Forced on weekends

[kid]

Is anyone else getting forced on the weekends to work 2-10, in anticipation of storms moving in?

[Stanman, at ComEdy Il.]

Look dude, put some info into your profile and someone might respond to your question! No one knows where your talking about? What state? What continent?

[Short-Timer]

S-Man is right. What is your complaint ? Scheduling/forcing to cover the weekend is not out of line for any company to do "if" it is done with some thought process; but if your company is laying down some rotten procedures or ridiculous job assignments,,, then you can sound off. Here at Commical Edison, when the so-called smart guys see a beeeeg storm coming, be it on the weekend or during the week, they send guys home, so they can come back in eight hours, or schedule guys to work 16 or more, etc etc,,,,

[igloo64]

Amen Workn The Big Storm Is What I Live For. Work At 7-11 If Its A Problem For Ya!

[kid]

My bad, just trying to find out if this is happening in all of fpl's territory, or if it is just a local issue.

[CenterPointEX]

In Houston the put guys on the "Heat Crew" during the summer... This is a big crew that works two to eleven and on weekends... each Service Center gets one...

[highlineswitcher]

kid are your lights on weekends , holidays ,service restored during a storm thinkthat happens by itself ?

[unionhand]

kid are your lights on weekends , holidays ,service restored during a storm thinkthat happens by itself ?


Easy boy, I think the kid has a legitmate thing here, You spout off about if his lights are on ? Are yours? Did you put them on everytime they were out? I doubt it ! All he's talking about is to watch his kids grow up now and then........possibly shave the next time he see's them.............how do I know, well firsthand ........Do you work for fpl? Probably not.....so now you're talking about an environment you're not in.....you know the old saying about A**holes ...........everyone has one.......fpl needs to hire people.....they cut over 1/3 of thier workforce over the years and never replaced them......Florida is like #1 in America in growth, so boom your mouth in ....OK...the kid knows more than you in this case, also don't even bother to tell me your years in the trade, I'll wipe my ass with that, been there done that......................I am an old UNIONHAND

[Orgnizdlbr]

Is anyone else getting forced on the weekends to work 2-10, in anticipation of storms moving in?

Kid, what does your Collective Bargaining Agreement say about working those hours on the weekend? Are you on call? Is there a callout procedure? Good question about of FPL's property, companys love to shove something up one area or local's ass before it shoves it up the other areas ass. I know you guys have a System Council,Talk to your Union officers, are they aware of it, did it start in another local first, are you guys the first, ya might wanna warn the other locals of whats comming. Does the company have the contractual right to do it?

Also, I agree with Unionhand 100%, I lived through 2 and a half years of mandatory callouts at the hands of First Energy, couldnt say no, guy in my shop got 2 weeks off for attending a memorial service for his father in law....a member in another local got 2 weeks off...his son had his first Chemo treatment and was violently iLL so the guy couldnt respond...thats the kinda **** that these scumbag companies pull today, dont jump down the kids throat because he has a legitimate question...

igloo you live for the big storm? Good for you, I live to enjoy MY LIFE ON MY TIME because I earned it, you wanna live AT WORK, good for you, but some of us have lives outside of linework....

[Uma]

At PEFla they have a crew on weekends.But it is not going to be very effective 4 men work on Saturday 4 work on Sunday,but all 4 only work 5 hours together.2 come in from 0700 till 1730 the other unit comes in from 1130 till 2200. So when that big thunder storm comes the company hits ARCOS and hopes for the best if they need more help.We have a 40% callout quota and thats not very hard to keep so they may or may not get the people they want.PEFla is like every where other company, under staffed and over worked.

[Linemanblood]

It never stops amazing me that everyday I go to work or go online and hear lineman *****ing about overtime. Guys if you don't want to have to work outside of a normal shift go to dept store or mill and get yourself a normal shift job. We as lineman work overtime and that all it is to it.Thats the way it has always been and that is the way it will always be. If you can't come to grips with that then go get yourself a job selling shoes.
Quit *****ing and be proud to be in this business and go to work and make life around your co-workers a little better

[dirtdobber]

overtime is how most of us make our spending money. you know for fishing trips,hunting,hooters,tity bars,ETC!! :)

[Uma]

I double my salery with OT most years or close to it.And I have a new boat and wifey has some hooters............ :)

[Squizzy]

overtime is how most of us make our spending money. you know for fishing trips,hunting,hooters,tity bars,ETC!! :)

Looks like things are the same all over the world, good call dirtdobber....

