" skills out of all the candidates, but his experience in management was from somewhere other than linework.

Who would you pick?? The boss will make the announcement Wednesday.You only said that one was a good lineman and that was number 2, just because he has had a few run ins with management means he has and is probably willing to stand up for himself and or his men when the need arises. Number 1 was according to you questionable as far as his linework skills go, number 3 according to you has only decent skills as a lineman, the answer seems clear cut to me, I would pick number 2.

[Lineman North Florida]

Well who got the job?

[loodvig]

I also would pick #2. He has the balls to stick up for his crew.

[Lineman North Florida]

Sorry HWT I forgot today was Tuesday, you said the announcment would be Wednesday.

[topgroove]

My choice wouldn't be very popular most folks, But I would go with the guy with the most senority. They way I see it you could but thirty lineman in one barn and no two would be alike. As long as the guy uses linehose, blankets, handline all his PPE and works safely Who cares if the job takes two hours or four hours.

If you think about it senority is all we have when it comes down to who gets the promotion. It may not always put the best guy in the right job, But it certainly saves hard feelings down the road.

Of course if the foreman position is a management position and outside of union bargining, I"ld go with the third guy. Keep in mind though, sometimes the most likeable guy dosen't always make the best boss. Upper management is always pushing changes down our throats, and as we all know lineman hate change. Once you make the move to management you've got to committ 100%. You've got to tow the company line and not say $hit if you've got a mouthfull.Their favorite saying is "It is what it is". When your in management, you can't simply shut it down at the end of your shift, You got to take it home with you. Sometimes you got to do things you know are wrong but have to somehow make it work anyway.

Here at Grid, all our foreman positions are union jobs, so unless the guy is a complete lunitic the foreman job goes to the bidder with most senority.

[Pootnaigle]

In My mind if the senior man is capable of doing the job and wants it he should get it. There just may be several others who are better linemen but Unless he has demonstrated that he cant do the job then he should get first shot at it. This will eliminate hard feelings down the road.I have seen several mediocre linemen take a foremans job and really rise to the occasion.I have also seen some damn fine linemen that couldnt run a hobby horse race, let alone a linecrew.

[Lineman North Florida]

The man plainly said that the most senior man's skills as a lineman were questionable at times, when the rest of the crew has a question about how to do something or something technical that if messed up could have serious consequences who should they be able to go to? a man with questionable skills or one who has demonstrated his competence as a lineman but doesn't have quite as much time as the first.I understand the argument to some degree about seniority and do agree that it should count for something , but not just an automatic guarantee to a promotion without the skillset to go with it.

[topgroove]

the most senior man's skills as a lineman were questionable at times.

I guess you would have to define and give examples of what this mans questionable lineman skills entailed. I mean, is this personal opinion or is it fact based on hard evidence.

All I know from the post is that this guy is a Great employee, a hard worker and dependable.


The fact that he has the most senority tells me he's been doing the work longer than the other two. ( unless he worked in another department for a bunch of years and transfered to line)


I'ld have to learn more about what would be considered "questionable lineman skills", before I could rule the guy out.

[hotwiretamer]

Well men, (and ladies) they picked the man with the least seniority!!
What I have heard is he handled the "Bitch" crew (no offense girls) best in the GF's opinion. What we call the bitch crew is a crew that is thrown together when there is enough men and jobs that makes it worth while and productive. All the linemen take turns at running this crew. Usually this crew gets the crappy work like URD replacement including trenching, and fixing the landscape when completed.

There is a ton of aftermath going on, to say the least!

[topgroove]

So I'm assuming at your company a foreman is considered a management position?

[hotwiretamer]

So I'm assuming at your company a foreman is considered a management position?

No sir, there is a "construction supervisor" (management) and then working foreman that run the crews. The job was for a Working Foreman. A union position. In our contract when it comes to promotions, the company basically can promote whoever the hell they want. All things being equal on a promotion, then seniority applies. (Loophole)

[topgroove]

Wow! seams to me, that decision is gonna leave a whole lot of bad feelings. I mean what if you've got a real back stabing kiss ass that goes fishing and deer hunting with the Boses.


Seams to me under your system The fastest tack to foreman would be the guy who kisses the most ass. Just saying.

[hotwiretamer]

Wow! seams to me, that decision is gonna leave a whole lot of bad feelings. I mean what if you've got a real back stabing kiss ass that goes fishing and deer hunting with the Boses.


Seams to me under your system The fastest tack to foreman would be the guy who kisses the most ass. Just saying.

Your right Groove, something we need to work on when it's time to negotiate.

And yes, there is a lot of bad feelings floating around the shop right now.