# I Start Work Tomorrow!



## The Lightman (Jan 9, 2010)

Way to go!


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

good deal, good luck. don't forget to keep track of your hours/keep paystubs so you can prove your hours in case you never get back to apprentice school you can still take the test.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Good luck with your new job :thumbsup:

Pictures.. we like pictures


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

Black4Truck said:


> Good luck with your new job :thumbsup:


Yes, good luck with the new job. :thumbsup:



> Pictures.. we like pictures



I would be careful about taking pictures in someones home.

I know as a HO I would be wondering if you are casing my place for a future robbery.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Bob Badger said:


> I would be careful about taking pictures in someones home.
> 
> I know as a HO I would be wondering if you are casing my place for a future robbery.


You have a point, but I was thinking mansions under new construction with all the bells and whistles.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

Black4Truck said:


> I was thinking mansions under new construction with all the bells and whistles.


In that case go nuts.:thumbsup:

I was thinking occupied homes.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Congratulations. Show up with a smile on your face and act excited, yourself. Be wary of others that start talking down other workers. Create your own impression of your co-workers.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> Create your own impression of your co-workers.


That's good advice right there.


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

good luck on the new job,,,,where im at residential is a bit more fast paced,but nothing you cant handle..i typically ask before takin pics,,,never had a problem but i do keep them within our field of work,,,,in my opinion its VERY important to measure evrything correctly,,,hi end homes could have 20 to 30 cans in one room like the kitchen, so they have to look good in the end,,,check yours plans good for countertop and cabints,,,and get some good knee pads,,,,every house i have done had the plugs in the baseboard,,,that means 2 to 300 plugs on your knees...:thumbup:


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## The Lightman (Jan 9, 2010)

the plugs?


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

The Lightman said:


> the plugs?


In the baseboard???


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## ichimo23 (Nov 30, 2009)

Congrats! and good luck at the new gig. I did a lot of High-end custom homes (McMansions) here in the Phoenix area before life as we know it ended. Are you doing primarily new construction, or remodels?


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

Congrats!!! Sounds like he does a lot of the same work we do. Highend remodel means he does work for rich people.:thumbsup:


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

RIVETER said:


> In the baseboard???


 here almost all custom houses have the plugs in the baseboard,,,,,bedrooms hallways etc.its usually a 8 to 10 in. wood baseboard.,,,,this is in custom houses..here.


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## crazyboy (Nov 8, 2008)

Congrats.

West Philly? :laughing:


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

crazyboy said:


> Congrats.
> 
> West Philly? :laughing:


Heh, nah, West *of* Philly. :thumbsup:

Cityline Ave area.


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## HAND (Jul 15, 2010)

Frasbee said:


> I'd like to thank you all for your support and feedback in my resume thread. The resume this owner received was the one I had adjusted to fit in your recommendations, so I'm sure it worked to my benefit.
> 
> This guy does "high end" residential work. Still not exactly sure what that means, but his shop is in the middle of some nice suburbs West of Philly. I really hope things work out here, considering my previous employers, I never know what to expect. Residential work is definitely not my strength, but I believe it's important to learn, so hopefully I'll stick with it long enough to pick a few things up.
> 
> Time to go dust off my tools. :thumbup:


Congrats! 
And try to do the best job you can, soon you are going to be an old fart like me and are going to be fixin the poo the younger guys make.
Check your ego at the door.


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## s.kelly (Mar 20, 2009)

good luck!


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

High end residential is the only residential to be doing. I know one guy that a big builder would only have wire his jobs. They were willing to pay for neat, top of the line work. Learning resi is important. Look at all the houses out there.


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## TheRick (Apr 13, 2008)

Good Luck!


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

Well, howd the job go? You a Romex whizz now?


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

nitro71 said:


> Well, howd the job go? You a Romex whizz now?


Right now I'm going to say, to be determined.

There are some things about the way the boss handles time (and it's correlation to pay), that I'm not fond of, and I'll leave it at that.

Let's just say, the job hunt never ends...


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

nitro71 said:


> High end residential is the only residential to be doing.