[NJlineman55]

All you guys coming on here talking about your lights are on on the weekends and holidays and bragging about your boats and new pickups are the reason why these companies are constantly shoving it up our asses. They know that all they have to do is dangle some OT in greedy linemen's faces and they will get on their knees for it. Then when we are constantly being forced, have no life, getting a divorce, and the kids don't know who we are we sit there are wonder what happen. If a company is forcing people to work a weekend because they expect a speck of rain may hit the ground that is wrong. I can see covering there asses and putting people on pagers but it is at the point with many companies that you cant ever make a plan for a Saturday or Sunday unless you take off on Friday.

Remember all this bragging and boasting about how much money you have when the company shoves it up your ass!! Probably the same guys who ***** about the union sucking but work an OT shift when they should be attending a union meeting.

[unionhand]

All you guys coming on here talking about your lights are on on the weekends and holidays and bragging about your boats and new pickups are the reason why these companies are constantly shoving it up our asses. They know that all they have to do is dangle some OT in greedy linemen's faces and they will get on their knees for it. Then when we are constantly being forced, have no life, getting a divorce, and the kids don't know who we are we sit there are wonder what happen. If a company is forcing people to work a weekend because they expect a speck of rain may hit the ground that is wrong. I can see covering there asses and putting people on pagers but it is at the point with many companies that you cant ever make a plan for a Saturday or Sunday unless you take off on Friday.

Remember all this bragging and boasting about how much money you have when the company shoves it up your ass!! Probably the same guys who ***** about the union sucking but work an OT shift when they should be attending a union meeting.



Amen Brother , I could'nt have said it better myself, The bottom line is these companies cut back and never re-staffed, and force thier lineman to take up the slack, there has to be a balance in life.

[smooth01]

This original post was about FORCED O.T.. If you want to work all the overtime you can get , more power to you, I have more than a life at work!If you want to buy all the toy's ,that is fine if you have time to play with them.The company knows all about the greedballs that are living paycheck to paycheck to pay for their yuppie houses and new trucks and cars,they are the ones who never say NO ,and will work storm or emergency work at the drop of a hat ,that's why the company will offer the overtime,they don't have to force anyone. You greedballs are playing right into their cards , they will work you all those hours ,not have to hire more help , or train any apprentices, and deny your work comp claims after they have wore you out and you have fallen apart. Wake up and get a life !

[Trampbag]

I can’t believe this thread! What are you guys, the ones complaining about having to work OT, all nuts??! You gotta be utility hands, for sure!!!

Most places I worked, utility or contractor, the hands were crying for OT and when I had enough it was time to take a month or two off.

There is no such thing as forced OT. If you work for utility you are hired to keep the lights on, PERIOD. If you don’t want it or don’t like what is happening, become a journeyman. There are lots of contractors working 5 eights.

A funny thing about the utility pukes, though, is that they don’t want the contractor their either. They, the UTE Pukes, force the crap jobs on the contractors, then make it so rough on the contractor hands with impossible rules, like having to wait until certain times to enter the yard or making contractors wait for someone to show up to operate a reclosure when the contractor could do the operation. Then utility hands wine and cry because they don’t want to work over time, but freak out contractor truck shows up.

I’ve worked both sides and it still amazes me how winy the hands in this trade can get.

[Linemanblood]

I can’t believe this thread! What are you guys, the ones complaining about having to work OT, all nuts??! You gotta be utility hands, for sure!!!

Most places I worked, utility or contractor, the hands were crying for OT and when I had enough it was time to take a month or two off.

There is no such thing as forced OT. If you work for utility you are hired to keep the lights on, PERIOD. If you don’t want it or don’t like what is happening, become a journeyman. There are lots of contractors working 5 eights.

A funny thing about the utility pukes, though, is that they don’t want the contractor their either. They, the UTE Pukes, force the crap jobs on the contractors, then make it so rough on the contractor hands with impossible rules, like having to wait until certain times to enter the yard or making
contractors wait for someone to show up to operate a reclosure when the contractor could do the operation. Then utility hands wine and cry because they don’t want to work over time, but freak out contractor truck shows up.

I’ve worked both sides and it still amazes me how winy the hands in this trade can get.

