Page 14 of 16 FirstFirst ... 4 12 13 14 15 16 LastLast
Results 131 to 140 of 159
  1. #131
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Buffalo
    Posts
    3,000

    Default

    Featured Sponsor

    True.. but ya gotta admitt.. Things are a hell of alot greener on this side of the fence.

  2. #132

    Default Ya See........

    Quote Originally Posted by topgroove View Post
    True.. but ya gotta admitt.. Things are a hell of alot greener on this side of the fence.
    Are ya scared, do you want to be run by other's, it's easy right, just have that old cruch to fall back on, I really did'nt want that contract, I was just out voted.

    I will keep bitchin so it look's like I really didn't want it to pass, but when really deep down ya did. Put on a tough face, strut around and point finger's.

    Tell people your sick of them holding ya back, but not your fault right.

    I'm not scared Top, I used to kill myself for $7.00 an hour, I worked 7 day's a week, alot of double shift's, I used to bust slag with a jack hammer shovel it thru a 4' hole I had to crawl into.

    It has nothin with what I would loose or greener pasture's, these are the greenist this old small town boy has ever seen. It is about what I do, it makes me who I am, Being a Journeyman Lineman is what it's about.

    It has to mean something. I want to be proud of it. I am not proud of what we are becoming, anything would be worth the risk to change it.

  3. #133
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Buffalo
    Posts
    3,000

    Default

    Hey I agree with everything your saying but we're getting a little off topic. Sure there's problems withen the union but the bottom line is how can we change the mentality of rat contractors like pike. How the hell can we as lineman stop the killing.

  4. #134

    Default Your right......

    Quote Originally Posted by topgroove View Post
    Hey I agree with everything your saying but we're getting a little off topic. Sure there's problems withen the union but the bottom line is how can we change the mentality of rat contractors like pike. How the hell can we as lineman stop the killing.
    And congrat's, 1000, I don't know.

    I really don't understand it. Is it to the point because of lined insulated bucket's, gloves, sleeve's, rubber boot's maybe they really don't know what they are doing. They are told, what can happen to you. Maybe there crew leader's that are out there don't know themselves. But someone does know, I really don't know what these kid's make an hr, they are just tryin to be lineman, just want to show someone what they can do, and it's getting them killed.

    Ya see Top, the laws are there to protect outfit's like Pike. Right to work states, even OSHA.

    I guess all I can do, is ask the lineman for Pike to stop. If they do know what there doing as they claim, then train these kid's. If they don't know what they are doing, be man enough to admit it, ask for help, you can't fake your way through it, this shit won't let you, these kid's really don't know any better.

    80 day's, already workin in the zone, I really don't know what to say.

  5. #135

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by topgroove View Post
    I remember awile back at my local IBEW 97 we were talking about what it would take to leave our local and join our own with just lineman. We were told if the membership voted on it and it passed we would have to go without representation for a certain length of time. I can't remember the time length of time but I think it was one year. That pretty much ended the idea.
    It's a year UNLESS you can get the current representing local to agree to it! Good luck with that one though!

  6. Default

    Quote Originally Posted by johnbellamy View Post
    I guess all I can do, is ask the lineman for Pike to stop. If they do know what there doing as they claim, then train these kid's. If they don't know what they are doing, be man enough to admit it, ask for help, you can't fake your way through it, this shit won't let you, these kid's really don't know any better.

    80 day's, already workin in the zone, I really don't know what to say.
    Well said.


    I can only speak for myself but if I don't know what's going on, i'll stop and ask... You can't blame a man from the gutter or someone with skeletons in the closet for taking the pike approach to learn the trade. Just as long as they understand the risk is the ultimate price. Hell even you union hands with whatever lineman school you've completed take that risk... Smartest man in the world-- One bad move-- It's over. Shit you've done 1,000x can be thing that gets you.

    Bottom line, I work for pike, I've never worked along side any union lineman but I can tell you now the fellas on my crew are pretty damn good and while the moral is usually low due to obvious reasons (pay, equipment, assholes) we always communicate before any dangerous step and get it done SAFELY

    I know the grass is greener on the other side, 50 an hour, good lord! I make well under half of that and put my life at risk all the time... I'll just keep on learning and hope one day my knowledge will get me to those green fields ya'll speak of.


