# Switching To Another Company, Again.



## Kevin J (Dec 11, 2008)

The last person I worked for was a short, skinny bowlegged little Italian from Long Island who had a Napolean complex, but, he was fast and neat. And demanding. And outspoken. But, I was coming from a company that I had gotten some ''lazy'' habits from, and I must say, this was a wake-up call for me to get serious. I stayed with him for ten years, and now that things have slowed up a little bit, me and him have partnered up to keep things going. I think this is what is lacking with today's youth, is that they have no one to teach them proper work ethics. Sure, some are smart and knowledgeable, (at least they think they are), but they're lazy. Everybody when they're young needs an old guy to kick them in the butt and show them how it's done. Good luck, and from the sounds of it, you'll do fine.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

there's nothing to be nervous about. jump in with both feet and get your ass in gear.


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Frasbee, you just need to move to BR and let us teach you some work ethic:jester:

I was brought up to work hard, safe, and in a hurry.

I currently work with two guys who are the same way. One of them, 62, is "old school" all the way.

Anyway, their two helpers have been taught "the way" by Steve and can outperform any journeyman I have seen with fast, quality work. 
NO CORNER CUTTING. NO CELLPHONE BS. NO BREAKS. NO WHINING.


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## running dummy (Mar 19, 2009)

Your days definitely feel more satisfying and your day flies. As long as you have a "go get 'em" attitude I think you should be fine. That is how my shop is right now and it definitely pays off, I dodged multiple lay offs of about 50 guys...


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

It's not the first time I've worked for someone that needs me to hustle, it'll just be the first time in the electrical trade.

I know this may sound a little cheesy, but I felt kinda good quitting the last company. I was starting to feel too dependent on them. I was talking to our project supervisor about how I gave the guys that got let go the 2nd round of lays offs, the number to the residential electrician guy I worked with. It was 3 weeks before someone finally called him for work, like they were just sitting around waiting for the old company to call them back. I would have called that guy the same day I got let go. To that my project supervisor said: "Well that's because you young guys have only worked for one company, you don't know what else is out there."

Amongst other things, that kind of encouraged me to look for another company.

At least this way they hired back one of the guys who got let go.

We don't need anymore people sucking the unemployment teet.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Give it a 100% and bust your ass and you'll do just fine. It already sounds like your willing to learn the way that the new company does things. Good luck to ya.


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## Buddha In Babylon (Mar 23, 2009)

i just transferred to a new company, and things are a lot different than my last company that's for sure. Although i have the feeling that safety is more important than speed for this company. But i think the speed of a job is affected by a lot of conditions. I have been on jobs where they tell me "don't work yourself out of a job."
and then i have been on jobs where they are telling me to just get it done, no matter what you have to do which to me says " we didn't bid this job right so we have to just make it work no matter how ****ty it is." I can't stand this. 
I find such a double standard in the industry when it comes to safety and productivity. anyone else feel like there are two faces to this beast?


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Buddha In Babylon said:


> i just transferred to a new company, and things are a lot different than my last company that's for sure. Although i have the feeling that safety is more important than speed for this company. But i think the speed of a job is affected by a lot of conditions. I have been on jobs where they tell me "don't work yourself out of a job."
> and then i have been on jobs where they are telling me to just get it done, no matter what you have to do which to me says " we didn't bid this job right so we have to just make it work no matter how ****ty it is." I can't stand this.
> I find such a double standard in the industry when it comes to safety and productivity. anyone else feel like there are two faces to this beast?


With my old company, it all depended on the foreman you were working with. Some were all about speed, others were all about avoiding breaking a sweat.

Personally, I dislike the "hurry up and wait", work. No matter the speed, I'd rather keep the pace steady.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

*First day!*

The job is building a new school.

I've never been on a job of that scale before, so it was a little intimidating.

The guys on that project seem alright.

I ran pipe most of the day, but tomorrow we'll be up top installing PVC, and with the heat we've been havin' is gonna be a b*tch.

I'd say, so far so good.

I hustled the best I could, but I'm beat. Wearing those harnesses and pouch while carrying around a 12 foot ladder has killed my feet.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> The job is building a new school.


 I did schools for about 6 to 7 years I HATE schools. It would not bother me if I never set foot on another school that was under construction.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Well, it's prevailing wage at least.

Though, I don't know if I'll get my check this week or next, so I don't know how much exactly they're paying me.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Well, it's prevailing wage at least.
> 
> Though, I don't know if I'll get my check this week or next, so I don't know how much exactly they're paying me.


Are you a registered Apprentice?

Tom


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> Though, I don't know if I'll get my check this week or next, so I don't know how much exactly they're paying me.


 You mean you went to work and don't know what your making on the hour.:no:


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

william1978 said:


> You mean you went to work and don't know what your making on the hour.:no:


I called him to a second time before I started to get a clear answer from him, and he simply said that my base pay is 12, but if I'm on a prevailing wage job it's around 15.

Thing is, I don't really trust what employer's say, anymore. So I'm half expecting that I'll see 12 on the check and them come up with some excuse or technicality as to why that happened to slip their mind when I asked...twice.