I worked both sides also and the *****ing and crying continues. The guys won't come in when arcos calls and and then they ***** when they see the contractors show up. Seems its a no win situation

[NO ONE'S SLAVE]

As a contractor, no one is forced. If you work for a ute, you're screwed...The guys that work for the ute's have a valid point, 1,000 hrs. O.T. is B.S. every year! The contractors take every hr. they can get. And can take any amount of time they want off! The ute *******s can't!

This is where the forced bull**** comes in! Guy's that work for the ute's don't have a choice! Work the O.T. or find another job! Family takes precedence over any O.T. What good is a new boat or mamas new titties if someone else enjoys them???? If I'm gone 2 months, working my balls off while mama is doing someone else, well, I'm an IDIOT! Forced O.T. is bull****! Why should I be penalized for a company that is mis-managed, and F&^%ED up????

[duckhunter]

I agree that forced, regular overtime is crap. What about the linemen that wont answer the phone Tuesday morning at 12:30 am for outages but is there at 7:00. Contract says you have to be reasonably available, 50 guys will give you 50 answers what reasonable means.

I wonder how the line man that doesn't feel like coming to work to restore power to the doctors circuit would feel if the doctor decided not to come in to take care of the sick lineman.

Again if a company is regularly forcing overtime, something is wrong.

[Trampbag]

Ok, I guess I need to clarify my statement that there is no such thing as forced OT.

#1 Considering you are a Journeyman Lineman there is so much work out there that you can work pretty well wherever and however you want. If the gaffer, boss or whatever you call him tells you to do something you don’t want to do, don’t do it. What’s holding you there? Either drag or tell them to “lay some of that or else on me.” (they better do it right or its lawsuit time). If every guy in the shop exercised some balls the crap would end. Fatigue is a safety issue, by the way!

#2 There is no #2

[lineleader]

well, here we go again in FE land. in akron,the local t&d supv. took it upon himself to force a crew on 09:30 to 18:00 just to try to get a rise in his Caity numbers. its all legit as our contract speaks to any 8 hr. period from 06:00 to 18:00, mon thru sat. the only problem is, the junior leaders and A-men are whining that everyone should take their turn! now its the unions fault[in their eyes] that they are stuck on that shift.some are even going as far as contacting the national union to step in.they just dont get it;seniority is one of the only things we have left that is sacred and they feel picked on.when they get the time,they"ll soon change their tune.

[Trampbag]

Ah, now you’re talking of something entirely different.

Seniority.

Seniority was sacrosanct (sacred, untouchable) in any shop where a union exists and almost always even in non-union shops as well. Even in a court of law, when all else is equal, seniority is the tie breaker.

Unfortunately we linehands are loosing the battle where seniority is concerned. There is a large gap between the “old hands” and the young ones - the lesser in seniority. This gap was brought about by the penny-pinching, stingy, Scrooge’s running business in the ‘80’s & ‘90’s when the training programs, including apprenticeships, were one of the casualties of their chopping blocks. The recent entries to this trade see nothing wrong with jumping straight from apprenticeship to foreman and then immediately to GF, giving management get malleable toady to perform whatever.

Us older hand are guilty of not stepping up and taking the positions in supervision and management thus allowing are our seniority to be eroded in this way, so we cannot be proud, and really there is not enough of us anymore, anyway.

The times they are a changing!

I don’t know the answer, but I can take some solace, bitter sweet I guess, in the fact that I can see those same newbies getting wives with store bought titties and babies and mortgages and someday climbing out of bed to take a piss and recognising the sound their granddad used to make, with the final realisation that the sound came from them.

And you know what; some piss ant newbie is going to be urinating on their trouser leg. You get what you sow.

I was always recognisant (I realised because I was taught) that you respected elders because that is where you learned you trade.

If this long winded jibe has effect on one young lineman (you cannot be a journeyman until you journey somewhere) then it was worth boring all your asses off.

Time served is time served, there is no substitute. The next time you run into an ARC lighting circuit, and have no clue what the hell it is, look for a grey hair. ARC lighting will kill you just as fast as you can say “Oh…!”.

Take care of your experience linemen ‘cause you will be there, believe it or not.

[NJlineman55]

I have also worked both sides and the utility guys are by far very spoiled as opposed to the contractors. The contractors are praying for some overtime but the utility guys complaining about having too much. The thing is most of the utility guys are forced to work so much overtime that they have a legitimate beef. Constantly being put on pagers, being forced when there is nothing wrong and meanwhile the contractors are going home with 40 hrs pay. It all depends on who you talk to but personally I like having a life outside of work so I guess its to each his own. The thing is most of the guys that are always working overtime are living above their means and need the OT to get by. Then when it is contract time they pass any contract the company offers because they are scared they wont be able to pay their mortgage or the car note.

