# When your foreman isn't taking coffee break.



## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

henderson14 said:


> I just started on a new job and the foreman and it seems like the other JW's aren't taking coffee break when the foreman doesn't. This is a first to me and I'm not happy about it. There are only like 3-4 of us. What would you do? I'm thinking of just taking mine anyways even if they are working.


Why don't you ask the foreman? 

It makes sense to me to handle these issues head on instead of beating around the bush.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Are you leaving early?

Is it a really good job in a cut-throat area?


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## henderson14 (Oct 23, 2010)

HackWork said:


> Are you leaving early?
> 
> Is it a really good job in a cut-throat area?


NO! We leave at exactly 3:30 and the books are a walk through! It's a very young foreman.


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## henderson14 (Oct 23, 2010)

Cow said:


> Why don't you ask the foreman?
> 
> It makes sense to me to handle these issues head on instead of beating around the bush.


Good advice. I asked him my first day what time they take break and he said it depends.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

henderson14 said:


> NO! We leave at exactly 3:30 and the books are a walk through! It's a very young foreman.


Then take a fu*king break and since you are union you should ask the other guys why they are breaking conditions and talk to a BA about it.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Is a coffee break in your contract?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Much as I adore the stuff , too much coffee is harmful to your health, and it leads to a number of digestive issues like ulcers, throat ulcers, and leaky gut. Go give your foreman a big kiss and a hug, he is looking out for your welfare.


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

Oh, what a terrible problem. These conditions are unacceptable. Goddamn those assholes for continuing to work and get the job done, not concerning themselves that your throat might need a little refreshment.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

We do not have breaks in our contract or does our right to poverty state require them.
If we have a small crew, I let the crew decide if they need a social life on the job. Most will want to just pick up a little early and get a jump on the traffic.

If the work is hard or hot outside, we might go drink beer for a couple of hours at lunch, come back, pick up and go home.

Like mentioned earlier, make your own job conditions. If it becomes excessive, it's the foremans job to keep it in check.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

_Sheesh!_....I could easily cop a nap on many jobs i'm on w/o notice....~CS~


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## Moonshot180 (Apr 1, 2012)

when in Rome..

If you are assigned to that JW, it'd b best for you to hang with him.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

HackWork said:


> Then take a fu*king break and since you are union you should ask the other guys why they are breaking conditions and talk to a BA about it.


To me this is the best answer for what the job entails!

If there are breaks in your contract and you aren't getting out early screw the foreman and take your break.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Southeast Power said:


> We do not have breaks in our contract or does our right to poverty state require them.
> If we have a small crew, I let the crew decide if they need a social life on the job. *Most will want to just pick up a little early and get a jump on the traffic.
> *
> *If the work is hard or hot outside, we might go drink beer for a couple of hours at lunch, come back, pick up and go home.*
> ...


Trading time for getting off early is a common thing and benefits more than is always apparent.

*This is something that can build a great relationship with your crew and make them give a little more when needed.

Working in extreme cold I've given a crew extended breaks or just multiple breaks and we got the job done. *

*Absolutely!* :thumbup:


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## active1 (Dec 29, 2009)

Take your break.
Remind your co-workers it's break time.
Tell your co-workers that you will never forget to remind others in the hall how much of a wormy bunch they are.
Talk to your BA.
Charges could be filed against your foreman and co-workers.
Bring up their names at the general meeting.
Every time in the future you can remind others how your coworkers acted.
Depends how far you want to go with it.


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

backstay said:


> Is a coffee break in your contract?


"Past practice" holds up in arbitration even if it's not in the contract.

I always send my guys to break even if I work through. Occasionally if it's urgent we'll just take a later break but they get their 15 no matter what. On the other hand almost everybody has stayed for last minute OT when it's come up. I take care of them they take care of me.

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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

TGGT said:


> "Past practice" holds up in arbitration even if it's not in the contract.
> 
> I always send my guys to break even if I work through. Occasionally if it's urgent we'll just take a later break but they get their 15 no matter what. On the other hand almost everybody has stayed for last minute OT when it's come up. I take care of them they take care of me.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


Give and take. That's the way it's supposed to be. 