The only? Yes, it is great to do but it can be a pita as well. From a worker stand-point doing only high-end resi work can become exhausting and stressful. I haven't done much high-end resi this year but I can tell you one thing, I'm not missing the designers. 

On the other hand, if Frasbee is just roping and this is steady work, there's no better on site training than high-end work in a residential setting, for residential work.

(I dunno if that makes sense but I tried.)

And good luck Frasbee.
:thumbsup:


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Right now I'm going to say, to be determined.
> 
> There are some things about the way the boss handles time (and it's correlation to pay), that I'm not fond of, and I'll leave it at that.
> 
> Let's just say, the job hunt never ends...


Uh oh. 
You can't leave it at that, not after peaking the interest of ET users.
What gives?
:001_huh:
:thumbup:


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Right now I'm going to say, to be determined.
> 
> There are some things about the way the boss handles time (and it's correlation to pay), that I'm not fond of, and I'll leave it at that.
> 
> Let's just say, the job hunt never ends...


Sorry about that, learn what you can and stick with it. Maybe you'll be able to negotiate some better terms. It's good to get that skill set under your belt. You'll do residential on and off till you die whether it's your own, your friends or for work.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> Right now I'm going to say, to be determined.
> 
> There are some things about the way the boss handles time (and it's correlation to pay), that I'm not fond of, and I'll leave it at that.
> 
> Let's just say, the job hunt never ends...


either spit it out or dont say anything. None of this half assed tidbits of information... Girls go that.

~Matt


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Rudeboy said:


> Uh oh.
> You can't leave it at that, not after peaking the interest of ET users.
> What gives?
> :001_huh:
> :thumbup:


You never know who might be reading. :shifty:

Let me clarify that I am happy to be employed, and to be even getting 40 hours at all. I just don't imagine my time with this company being much more than a means to an end, after all, I start class at ABC next month which is gonna cost me $$$.

Enjoying what I do makes a lot of things tolerable.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> You never know who might be reading. :shifty:


Bah.. dont need to be scared. Ive never said anything here, or anywhere in the internet for that matter, that I wouldnt say to someones face, including my boss. 

I NEED MORE HOURS IF YOU ARE READING THIS JOE!

~Matt


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

Honestly most electricians don't browse this forum. We are unique. I know zero electricians from my city on here.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

nitro71 said:


> Honestly most electricians don't browse this forum. We are unique. I know zero electricians from my city on here.


I still have yet to meet someone in person that enjoys the electrical trade as much as I do.

~Matt


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Like I said in my initial response, _to be determined. _Gimme a few days and I'll let you know. I prefer to be very deliberate in what information I disclose, and what I say in general. Plus it was only the first day, I spent the morning digging and laying PVC, the afternoon was mixed between sweeping dirt and then making up a panel. The jury is still out.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> Like I said in my initial response, _to be determined. _Gimme a few days and I'll let you know. I prefer to be very deliberate in what information I disclose, and what I say in general. Plus it was only the first day, I spent the morning digging and laying PVC, the afternoon was mixed between sweeping dirt and then making up a panel. The jury is still out.


sounds like a normal day.. except sweeping dirt... ive never swept dirt.:blink:

~Matt


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> sounds like a normal day.. except sweeping dirt... ive never swept dirt.:blink:
> 
> ~Matt


I was told rich people like their dirt to look a certain way.

I'm oversimplifying, but it was still silly in my opinion.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> I was told rich people like their dirt to look a certain way.
> 
> I'm oversimplifying, but it was still silly in my opinion.


Wait, you actually did sweep dirt? :laughing:

~Matt


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Frasbee, it sounds like you just embarked on a career as a landscaper.
:laughing:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Rudeboy said:


> Frasbee, it sounds like you just embarked on a career as a landscaper.
> :laughing:


Nah, he will never make it as a landscaper... theres tons of landscapers outside home depot that will work for almost nothing.

~Matt


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> Wait, you actually did sweep dirt? :laughing:
> 
> ~Matt


I think he was refferring to pulling the broom over the closed trench to make it look unopened. The broom takes the last of the dirt off the grass, stands the grass back up and reorients the soil. Try it next time you close a trench it doesnt take long and it makes the end result look cleaner.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

gold said:


> I think he was refferring to pulling the broom over the closed trench to make it look unopened. The broom takes the last of the dirt off the grass, stands the grass back up and reorients the soil. Try it next time you close a trench it doesnt take long and it makes the end result look cleaner.