[graybeard]

Ok everyone has an opinion just like *******s so here is mine. Around here we were caught up in the cut backs so have fewer workers. The problem is most all of company service area is still growing. We try to keep contractors out of our area so come mid summer we are behind and end up working 6-10s. That makes late night calls hard to take, seems like all you do is work. Bigger areas have contractors and you can't have them working ot without our guys getting ot. Seems like you just can't win because they wouldn't hire more help.
Of course some guys care,some are greedy and some could care less. When everyone knows where you work that kind of makes it hard too. People don't think about wheather you work hard or not untill their lights don't come on. And if you've been doing a good job keeping them on then they get impataint when there off.
Good job and a ****ty company can make for really bad attitudes. The only thing you get at the end of the day should be a good pay check and the one thing you can control is personal pride that you did a good job.
Ok now I'm off my soap box. Just work safe so you can go home when your done with your day.

[Trampbag]

Greybeard
“We try to keep contractors out of our area so come mid summer we are behind and end up working 6-10s.”

“That makes late night calls hard to take, seems like all you do is work.”

“…you can't have them working ot without our guys getting ot.”

The tears of a clown.

This may possibly be the reason a linemans union could never be possible.

Any thoughts?

[dirtdobber]

seems to me your name suits ya. I for 1 have a wife and 6 children so the more o.t. I get the more I get to do come VACATION time.looks like MOM & DAD left you settin pretty in GREEN$$$ some of us were raised with wooden spoons not golden ones BROTHER. you work for what you get it aint handed to ya!!! so if they want me to pull 16 hour days during storm I pull 16 hour days maybe you should re consider your line of work if thats what you call what it is that you do!!!! :mad:

[Trampbag]

Wife of 30 years, come this fall, raised three kids and had a linehand for a Dad, who is divorced and remarried, so I don’t get the baby boomer benefit of inheritance. All I got is my trade.

Trampbag is what journeymen linemen use to carry their tools. Journeymen are only made by the act of travel established by centuries of trades (see guilds), ergo Have Trampbag, Will Travel.

I have worked OT till I hardly recognise the family, at times, on several continents. Storms, scheduled, and callouts at 2:00AM in foul weather to plug in a fuse. So don’t tell me, kid (1966), that I live on easy street ( I wish I did). I was in this trade when there weren’t no bucket trucks. I’m well over 50 and I’m still able to do a days work in an easement on a stick.

So don’t give me any of your whiny assed whinges.

The comment made was because Greybeard seemed to say, and I gave him an opportunity to clarify his statement that he had to work all those nasty hours, 6-10’s plus callouts, to keep the rotten assed contractors from getting any OT, and was crying about it. Well, the last time I looked at my IBEW ticket it said Journeyman Lineman, not second class scum.

My comment was, and is, that if we are all supposed to be brothers in the same trade, why are you utility pukes all so bent on working yourselves to exhaustion to keep the contract hands from making a living for their families, then crying about FORCED OVERTIME?

Explain that to me Mr. Dirtdobber.

[dirtdobber]

to you brother.meant no disrespect. was raised old school of hard knocks my **** self dont ask for nothing but expect what I get I worked **** hard to get. what do you mean by you utility pukes how bout reading my profile am a contractor stupidvisor worked my way out of the ditch.spent trhe first 8 months of my twin boys lives away from home regret every **** day! again sir am not a utility dont want to work scum as you have portade me work 12 to 14 hour days even today without a complaint. some of us young men as you pointed out do still work with our pride and heads held high.instead of our pants around our ankles if your old enogh to have grand kids hopefully you would spank there asses for that.AMERICA as you seem to knoe it has gone to hell! :)

[Trampbag]

All linehands are brothers connected through our livelihood. What I’m trying to say is we are all in this together. I read this them and us stuff and cannot understand why it continues, and has done so since I started.

As I go through this site and read, what is becoming a daily event of reported fatalities and serious injuries, knowing full well that those reported on this site are only a portion of the real story, I want to scream.

The topic on this thread was about “forced overtime”. Possibly it should have been called “compulsory overtime”. It seems some linehands have been threatened with their livelihood if they don’t comply with a company’s demand that employees answer every call and attend scheduled overtime shifts.