    Be safe

  7. #137
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Buffalo
    Posts
    3,000

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hotrod View Post
    Bottom line, I work for pike, I've never worked along side any union lineman but I can tell you now the fellas on my crew are pretty damn good and while the moral is usually low due to obvious reasons (pay, equipment, assholes) we always communicate before any dangerous step and get it done SAFELY

    I know the grass is greener on the other side, 50 an hour, good lord! I make well under half of that and put my life at risk all the time... I'll just keep on learning and hope one day my knowledge will get me to those green fields ya'll speak of.


    Be safe
    thanks for posting hotrod. I'm sure Pike has tons of great lineman. my battle is not with the lineman( except when they cross picket lines). My battle is with management and there nasty habbit of putting un-qualified apprentices in the primary. Sure we could blame the forman but its got to come from management. Been doing this gig for alot of years and trust me hotrod there's not a god damn thing we do thats so important we put someone in danger.

    At Pike what is the training timeline like?

  8. #138
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Heart of Virginia, USA
    Posts
    764

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by johnbellamy View Post
    How do ya think that would work for them, is your knowledge and skill set worth it for a company to keep.

    Does Duke keep Union Lineman employed? Why is that.

    Do we continue on the same path we are on now. Nothing is getting better, Only worse, it's that "is it really that bad" how bad do you really want change.

    It get's back to that "I got to much to Loose".

    To me, I can't talk tough no more, I can't say I was just out voted and bitch no more, I can't. I can't blame anybody for what is happening. Guy's can blow smoke all they want, we have been run over, no real fight left in us.
    I know Iknow... I'm jamming up the thread... sorry... maybe we should start a new one for this shit no idea what to call it or if maybe it should be in the union forum...

    I remember I think it was in the 80's I was in LU666 (richmond)and they went all inside...the lineman had to move thier tickets to lu70 (DC).... a buch of us were pissed had no clue how to fight it or stop it but we were outnumbered and out voted... so off to 70 we went... so now were in an all OC local... I think it was 30 days or maybe 90 till we could vote and like 30 days till we could voice... totally ****ed a bunch of us that went to LOCAL meetings cuz now instead of a 30 min or hour drive it was 2-3 hours and thats if traffic was good...

    I ended up moving the wife and kids up north for some "long term" work and ended up transfering to 126 I did have to wait a year there to vote but only 30 days or so to voice...
    I always liked 126 they had little lu divisions kinda so you were always with in an hour or so of the hall... hope it's still like that.... prolyy the best local I've ever been in and VERY pro lineman... with many good hands and dedicated union men...

    I just worder how that would work for a utlity local...

    would it be starting a new LU if we went stictly lineman (all lineman... mission,bustion,urd, OC...ute?)... or be a branch? just got me thinkin... man you boys were busy chatting it up last nite... I know there a timezone differece but damn do you guys ever sleep?

    or is my old age showing up again?

    for what it's worth...

    Edge

  9. #139

    Default Pain.......

    Not much sleep, I don't think Top ever sleep's.............

    I will tell you Edge, I think Local 125 is one of the best, Lineman are dedicated to continue Stick, there is not a strong non-union present's here in the NW.

    Where that has mostly changed is in the excavting part. Ditch work, or dirt work, putting in vault's, pipe, stuff like that, used to be if they sent a backhoe or excavator out, and they wern't Union, Lineman would shut it down. But it's that old clique', you give it up, you won't get it back.

    There are alot of smaller utilities, PUD's, Co-op's and such, and the two big private owned, Pacific Power, and Portland General. And of course Construction, which has made huge stride's. Just got to have the steady work.

    To be honest, this is really the best I have ever felt about thing's. Local 125 has a chance to set the standard, just will we do it. We got a good Rep., I believe he has the member's best interest in mind, as well as the Local.

    Our contract is up in a year, got our ass's handed to us last time. Will we get our different yard's on the same page, and be prepaired, give our negoitiating team our full support. I really hope so. We will see.

    We can't be scared, It's kinda like the last stand here, It dose not seem they are bargaining anymore, they are dictating, I hope we go down swingin, But we ain't goin down.

  10. #140
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Buffalo
    Posts
    3,000

    Default

    Featured Sponsorr

    electriclady told me Pike was on first energy property on last years strike. I also remember Lizzy Bordan talking about Pike crossing their picket line. Red Simpson actually advertised for strike work years ago before they got bought by pike. A couple years ago someone posted a picture of pike crews giving the picket line the finger.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •