happy but sad

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got a job today with a master plumber doing service work,so im kinda happy.But at the same time seeing the quality(or lack thereof expected)Im very dissapointed.Not saying im some fantastic plumber since ive done new construction pretty much exclusively,but this really suxx a$$.this guy does not beleive in soldering,takes too long and sharkbites are the shiot,caught me
reaming what little copper was allowed today and told me that takes too long dont do that.slapped a replacement 50 gallon gas water heater in today in 30 minutes and no time to test it for leaks just slap it in and go.Then did a k.s. snake job,guy had 1 generic sewer machine and 1 friggin head/cutter not several ,it was all galvy and the cutter was so big it wouldnt even make the first turn through the san-t ,pulled the head and sent the cable only down and then took my channel locks and tried to squish it down a little(c shaped cutter head) to make it past and he said dont worry about it carry your a$$ and collect the moolah.Now dont get me wrong,I know im union trained and i try to do it right the first time,but i know how to cut corners a little while still trying to do a quality job but this just sucks.Quantity and shoddy workmanship to make the mo$te$t screw quality.I seriously hope work picks up for our hall so i can get back to work and actually be proud of the job I'm doing.
 

Giles

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If I couldn't take pride in my work, I would do the best job I could while looking for another one.
Although a different trade, been there and done that, years ago.
 

hj

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Two considerations. First, around here, and in most halls, going to work for a non-union contractor, which it seems this is, will get you a hefty fine, and possible eviction from the union. Second, if this drain stops up again quickly, or any other repairs have problems, he is going to expect you to go back and redo them "on your own time", regardless of why it happened.
 

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Ive been laid off for a year now,80 some people on the bench so I gotta do what I gotta do,but in this case Im working for a guy just opening a company and they are way too small to compete with any union contractor so as long as i dont work for the competition Im all good as far as the local is concerned.Me going back on my dime definately wont happen,He's the boss he made the call and thats on him.I hope like hell the local picks up some more work though,I'm definately ready to go back.How are the union shops faring where you guys are?
 

hj

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Here, it makes no difference HOW SMALL the company is, you cannot do it, period. If he tells you to do the callback on your time, you will either do it or quit, and if you quit you are back where you started.
 

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They are fairly liberal here I guess on the working for other contractors issue.We in virginia are a fairly small union(probably less than 500 active,in our local)but we are split into three locals for the state(110 is the tidewater area and then theirs 540 only an hour away and another farther out west.We are not a very strong union state,unfortunately.Actually our largest union contractor got out bid by a out of state company on a new hospital job which is a collabarative betwwen bon secours and sentara,if any of you are familiar with them ,and work is so bad that we are trying to get some of our guys in there working for this non-union contractor just to put guys to work.Im doing 90 percent residential so the union is not gonna care 1 way or the other on me working for this guy,it's all residential service with a couple small commercial jobs thrown in.Definately nothing the union is gonna be butthurt about.It's a job so i cant complain too much,but it'd be nice to get back to work with my union brothers.Im happy though in a way to do more diagnostics/service work,that's something that's hard to come by doing new construction only,so it's a nice learning experience in some ways.I was a roofer before plumbing HJ,would i starve to death out in az if I had to rely on roofing only?JC,thats crazy you guys got more laid off than we have total,kinda wish id started my apprenticeship in either chicago or new york,just for the greater experience in both of them.neways you guys have a good 1 im heading off to bed gotta be up at 4 am to get ready 4 work.
 

hj

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Roofers work like crazy after any rainfall out here. People do not know they have bad roofs until they start leaking. You could starve here if you do ANYTHING related to construction. When I wanted start my own company, the union was able to prevent me from doing so for two years, because I changed the impeller on a circulating pump. Then when I had to work for a non-union contractor for those two years, they were able to use that as an excuse to throw me out of the union, not that I was too interested in maintaining my membership by that time.
 
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