Unfortunately this trade is rife with “dog in a manger” attitude and instead of our realization that there is only so much a human being can, and should, work safely. Linehands start hurling insults at each other about “laziness”, “qualifications”, “greed”, etc. The companies don’t have to divide us any more, we are conquered.

The companies have created a shortage of skilled workers by cutting apprentice programs over the last 25 year and expect now that we work, work, work to fulfill their need. Our wages have been cut, cut, cut over those same 25 years and so we have to work, work, work to keep our desired lifestyle up.

Our buying power is drastically eroded causing an unsafe work condition. The only way our trade is highly paid today is if we work more and more hours, and in doing so making sure other brother don’t get the hours. Get it?

Our unions are weak and ineffectual and we are fighting amongst each other to maintain our life styles at a cost of divorced marriages and separated families, health problems and unsafe working conditions.

Is there anything anyone can suggest to start turning this around?

[KEVHEAD]

Well said, T-bag!

15 yrs.-ComEd, good Co. til corporate sucks took over, broke down the union...
Shifts, OT, weekends, holidays, storms, weather, toppers, grunts. None of that bothers me.
Just foreman who couldn't tell a ground from a gripall, and union brothers willing to whine, but not fight back. Work to Rule.

much respect
born in '66
died in....

[graybeard]

OK, everyone in this forum has their own veiw of THIER WORLD. When I talk about something its from my experiance in MY WORLD. I realize that things change and its not the old days of hooks all day and a -frame trucks. We used to have a 6 man crew on 2 trucks and now have 3 on 2 trucks. Throw in vacations and sick leave or someone hurt and only 2 guys left. Mine is still a growing town so the work load is the same or more.
As far as contractors go we used to do our own tree triming which is now done by contractors. LOST JOBS ON OUR PART. So thats how it starts and theres the threat that if we can't handle the work they'll bring in contractors. Get enough contractors and they would'nt need US. Maybe 1 guy to tell them where to go to do the work WE used to do.
Other than tree trimmers the one time we had them in our area was after a storm. It was PAR and I can only talk about the crew that showed up, but they came with 6 trucks and never used 3 of them. They also did'nt have any tools on their trucks and took what we LENT them when they left.
When I read these posts I try to see things from that persons point of veiw because even in the company that I work for not all service centers work the same.
Big biss is more than willing to screw us over so we should not be doing it to each other. I understand if you don't have the equipment do a job big or small and they need a contractor to do it fine. But to be replaced by a contractor SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOBODY wants to loose their job to improve PROFIT marjens.

[Trampbag]

I have heard this threat all my working life. When I work as a regular for a utility the company threatens with, “We’ll bring in the contractors to replace you.” When I work with the contractors the company says, “We’ll bring in the Rats to replace you.”

So far I know of only a very few utilities who operate without an in-house force, only contractors, and they are very small town municipal owned utilities.

If it were economically feasible to operate completely with contractors it would have been done. In house regular forces keep the system running. Contractors are economically viable in situation where a set cost can be established and are attractive where a temporary work force (temporary can mean over years) is desirable because of reduced costs when reduction of forces is required and for reduced labor relations problems. However contract workforces are fickle and may not be available when required due to the temporary nature and mindset of the workforce, the very thing that makes them desirable to utilities.

Business doesn’t think the way an individual does about his or her personal life. There are definite financial advantages to having the right mix of in-house and contract employees. Get that mix wrong and it could be very costly.

Greybeard, it’s unlikely you’ll lose your job by being replaced by a contractor. You’ll probably lose your job when the company decides to reduce the average age of its in-house work force in an attempt to improve profit margins.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”

[graybeard]

Your right I wouldn't lose my job but I'm trying to look out for the guys just getting started. Isn't being in the union like looking out for your kids? You want them to have a better life than you had or at least the same advantages you had. Where would we be if it hadn't been for our union brothers in the past.

[77liner]

Brother when you speak of the economics of getting rid of the in house crews it has happened. In 2002 Puget Power severed all line crews,mechanics,union engineers, most of the gas crews, and a large number of clerical staff. They now have a Service Provider for gas electric and engineering called Potelco a Quanta Company. Supposedly the utility saves 20 million a year. Customer service of course is not what happens. What they have left is a bunch of 50+ Servicemen and less than 1/2 of the crews left.
Some of the utility hands stayed but most of us left. Now they are using apps to produce and they are dying. The only good thing that came from this was we found out there was life after Puget

[WARPATH]

Your right I wouldn't lose my job but I'm trying to look out for the guys just getting started. Isn't being in the union like looking out for your kids? You want them to have a better life than you had or at least the same advantages you had. Where would we be if it hadn't been for our union brothers in the past.