Sometimes people abuse that, people on both sides.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

You mean to tell me , all these years I haven't taken a break and only spend 15 minutes on lunch and there was a contract that say's I can take a coffee break two times a day?????

Shazammmm


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I know when I was on a union construction job, we headed to the job site food vendor.
Every big job we were on, there was a food trailer and they would cook your food to order.
Was a feat to get the food and get back up top, but I was always able to scarf it down before break time was over. Foremen was a very nice guy. We worked very hard for him. He reciprocated.
One April fools day I found a note inside my sandwich.
No bacon and no egg, but a note from the chick working there. I was pissed and not pissed all at once.

Everyone took break both in the morning, lunch and afternoon. Even if they did not eat or drink anything. They stopped working.


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## active1 (Dec 29, 2009)

There are DOL and maybe state laws about break times.
I wouldn't spend any time complaining about it.

But is an employer not providing breaks required by law taking a risk?
I would say yes. If the employee is injured or dies.

Out here people die every year from heat exhaustion.
Not just construction. 
From security guards to cooks in a hot kitchen.
Or a person on a fork passes out and drives into people.

Just a guess the rest periods in cool of areas would come up with OSHA.
Besides OSHA you have the person or their family, or other injured to possibly handle in court.

I know Chicagoland is not 88 like it is here. Just saying you know how things can get twisted. The worker must have fallen off the ladder because he was exhausted from working thru the DOL and contract break periods.


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## Tonedeaf (Nov 26, 2012)

do you leave the job early?....I know a lot of guys like to work through lunch and break and leave early.

FYI Chicago labor laws require one unpaid 20 minute breaker within 5 hours for a 7.5 hour shift


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

Take your break or don't, whatever makes life good for you. But don't be a clock watcher. I hate the guy that reminds everyone what time it is. If you hate work that much, get another job.


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## trentonmakes (Mar 21, 2017)

Coffee break?

I drink coffee on the way to the job. We get 1/2hr for lunch but i rarely take it. Id rather go home earlier, actually 1/2hr earlier as it has no bearing on pay, lunch is deducted.
Sometimes, if we are working inside i find a reason to step out for a smoke.
It sucks lunch is deducted when I dont take it but Ive always been the type to work through it or eat between jobs.

Texting and Driving


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Well I've always (non union) understood a 10 minute paid break between start and lunch and again between lunch and stop. 30 minutes for lunch (not paid).

It seems in Chi town,


> Meals and Breaks FAQ
> FAQ Index
> What is the law regarding breaks and meal periods?​
> Questings
> ...


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

I don't do well without food. I always take my break to refuel. If it's a shutdown or something I'll bring a protein shake and energy bars I can eat on the run.

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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

HackWork said:


> Give and take. That's the way it's supposed to be.
> 
> Sometimes people abuse that, people on both sides.


My guys do not take a lunch break so they can leave early, so in lieu of lunch they take a 45 minute coffee break.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

brian john said:


> My guys do not take a lunch break so they can leave early, so in lieu of lunch they take a 45 minute coffee break.


A non-negotiated perk?


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

hardworkingstiff said:


> Well I've always (non union) understood a 10 minute paid break between start and lunch and again between lunch and stop. 30 minutes for lunch (not paid).


I asked the crew how they wanted to do breaks and lunch. The consensus was to drop the unpaid 30 minute lunch and instead push the two 10 minute paid breaks together for one 20 minute paid lunch break.

Works for us, the guys(and one woman!) are happy with it.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> You mean to tell me , all these years I haven't taken a break and only spend 15 minutes on lunch and there was a contract that say's I can take a coffee break two times a day?????
> 
> Shazammmm


You really need to talk to that slave driver you work for, he owes you bro!


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> I know when I was on a union construction job, we headed to the job site food vendor.
> Every big job we were on, there was a food trailer and they would cook your food to order.
> Was a feat to get the food and get back up top, but I was always able to scarf it down before break time was over. Foremen was a very nice guy. We worked very hard for him. He reciprocated.
> One April fools day I found a note inside my sandwich.
> ...