Why does that matter, Unless you use water and a tamper, the dirt in the trench is going to settle anyway, making it obvious there was a trench there. 

~Matt


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> Why does that matter, Unless you use water and a tamper, the dirt in the trench is going to settle anyway, making it obvious there was a trench there.
> 
> ~Matt


With a 4" wide 24" deep slit trench you can hand tamp pretty well with an electric jack hammer. The extra sweeping is purely for look. Excavate onto a tarp or plactic. Rake tamp rake tamp sweep add top soil/seed. It really does leave a clean finish, just enough to impress your customer. Often you do have to return to groom it a few weeks later. In this type of hi end resi tho coming back is usually a good chance to make more face time with the customer.

I Got an electric hammer with a 4x4 tamp bit for a few hundred bucks from harbor freight that I use for just that. Its cheap but it works really well.

FRAS
Some of the stuff this guy shows you like sweeping dirt, is really good stuff to know. Its what seperates him from his competition. Doing these tedious little task to impress the customer will make you a better employee in the long run. I know its only resi but keep an open mind to it. You'll find days where you work 4 hours and clean 4 hours. If you want to impress your boss spend ten minutes at the end of every day with some simple green and paper towels. wipe baseboards door knobs outlet covers walls etc. If your doing that while he is talking to the customer he may be more likely to take extra time teaching you the stuff you really want to learn.

clean the shovels before they go in the truck
Clean the customers door mat before you leave
Smile look happy even if your not
Keep a small tarp or mat between tools and the customers floors
USE TARPS OR PLASTIC EVERYWHERE
If you use the bathroom clean it up, dont leave water on the sink etc
Dont walk on the grass
Wash your hands often so you dont leave prints everywhere
Leave your radio at home
Dont swear

This stuff seams obvious but it is JUST AS IMPORTANT as your skillset in this part of the trade.

Just my opinion take it for what its worth.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

gold said:


> clean the shovels before they go in the truck
> Clean the customers door mat before you leave
> Smile look happy even if your not
> Keep a small tarp or mat between tools and the customers floors
> ...



These are very good ideals, except for the grass. Sometimes its necessary to walk on the grass. Just be VERY careful when walking on it when its wet or raining.. very easy to make mud spots.

~Matt


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## user438 (Jun 6, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> Like I said in my initial response, _to be determined. _Gimme a few days and I'll let you know. I prefer to be very deliberate in what information I disclose, and what I say in general. Plus it was only the first day, I spent the morning digging and laying PVC, the afternoon was mixed between sweeping dirt and then making up a panel. The jury is still out.


 
Sounds like a normal day, whats the problem, there was no fat ass lazy journeyman sitting on a bucket telling you how " Hard core " commercial work is ?


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

zen said:


> here almost all custom houses have the plugs in the baseboard,,,,,bedrooms hallways etc.its usually a 8 to o10 in. wood baseboard.,,,,this is in custom houses..here.


Could you post a few pictures. I would like to see what is more attractive about it.


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

I've said this before but receps in the baseboard are an all around pita. It's not as bad if the baseboard is consistent throughout the house but some custom homes have different height or style baseboard within the same house. That's when it becomes a problem.


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

ill get some pics...but basically what happens is we nail 1 or 2 blocks on the botton plate and the nail on box on them horizontally,,,depending on the baseboard height.


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

this is one example.
View attachment 4069


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

zen said:


> this is one example.
> View attachment 4069


My home is not high end but I would not like that in a low end home.:no:


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

it seems the designers feel that they need to be out of sight,,,usually the baseboards are painted close to a almond or light almond to hide them even more,,of coarse brown in the studies,,we are expected to do 100 plugs a day per person. ive spent many days on my knees putting in plugs,,,2 in screws and arc guards do become annoying after 4 or 5 hours...


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## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

They put them in the baseboard here in alot of older style or "barge-board" houses. I don't think there was enough room for a full size box in the wall. They are a real p.i.t.a....I usually use the cut corner boxes and nail teh box into the baseboard from the inside of the box.