After 15 years of paying dues I lost my lineman job at fpl, being union does'nt mean squat, so why pay dues !!! The only ones that kept thier jobs were union officials and corperrate people, alot of of competant people are gone.

[Smokester]

It is a shame the union has been in the closet when issue's like this arise, I have brought this issue up to the local many times and they still have'nt got back with me yet, warpath I feel your pain, I feel like dropping out myself.

[dirtdobber]

they sure aint what they use to be. at one time the union bent over backwards to help there members. but today Id like some true storys to match what they use to do. the rich get richer the poor get poorer! in my opinion we are just makin the fat cat fatter. if they would go and talk to there members some maybe things might change but there tee times are more important!!!!!!!!! :mad:

[Electriceel]

We are such a small utility they hardly have time for negotiations. Supposedly they are always busy with the investor owned.
Hell our utility can not hardly get a response from them.

Time to get out and cover our own butts.

[lineman641]

Interesting thread, started almost a year ago and back again. Warpath forgot to say what he was fired for? I’m sure what ever it was it was the unions fault. When any one of us hired on they told you there would be extended hours. The contract we have says there will be extended hours. Right now our people are working all the hours they want, the contractors are working as much as we are. Now they cut back to 8’s. Not gonna last long because they don’t have anybody. On the east coast some yards are short 40 linemen, on the west coast we never had enough lineman to start with. It’s the way it is! Maybe if the company said no more o.t. it would make everyone happy. That’s not going to happen but how many people would start screaming that it’s the unions fault! I can here all the whining now….we all went through the contract thing here just last year and now some want to keep on blaming the union. The vote was close but since then all is back to the same thing. I need this ,I need that, yet where is the membership at meetings or when the time comes for elections. Too many are out there piss’in and moan’in but will not step up and do something to change things. Get involved, maybe a local meeting might be a start, and if you really want to change things run for office. ..Maybe someone might have noticed all the retirements that have been happening lately. Well is it going to make things better or worst on the overtime thing, depends how you look at it?…at the same time, the officers and system committee of the system council are retiring also, so if you want some change now is your time……I read a lot of the piss and moan, but it seems no one is willing to do something about it.. Back to normal I guess……the way I see it is a union is the membership, we can do something about it or we can keep on going the way it is. I am not a quitter and never have been. Until we all stand up and make a difference, nothing will ever change……….above all, be safe!!!

[WARPATH]

Never said I was fired, just restructured and let go like many others,because of seniority,the thought of many were "I don't care, I have my job, I'm not affected",,, some got cut back to $7.50 AN HOUR TO KEEP JOB,not me I drug, and I do blame the union on certain issues,SCU4 was the main problem ,you can have a strong membership but when "downtown" decides what goes and stays, that's a whole another can of worms to open. Some $ 7.50 an hour boys were still paying journeyman dues ,the union never changed that while many were going bankrupt,it is a money hungry political machine, it was the best thing I ever did when I quit, be a puppet or a man with a ticket to use, obviously you're a puppet or fpl's whipping boy, wow what a union that is.I work for a real union, a construction union where a lineman is a lineman !!!

[Trampbag]

Puget Power, in the Pacific North West is a unique case. Local 77 had problems, if I recall, over an election in the late ‘90s. Also Puget Energy went through a lot of changes, name changes (I remember Puget Power for one), ownership changes (wasn’t North Scotland Hydro involved at one point?) any there was a rash of labor relations problems. At one point a Canadian contractor was involved in taking the overtime that was being refused by the utility hands.

Poletelco, a quanta Services Inc company, signed a partnership agreement with Puget Energy back in about 2002, and I don’t know exactly what was involved in the partnership agreement, it didn’t do what was expected by either the utility or Poltelco. There seems to be a lot of problems between “partners” and a lot of accusations.

Quanta Services subsidiary contractors have signed partnership agreements with a number of other utilities but little is heard afterwards. Washington State seems to have the most problems.