So don't leave us hanging what did she say in the note?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

brian john said:


> My guys do not take a lunch break so they can leave early, so in lieu of lunch they take a 45 minute coffee break.


You are a very understanding and patient employer.

Some guys would fire them all after they were warned once.


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## Navyguy (Mar 15, 2010)

henderson14 said:


> I just started on a new job and the foreman and it seems like the other JW's aren't taking coffee break when the foreman doesn't. This is a first to me and I'm not happy about it. There are only like 3-4 of us. What would you do? I'm thinking of just taking mine anyways even if they are working.


Holy first world problem...

<shakes head>...

Cheers

John


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

Navyguy said:


> Holy first world problem...
> 
> <shakes head>...
> 
> ...


It's what keeps us first world.

I don't want to have to worry about 3rd world problems, they don't play.

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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

brian john said:


> My guys do not take a lunch break so they can leave early, so in lieu of lunch they take a 45 minute coffee break.


If the job schedule allows that, it doesn't matter to me and, those would be the same guys that would work 20 hours straight if asked.

I was on a job where the job steward would blast an air horn at the job start time, break time, end of break, start of lunch, end of lunch and quitting time.

It was really the best most organized job I have been on.
No one was watching the clock, no one was insulted having to respond to a horn.
It worked out really well.

I'm not saying the OP should walk up behind his foreman with an air horn at the start of break time but, if it ended up on You Tube, I would watch it.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Navyguy said:


> Holy first world problem...
> 
> <shakes head>...
> 
> ...


That's a really bad attitude.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> I know when I was on a union construction job, we headed to the job site food vendor.
> Every big job we were on, there was a food trailer and they would cook your food to order.
> Was a feat to get the food and get back up top, but I was always able to scarf it down before break time was over. Foremen was a very nice guy. We worked very hard for him. He reciprocated.
> One April fools day I found a note inside my sandwich.
> ...


I feel like we deserve to hear more about this story.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

henderson14 said:


> I just started on a new job and the foreman and it seems like the other JW's aren't taking coffee break when the foreman doesn't. This is a first to me and I'm not happy about it. There are only like 3-4 of us. What would you do? I'm thinking of just taking mine anyways even if they are working.


I would not be pissed about the break so much. I would be pissed about not playing cards on the roof all day. 
It sounds like you are not working with the right union guys. This is definitely a grievance.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

trentonmakes said:


> Coffee break?
> 
> I drink coffee on the way to the job. We get 1/2hr for lunch but i rarely take it. Id rather go home earlier, actually 1/2hr earlier as it has no bearing on pay, lunch is deducted.
> Sometimes, if we are working inside i find a reason to step out for a smoke.
> It sucks lunch is deducted when I dont take it but Ive always been the type to work through it or eat between jobs.


I never had the option to skip lunch and get off early. Most companies believed you would take that break regardless. At least thats been my experience.



Southeast Power said:


> If the job schedule allows that, it doesn't matter to me and, those would be the same guys that would work 20 hours straight if asked.
> 
> I was on a job where the job steward would blast an air horn at the job start time, break time, end of break, start of lunch, end of lunch and quitting time.
> 
> ...


Any place, union or not that blasts a horn or rings a bell or buzzer to tell people to stop working would not be a place I would want to work.
My wife worked at a place where they had a buzzer that went off for breaks and lunch.
Her problem was her dept was at minimum a five minute walk to the break room. Its BS and would make me feel like a damn dog.



MechanicalDVR said:


> So don't leave us hanging what did she say in the note?





sbrn33 said:


> I feel like we deserve to hear more about this story.


Okay. I'm hitting on this chick since the job started and she was real shy. Cute too! But I could tell I was making some progress. 
The note was the reciprocating of feelings. Porked her shortly after.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

John Valdes said:


> Porked her shortly after.


 I never thought I'd see you saying something like that :laughing::thumbup::thumbup:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> Okay. I'm hitting on this chick since the job started and she was real shy. Cute too! But I could tell I was making some progress.
> The note was the reciprocating of feelings. Porked her shortly after.


Nice, a happy ending! :thumbup:



With my luck I'd have ended up married to her and she'd turn into a demon a few months later.