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

i feel your pain..im the guy who has to cut all the blocks for the bottom plate then go back and nail the boxes to them...in my opinion custom house require serious hard work and dont pay that great,,,,,im waiting on a call for a commercial job


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Rich R said:


> Sounds like a normal day, whats the problem, there was no fat ass lazy journeyman sitting on a bucket telling you how " Hard core " commercial work is ?


No, the work is fine.

As Tool said, I shouldn't have mentioned that there was an issue, but here it is.

Look, I'm employed hourly, but we are expected to be _at_ the shop 1/2 an hour early, unpaid, and we also don't receive overtime unless specifically approved for it. So if we stay an hour or 2 every day to get a job done, for a week, past 8 hours, we won't get paid for it. 

As a co-worker said, if you're under 40, you get paid under 40, if you're over 40, you get paid 40. The owner never made this clear to me, I found out from all the employees.

The only positive spin I can put on this is that this practice will really drive me to work as fast as possible. So for my own personal goals, I will embrace it.


And to Gold: I don't work directly with the boss. I've only seen him at the shop. It seems more like a bunch of almost journeymen and experienced helpers running the jobs.

Also, after seeing your work buddy use those offset screwdrivers, I'm gonna buy them myself. Not as cumbersome as even the smallest baby drill, but way faster than a normal screw driver. They were just never that useful on a commercial job, but now that I'm knee deep in residential, I'm sold.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

Don't sweat putting in the extra hours. Don't sweat taking a extra long break either! A half hour early is excessive but at least you're getting 40 and you are learning the trade! It could be a lot worse! You should apply for the Union in your area. It might take a while.. but you're young and have time. Work open shop and get in the IBEW when you can. Working for most open shops you aren't going to have a lot to show for it after 4-6 years in but making bills, maybe. I'm not a die hard union guy but at your age there are serious benifets to getting in when you can. I was making 18 part time, another guy I talked to was making 20 full time. Boss said told him there were 700 people that wanted his job and that was what he was paying. Now we're making 27/hr + full health bennies, +4/hr retirement that you are 100% vested in as you earn it. I'm busting ass trying to make my company money so they can keep paying me! Just saying you should think about it.


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> No, the work is fine.


I hate those wobbly drivers. Small flat head whia works better and faster than those things. They make an awful noise too. I have a phillips one if you want it for free.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

I wasn't keen on them either, but after working with this one guy, the difference in time was really noticeable once we came across some inch long 8-32's.

If you lived close by I'd take you up on your offer, but it's not worth the shipping. Thanks, though.


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> I wasn't keen on them either, but after working with this one guy, the difference in time was really noticeable once we came across some inch long 8-32's.
> 
> If you lived close by I'd take you up on your offer, but it's not worth the shipping. Thanks, though.


You sure? sasd, and it's yours. You could use a usps flat rate envelope. I've been trying to give a lot of tools away and no takers lately.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Rudeboy said:


> You sure? sasd, and it's yours. You could use a usps flat rate envelope. I've been trying to give *a lot* of tools away and no takers lately.


Now I'm curious.

What else were you trying to get rid of?


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> No, the work is fine.
> 
> As Tool said, I shouldn't have mentioned that there was an issue, but here it is.
> 
> ...





Frasbee this guy is a creep. He has to pay you overtime for anything over 40, like it or not. And that sh*t about showing up a half hour early and not being paid is total exploitation. HE HAS TO PAY YOU.

Don't get comfortable with this slime ball. Move on as fast as you can.


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## The Lightman (Jan 9, 2010)

*Disney agreed to pay more than $433K in back wages, officials say*

By Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel 11:11 p.m. EDT, August 26, 2010
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts agreed to pay almost a half-million dollars in back pay to 69 employees to compensate for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.Labor officials said an investigation revealed that inventory-control clerks in the company's food and beverage department *were not paid for work activities that occurred before and after their shifts*,....