I hope it has begun to sort itself out. I have worked with a lot of hands displaced by the problems at Puget Energy and Local 77

[walkingtall]

Stand against these corperate mongrels, it is time for lineman to make a stand, hire some people and get on with it, I have seen contracters show up at identical jobs with 5 more people than most power co.'s 2-man crews and then 2-man crews from what I hear get questioned on what's taking so long, let's compare apples to apples.................L641 .........you are out of touch with today's union.

[lineman641]

Never said I was fired, just restructured and let go like many others,because of seniority, !!!
you said you had 15 years,many had 10 or less and still had a lineman job.what is the real story?................signed the puppet boy

[lineman641]

Stand against these corperate mongrels, it is time for lineman to make a stand, hire some people and get on with it, I have seen contracters show up at identical jobs with 5 more people than most power co.'s 2-man crews and then 2-man crews from what I hear get questioned on what's taking so long, let's compare apples to apples.................L641 .........you are out of touch with today's union.
today's union ?... what the fu@* is today's union??? .........please take a 2 by 4 ,stand in front of a mirror and grab it with both hands.now beat your head with it. ....or just file a greivence about a 5 -man contract crew. or maybe because the company doesn't want to hire or train anybody? a 2-man crew is the way it it is.call for help if you need it!....may be you should file paper on a supervisor that you "heard " was asking why a job took so long???.....does anybody read the contract or by-laws? what about safety rules? does anyone know what the limits and the purpose of a union is???

[WARPATH]

Worked only in the far north end of fla, you can pretty much have the rest of it, At a construction union we get full paid medical, a pension provided by the union for your dues,and a true brotherhood that will stick together, not to mention the work that you utility boys can't do, (whine ,whine,) so go ahead and preach about your utility "union" and we change this, we can change that ,fpl owns the union and you, I've paid dues at both and they don't even compare to one another.

[WARPATH]

Can You Hear Me now?


Do you know anyone that has moved on from your union leadership? Look on "brother"...............
http://www.flanagans.com/ibew/Ibewgrph.htm

[lineman641]

Not sure of your point on that last post? I have seen that site for but???.........honestly, I’m glad for ya. Sounds like you made the right choice….a lot of what you and others say about the union down here is true. Since the rolls and lay off the company has beaten us down. …there are still a lot of good linemen here and you know it. They just can’t let us take the time to do any big jobs. We just don’t have the man power anymore, trouble calls and all the bull**** they come up with…right now we are in the a stage were many are retiring and a lot of young members are coming in and I don’t want them to lose everything we have gained over the years. We are the backbone of this company and we disserve fair compensation, working conditions and respect….fpl does not own the union, and they sure don’t own me. I will keep on preaching about change but until we all come together nothing will. Now is the time, not 1 month before a contract….. The membership is the one who should be making the decisions; it is the only way to change. ………….elections, one for all and every man for themselves will not work. ………

[graybeard]

I WISH EVERONE HAD YOUR ATTITUDE. As lineman we'ed be alot better off if we would stick together no matter where we work or who it's for. Theres all kinds of line work and what we do is going to impact those who come behind us.

[CenterPointEX]

Amen and Amen

[billfoster67]

If you dispatched out of the hall and it said 5 tens or 5 eights. Weekend work is voluntary. Even if it said 7 tens, your expected to work 7 tens, but your GF and foreman- should expect you need days to take care of personal situations. My tie rod came off on my truck and I called my GF and he understood. Told him I am on my last pair of drawers and I need some time to do laundry- got early quit. They are men just like you- they should know your needs.

There is horror stories. I had a friend whose wife had problems with her pregnancy. And he had to babysit his other son while his wife was in the hospital. And he didn't have any notice of the situation called the GF for this company, and they gave him his last paycheck. But he was too scared to go to the hall and explain himself and be blacklisted with the contractor.

People are too job scared now adays and I don't know why. We have such a shortage of lineman in this country. Lineman should be able to enjoy their families just like any other man.

Have you ever noticed if you go to a show up, the divorce rate for lineman is incredible. I used to know a guy whose first two paychecks had 0000's because of the child support and alimony garnishments. I knew a guy they called "two paycheck" because he only worked two weeks so he had enough money to live on before they could garnish him.

The mentality of the companies, the superintendents, the General Foreman, the foreman shouldn't be money making robots but human beings. If you sweat and make the company money you shouldn't be cornered and forced to work. Interests of the company and interests of the worker should be balanced with these men. If they are to company driven and trying to make a name for themselves- its time to put wheels on the drag bag!