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## active1 (Dec 29, 2009)

Cow said:


> I asked the crew how they wanted to do breaks and lunch. The consensus was to drop the unpaid 30 minute lunch and instead push the two 10 minute paid breaks together for one 20 minute paid lunch break.
> 
> Works for us, the guys(and one woman!) are happy with it.


Personally I like that sort of thing on a normal 8 hour day with reasonable weather. The problem is complying with state and federal laws many companies have a mandatory lunch time. 

Some companies here have an automatic 1 hour lunch deduction at 4 hours and 1/2 hour at 12 hrs of work. So 14 hrs on the job site would pay 12.5. 

The simplest way for them to do that is to deduct the lunch time from the hours for the day. As in you clock in for a total of 8.5 hrs but will only be paid for 8. Depending on the timekeeping system you can add 1/2 hour to the day. But there is a lot more electronic timekeeping today. To make it worse is if you do push thru the lunch because something needed to happen quickly, but get docked for it at the end of the week.


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## henderson14 (Oct 23, 2010)

It turns out we take longer lunches some days of the week to make up for it. And start a little late.


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

I have never worked for any union or no union shop that did not have at least 2 breaks and a lunch during a normal 8 hour shift. WTF%* are we machines or people. How dumb can management be? Your in a dangerous trade that requires aleartness. not a word ? .. anyways .. I'm sure most employers spend way too much time watching over these types of things but really don't they just want the job done right. One person might take 10 coffee breaks but still out preform the one who takes no breaks. I'm lost ...


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

If they outlaw eating while driving i;m screwed.....:devil3:~CS~


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Easy said:


> I have never worked for any union or no union shop that did not have at least 2 breaks and a lunch during a normal 8-hour shift. WTF%* are we machines or people. How dumb can management be? Your in a dangerous trade that requires alertness. not a word ? .. anyway .. I'm sure most employers spend way too much time watching over these types of things but really don't they just want the job done right. One person might take 10 coffee breaks but still out preform the one who takes no breaks. I'm lost ...


So think how much work he'd complete if he stuck to one or two breaks. I have heard this excuse from several very good electricians that had a bit of slacker built in.

Our guys typically drive 70-80 miles one way to work and deal with sheet traffic, they start work at 6:00 to beat office rush hour and prefer a coffee break at 11:00 and skip lunch leaving for home at 2:00.


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## lighterup (Jun 14, 2013)

I've worked in both arena's. The union was definitely (2) 
10-15 minute breaks morning& afternoon and lunch was
1/2 hour though that usually meant 45 minutes unless
everyone agreed on the need for urgency to meet a deadline.

Non union ...one company we had to be sneaky to get (2)
breaks morning & afternoon...the owner actually made a 
practice of stalking crews around these times to see if he could
catch guys taking breaks. He was d**k. Lunch was a 1/2 hour.

This was many years ago.

Now , a friend of mine got a job working for an EC (non union)
and he said they don't get breaks OR lunch. They sneak out for 
15 minutes all individually at separate times to cram down food 
so they still take an illegal break between 12-1 afternoon.

He called me asking if this was legal and I thought it wasn't
but then I found out there is no requirements anymore...damn
I got to say that's horse sh*t


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

lighterup said:


> I've worked in both arena's. The union was definitely (2)
> 10-15 minute breaks morning& afternoon and lunch was
> 1/2 hour though that usually meant 45 minutes unless
> everyone agreed on the need for urgency to meet a deadline.
> ...


They should organize his shop.


Or all quit and take shops like his off the market.

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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

What kind of f'd up place doesn't allow for lunch or breaks? I very often don't take any breaks because I work for myself and choose not to. When I have people work for me, I never ask them to not take a break.


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## streetliter (Apr 13, 2013)

backstay said:


> Is a coffee break in your contract?





macmikeman said:


> Much as I adore the stuff , too much coffee is harmful to your health, and it leads to a number of digestive issues like ulcers, throat ulcers, and leaky gut. Go give your foreman a big kiss and a hug, he is looking out for your welfare.


 Haaaaa...good stuff...


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