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...workers-win-back-pay-20100826,0,1817712.story


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

But at least he has a electrical job. In a perfect world you get ice cream at break and the boss buys pizza every friday. This is a hard market right now.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

This is the type of crap these guy's pull that pisses me off. Most of these kids are probably making between $12-15 per hour, maybe one or two are making a little more, all of them are probably busting their humps for this guy and he can't even pay them for the work there doing. WTF!!!

What P.O.S.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

nitro71 said:


> But at least he has a electrical job. In a perfect world you get ice cream at break and the boss buys pizza every friday. This is a hard market right now.


Oh, I see. Thanks for enlightening me. I guess because this is a "hard market" right now he should be happy to work for free. Excuse me, but FU CK that.


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Now I'm curious.
> 
> What else were you trying to get rid of?


I'll check tomorrow and give you a list. Mostly crappy stuff. Stanley screwdrivers, Klein stuff, some old beaters (you don't need that you have a wera!) small Klein wire strippers. Old helper left a pair of commercial electric brand ***** in my truck and quit. 
Dumb stuff.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

I wonder how this dudes legit competition would feel knowing he get's FREE LABOR on bid day??? What a slime ball. Frasbee this is the tip of the ice burg, be smart and be safe.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

slickvic277 said:


> Oh, I see. Thanks for enlightening me. I guess because this is a "hard market" right now he should be happy to work for free. Excuse me, but FU CK that.


I agree the owner is a slime ball but.. Frasbee was working for a door opener guy a while back.. At least he's getting some skills.


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

the last company i worked for wanted us there 15 minutes early and to stay late as needed,,every 2 man crew was responsible for filling out an extensive time sheet that included scheduling their jobs, estimating new work, word for word what the bill to the customer would be,,all material used and the hour breakdown for each of them,,,,,,,,,every day,,,and often doing the take off on the plans, as well as ordering our material on special order stuff,,,,,,i made 11.00 per hour as the helper and my boss i rode with made 15.00 iiiiiiiiiiiii quit,. after a year and a half we all got a 10% paycut that put me at 9.90 the company owner said times were getting tight,,,,,,now we all found out he bought 1000 acres of land... there are some real jack ass employers out there....i 
i do the best job i can every day and i expect to be paid that way.....an honest days work for an honest days pay, accept nothing less..


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Zen, did you have a job to go to before you quit that one?


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

yes and no,,,,i went right to work for a friend of a friend,,,so far the work has been slow and im barely getting by ,but the boss is upfront and not only looking to meet his financial needs and not mine too. in the mean time i applied at a very large commercial company,,,the pay is good the benefits are good and the works to me will be better than high custom homes that i am used to,,,i took the drug test and the background check wed. and when my info clears i was told by a supervisor that i have the job,,,..now im just waiting,,


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Well, good luck.:thumbsup:


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

thank you sir,,,i have a gc who knows a couple of people in management as well as my friends brother is in managemeant too..they put in a good word for me although i have to stand on my own merit because they arent open door hiring...


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

nitro71 said:


> I agree the owner is a slime ball but.. Frasbee was working for a door opener guy a while back.. At least he's getting some skills.



Skills are nice. I much prefer to get paid.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

Frasbee, 

He has to pay you from the time you clock in till you clock out if you are an hourly employee. Keep a record of all days/hours worked complete with job locations. When you quit call the state/fed labor board and they will hit him for your back wages. My friend did that last year and got almost 4k in back wages.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

Unfortunately there are guys out there like this outside the union. It makes the rest of us open shops look bad, I'm all for the "if your not early your late mindset and I can see asking your employees to show up a few minutes early so your ready to work. Dont work past 40 unless he forces you then track it in a book seperate from your time sheet. Keep a loh, what you did where you did it who you were with etc. If someone does something you think is outside of appropriate just note it down. If for nothing else your own piece of mind. Dont quit just yet tho just be safe and keep looking then dont burn your bridge when you leave. Dont let anyone push you into doing anything your not comfortable with.

Those screwdrivers are great once you get used to them, you can really get a rythym. I'm not as fast as he is with it tho he is unhumanly quick. He rocks it left handed over his head hangin off a ladder just as quick. At least as fast as a lot of drills and easier to carry.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Save the swearing and comments concerning the customer for the truck with windows rolled up.......


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