Regardless, if they're going to pay for my school that's a step up from what my last company was doing.

And no, I don't have an apprentice number. I asked him if that would be a technicality in reference to my prevailing wage pay, and he said "no", that it's just a change in title.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Usually if you aren't registered you make the full prevailing wage, at least I did when I worked a few times on them. Was nice taking home more on a Saturday than I did all week. Check your local and state laws.

Tom


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> And no, I don't have an apprentice number. I asked him if that would be a technicality in reference to my prevailing wage pay, and he said "no", that it's just a change in title.


Read up on it.http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/programs/dbra/faqs/trainees.htm


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

drsparky said:


> Read up on it.http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/programs/dbra/faqs/trainees.htm


Thanks for the info, so unless I'm mistaken, this applies to me?



> (b) A person in the first 90 days of probationary employment as an apprentice in such an apprenticeship program, who is not individually registered in the program, but who has been properly certified to be eligible for probationary employment as an apprentice.


Does that suggest that if you're hired to be an apprentice within 90 days of being registered for a program you count as an eligible apprentice?

I would start school in September...


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> Thing is, I don't really trust what employer's say, anymore. So I'm half expecting that I'll see 12 on the check and them come up with some excuse or technicality as to why that happened to slip their mind when I asked...twice.
> 
> 
> 
> Regardless, if they're going to pay for my school that's a step up from what my last company was doing.


Boy do you have that right!! Thats a good thing.:thumbsup:


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Thanks for the info, so unless I'm mistaken, this applies to me?
> 
> Does that suggest that if you're hired to be an apprentice within 90 days of being registered for a program you count as an eligible apprentice?
> 
> I would start school in September...


Are you going to be in a recognized APP Program or just Schooling?

Tom


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

davis9 said:


> Are you going to be in a recognized APP Program or just Schooling?
> 
> Tom


I'm supposed to be getting an apprentice number when I start school at ABC.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Well, I guess it applies then. I bet if you weren't going into the program you wouldn't go to that project though. Just a hunch.

Tom


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> Thanks for the info, so unless I'm mistaken, this applies to me?
> 
> Does that suggest that if you're hired to be an apprentice within 90 days of being registered for a program you count as an eligible apprentice?
> 
> I would start school in September...


I am no lawyer but I would have to say, probably. One thing I do know all pay records on a Davis Bacon jobs are public records. Save all of your pay stubs, you may need to prove what they actually paid you, not what they claimed to pay you. Some contractors in the past have paid their electricians at a lower rate by classifying them in another lower paying trade. If you find out you are listed with the “carpenters” it is not a typo, they are cheating you and defrauding the government.:thumbsup:


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Thanks for all the information.

I'll let you all know when I get my first check with this company.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> Thanks for all the information.
> 
> I'll let you all know when I get my first check with this company.


 
Frasbe, get with the program. They're not sending you to school. It's a mock-school designed and implelmented by the nonunion contractors themselves for the sole purpose of paying you and every other employee on PW jobs less than prevailing wage while legally calling you an "apprentice."


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> Frasbe, get with the program. They're not sending you to school. It's a mock-school designed and implelmented by the nonunion contractors themselves for the sole purpose of paying you and every other employee on PW jobs less than prevailing wage while legally calling you an "apprentice."


I would have joined the Union a long time ago if they didn't make it a process to move to different locals.


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## The Estimator (Nov 19, 2009)

Buddha In Babylon said:


> i just transferred to a new company, and things are a lot different than my last company that's for sure. Although i have the feeling that safety is more important than speed for this company. But i think the speed of a job is affected by a lot of conditions. I have been on jobs where they tell me "don't work yourself out of a job."
> and then i have been on jobs where they are telling me to just get it done, no matter what you have to do which to me says " we didn't bid this job right so we have to just make it work no matter how ****ty it is." I can't stand this.
> I find such a double standard in the industry when it comes to safety and productivity. anyone else feel like there are two faces to this beast?


 You are working for one of the best owners in this area. Mike is a first class gentleman.


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## Total Power (Nov 22, 2009)

I would be proud to get more guys like you - hang tough


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## Buddha In Babylon (Mar 23, 2009)

The Estimator said:


> You are working for one of the best owners in this area. Mike is a first class gentleman.


Boy are you right about that. I've since moved on to another company as of June of this year...but indeed Mike and his company treated me really well and i would love to go back to them.... Hind sight is always 20/20 right? Since i've transferred, i've discovered that there's more things out there to be aware of and concerned about than just productivity. HA! good lord....I never had a worry in the world with my last company. I thought i did. I was wrong. 
Estimator, how do you know Mike?


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## The Estimator (Nov 19, 2009)

Buddha In Babylon said:


> Boy are you right about that. I've since moved on to another company as of June of this year...but indeed Mike and his company treated me really well and i would love to go back to them.... Hind sight is always 20/20 right? Since i've transferred, i've discovered that there's more things out there to be aware of and concerned about than just productivity. HA! good lord....I never had a worry in the world with my last company. I thought i did. I was wrong.
> Estimator, how do you know Mike?


I am a member (retired) of 26. I have known Mike for years. I have trained him and most of his office staff on McCormick Estimating several times.


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