How'd it go today?

We refer to "drag up" as an opportunity for union tradesmen that are getting layed off to gather tools, shake hands etc. It's giving them a freebie on the last hour of their last shift. Some guys that are butt-hurt from getting layed off choose to waive their "drag up" and leave site early and lose the hour wage. Funny how the lazy guys are still pissy and dumbfounded when they're the first cut. Sometimes working harder is working smarter.
 
At my plant seniority dictates who gets laid off and who doesn't. Doesn't matter how good of a worker one is; a good worker will be laid off, and the guy who's out on disability every summer and does the bare minimum will keep his job if he's got a day of seniority over the other guy.
Sure ain't ideal for the company, but I have a hard time sympathizing with them. ;)
 
We are getting riled up over here. Might be rotating strike soon! Gonna show up with a burn barrel and a pitchfork if I end up on the line. Lol. And a bottle of hootch. Kick it old school. Already told my supervisor I'd bash his truck with my sign(or pitchfork) if he was gonna cross the line!

Funny thing is if we have a rotating strike it won't be on weekends so won't affect me. And also the more days they strike the longer my weekend shift will run this winter, usually it comes off for a few months each winter based on veneer supply and market availability. So less weekday shifts will equal more veneer available to be dried by the weekend crew!
 
It is. Just contract time. So the union threatens striking as a negotiating tactic. It's all good/normal. I was just joking around with my supervisor, we had a good chuckle over it.

I just caught up on your job development. Geez man I hope it's alright for you? Couldn't glean to many details but suffering fools takes the fun out of most anything.
 
I understand that mentality as well. I think one of the biggest reasons I've had such difficulty working with others is because I simply cannot tolerate working with idiots and/or people who just DGAF about what they are doing. When I was subcontracting I'd tolerate it with every single crew I worked with for just so long and then I'd quit working with them.

I don't know how or why it happened but I really have been blessed with a huge gift in my life when I hired Ron to start working with me last summer. I finally found another person just like me. He can't stand working with idiots, either. And he has no filter, so he comes across as rude and obnoxious at times, but I can understand (and predict) almost everything that comes out of his mouth. But we sure do work well together. I'm amazed at how our sum total exceeds each of our abilities individually.

Today we had to drop off a truck at my Altec guy in Sarasota. Over 2 hours each way, so we had time to talk a bit on the way back. Ron told me he wants to find and train a ground guy to take his place so he can take my place and I can stay home. I'm blown away that our working relationship has grown to this point and he wants to build a future working for me. It's the next logical step, but I wasn't sure if he wanted to take on more responsibility like that. And obviously I'm not going to quit working and sit at home but having someone to run easier jobs while I attend other issues would be awesome.

So now our dilemma is to find a third person just like us. I laughed and told him it took me 15 years to find him, and our chances of finding a third means we are going to have to weed through a hell of a lot of idiots! But I'm absolutely floored at how much this has improved my outlook today. It feels like today is a turning point of sorts and we have become a team working toward a common goal instead of just an employer and employee.

I'm doing a happy dance in my mind, even if my hip won't let me do it in my living room. :dance:
 
Congrats and good luck finding a good ground guy Brian, I'm sure you two can whip someone into shape! And i definitely agree having good crew members adds to production greater than the sum of its parts.


And good luck on contract negotiations Justin, never a fun time when strikes are mentioned. My local hasn't had a hard-core strike since 82, so if it's mentioned at all here it's a big deal. We have had a few pickets on a few jobs, but those are usually quickly resolved. Hopefully you guys come to a quick and fair agreement, that reflects the business realities and the living expenses realities.
 
Skwerl2 said:
I finally found another person just like me. He can't stand working with idiots, either. And he has no filter, so he comes across as rude and obnoxious at times, but I can understand (and predict) almost everything that comes out of his mouth. But we sure do work well together. I'm amazed at how our sum total exceeds each of our abilities individually.
Click to expand...

Sounds like me. I wish I could find my double. I thought I did once, and worked for him for a while till that business fell apart as I went off to school.
 
That's really good to hear, Brian. Is he flying a bucket and climbing yet? Sounds like you could have the potential for 2 crews in the future if you wanted.
 
Tree09 said:
Congrats and good luck finding a good ground guy Brian, I'm sure you two can whip someone into shape! And i definitely agree having good crew members adds to production greater than the sum of its parts.


And good luck on contract negotiations Justin, never a fun time when strikes are mentioned. My local hasn't had a hard-core strike since 82, so if it's mentioned at all here it's a big deal. We have had a few pickets on a few jobs, but those are usually quickly resolved. Hopefully you guys come to a quick and fair agreement, that reflects the business realities and the living expenses realities.
Click to expand...

I'm not concerned. I still believe it'll all come together last minute. But rotating strikes means it's one day here and one day at another mill etc etc. I don't believe our union has been on strike since the early 90's.
 
Steve, I was riding at snowy wilderness which are located about half hr from jindabyne down the Barry way at a place called ingebirah. Lovely place with limited to no phone reception in most places. Same place as the timber hut that I am looking at fixing up. Just need to adjust the quote and then resend it. I'll start a thread and post pics in it along with a few vids as I have over 300 files to go through.6hrs of video from memory.
 
Great country, I worked on the Snowy Scheme for a few years. Cabramurra, Khancoben, Talbingo, thought I'd like to end up in Corryong but when I went back it had changed so ended up coming here. Used to go fishing at Dartmouth, half hour by boat to the camp spot. You can't get much further away than that. Good luck with it.

edit. Picture of Dartmouth Dam.

Dartmouth-Dam-flood-management-21588_0.jpg
 
We've been logging in the forest behind my house.
Made it easy for me to get my firewood home, I just had the forwarder bring it.
With the ground so dry after this summer's drought, she didn't leave hardly a mark in my pasture:)

P1060494.JPG P1060498.JPG P1060493.JPG
 
Your company trying to make a two tier wage set-up, Justin?
That's what we were fighting last year. We lost. Now 2 people work side by side doing the exact same job but the newer guy permanently gets 7$ an hour less.
 
Nothing that drastic. Company wants to cap our dental at $2500 I think? Right now it has no cap. And they want to extend the probation period from 30-90 days as well as have a training wage for that period and up to full rate after. Right now training wage is within cents of full rate for entry level jobs. I think that's about the jist of it. I think they are also arguing about how much of a annual raise we get? Company wants like 2-3% and union wants like 5 ish I think. And lastly the duration of the contract. Company wants five year and union wants three I think? I haven't really followed all that closely.

I tell yah it's pretty cushy. My extended health coverage is at 100% because we all went and got glasses this year($400 per family member every two years)which pushed us over a 1000 in use and so my coverage goes from 80 to 100%. I went for another free massage yesterday of which each family member gets $550 a year in coverage for, more with a doctors note if I want that says I 'need' massages. Who doesn't? Lol.

I'll just let the union and the company suss it all out. I'm all for getting as much wage/benefits as I can.


Stig now that's getting your firewood delivered in style!
 
Ha sorry Mick!

You will be happy to know that no one bought my farm so now we have a tenant in the other place and I still have reason to get out of bed every morning. Namely, a mortgage.
 
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