ROFLMAO You guys are toooo much. I love the village people smileys, and you're right Laramie, I didn't think that far ahead. That's the problem with being a straight male, we act first and think later. Gotten into trouble a few times because of that. Xray, aren't those types ALWAYS opinionated. They have a right to free speech, but we don't.

 

i know its a little crooked....it says american muscle

 

I have made my living doing the dirtiest, hardest, hazardous trade jobs like building scaffolds in boilers, and also do alot of form work, both of which can be extremely dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
I've done large water coolers, nuclear power plants, huge pole barns, highway overpasses, and even the metal racks inside home depots and lowes.

Sometimes the hall sends us guys who don't have a clue, and I hate to do it, but most of them I send back after 1 day [or night].
I've seen guys busted up and killed on jobs like this, and would rather hurt someones feelings than to have it happen on my watch.
Alot of guys can't pass a drug screen, they are shown the door as soon as the - results come in.
I've seen guys literally cry getting let go like that, things are tight and they need the $$ ,, I have a hard time feeling sorry for them though, they know the rules.

Don't mean to be sexist, but I hate when they send out females.
One chick, I gave what I thought was the easy job, just marking off 4x8 sheets and holding them while they are being cut ... Turns out shes allergic to sawdust.
A friggin carpenter, allergic to sawdust ? "WTF" is what I thought.
Sent us another one doing a 40 ft pole barn ,,, Scared of heights, and this chicks brother was a BA in the union, had to keep her, and she did every useless thing I could think for her to do ,, Which sucked, cause ordinarily we'd shift guys every day to the easy jobs to give them a break from working the heights, couldn't do that with her there.
She was on the job almost 3 months, alot of 12 hour shifts and weekends - The whole time, she picked up nothing more than a tape measure and pencil, wouldn't even look at a power tool, nor would I have wanted to see one in her hands. We were all very disgusted, but my hands were tied.
This was last November, was fairly warm until about the 20th, 1st cold day below 30 she dragged up, didn't even call, so I finally had my excuse to cut her check and let her go.
I could go on and on with the **** help we get sometimes, I've seen "journeymen" who could barely operate a hammer, much less a power tool.

Quite a nice variety of jobs I've had, but I can't be doing stuff like that forever, I'm about to take a certification course in locks & hardware, that'll get me on some clean, ordinary 9 to 5 jobs, something I haven't known in years.

 

Do you feel better?

 

Yeah, I do - Just hope the BA doesn't read it, cause he'll know.
Actually we were pretty good friends until then, or at least had a decent working relationship, but that wrecked our friendship, forcing that useless wench upon our crew like that.
He knew damn well she didn't even come close to pulling half her weight, he even asked me what I thought of her work ethic, I said "what work ethic" ?
He says well, you know, she does jobs that have to be done anyways and I'm thinking sure, send me a damn monkey and in 2 days that thing will be running circles around her.
Sheesh, Ok I'll stop before I write another essay.
Union **** gets me riled up, lets get back to bumper stickers !

 

Yeah, I know. The "SLT" and "V8" emblems are gone, replaced by a Magnum Power emblem and a Tiger Paw magnet. I put the V8 emblem on the grille.

 

Amen....I can agree with both your essays, and it's not a friend that sends you someone like that which will slow you down, and put you in a pickle. That's a nuisance that is. That is someone taking advantage of your friendship. Unions had their place before when workers were being used and abused, now unions mostly hold onto mediocre workers and frown upon the good ones. Why? Because if you work too hard you set too high a bar that everyone else will be measured by. I don't know about other states but here in California the unions have taken over the government and have created such nepotism that this is why the state is going bankrupt. Teachers who are child molesters who can't be fired because of the union. How's that for a great union?

 

i did the bigger pic so you can see my trucker ladies in the window and be able to read my bumper magnet. that light ain't on there anymore either, that was the test light. got 2 smaller ones now.

 

Well, the problem in the carpenters is they started "selling cards" years ago, which basically meant that anyone with $400 could by a card, and claim themselves as a journeyman.
No need for apprentice school or anything like that, they bought their way in - And most of these characters were relatives/neighbors of union leadership, looking to get their buds in on high paying jobs, with little or no experience.
Most skilled trades, a scam like that would be nearly impossible.
Wouldn't work with the electricians, plumbers, iron workers or riggers - But theres just enough dumb monkey jobs on carpenter crews where guys & gals like this can try to wing it, measuring stuff and driving a few odd nails in here and there.
Painters and laborers, from what I understand, have tried the same scam.

These card buyers are patently obvious on any experienced crew, and they are generally shunned, as they deserve.
Once in an odd while there will be one who is actually qualified, maybe he has been doing framing, decks and garages for years, and decided to take the easy way into union pay ,, But most of them are hazards to themselves and everyone around them, you have to watch them like a hawk, and are fit for only the most menial of tasks.
One time I had 3 of them on a crew of 8.
So I took these 3 guys, I said "I got a hot job for you guys", I took them over to a pile of wood and buckets of screws and nails, handed them a blueprint, and said "Ok guys ,,, Build this".
It was an angled, multi run staircase for access to the top of the structure we were working on, this thing didn't need to be built for weeks, as we had all the access we needed for now with ladders, but these guys were dumbstuck.
Not a 1 of them had the first clue how to proceed, they knew it, and they knew I knew it, but they didn't want to admit it for fear of losing their job.
They marked time for about 2 hours, just setting out lumber and staring at the blueprint before I called them out and said look, you guys are journeyman carpenters, right ? So whats the problem here ?
They had to admit they were not qualified to build this structure, I got right on the phone with the BA and said WTF, why are you sending me these useless grunts to do a mans job ?
I put him in a difficult spot because he knew damn well it would be a matter of time before the head honcho of the GC got involved, so he took two of them back and let me replace them with guys of my choice.
But like I said, most of them got angels looking over their shoulders, so there is usually not much a steward or foreman can do, but put up with it, and wait for a chance where they really screw up, then cut them lose.

The drain on the crews who have to put up with an incompetent pretender working right next to them, and the cost to contractors and companies who pay union scale to someone who should not even be getting minimum wage, can be imagined.
Supposedly, they stopped the practice of selling cards years ago, as they were just too much liability ,,, But the ones who got in, and who keep up on their dues, are still "journeymen", and I would not doubt that cards are still being sold, just not so openly as before.

 

Xray, agree with ya totally....

only Union I appreciate/ dont mind working with is NATE (National Association of Tower Erectors, which says their not a union but are) I have never had a problem with anyone associated with them.... however alot of tower guys aren't NATE, and those are the ones giving the Job a bad rap. thankfully I am no longer in a position where I have to care about that stuff

and I love your adam and steve sticker
anyways, I got a few stickers, two were scratched off recently,

#1 I'll keep my money, and you can keep your CHANGE.
#2 My cat is smarter than your honor student, and it doesn't care

those still on my truck (all are taped to the inside of the windows)

"Why do people with closed minds always open their mouth" and "you should not hold strong opinions on that which you do not understand"
Those are both on my topper upper corners of my topper, and I've seen several times in the dirt on the window that people have tried to scratch them off.

on the bottom of the glass there is "MP3 is not a crime" and "I may look weird but i'd kick your a$$ on Jeopardy"

on the bottom of my windshield, it says "if you refrain from running your fingers over my truck, I will refrian from running my truck over your fingers"

I want to get a windshield banner decal that says "Make your own road" just havn't had time to get to a good sign maker lately.