New Generation Lineworker

[loosescrews]

i used to have one old guy that was like that (he's retired now). i like blocks on the house end pulling up plex and will use them on the pole when i can.i've walked in these guys shoes,and try to give advise on the easiest way. but as before i'll let them go and try different ways when not putting there selves in a bad position.but if they tell me a away and it's not good i speak up and say do this one the way it's always been done. but no matter what with one guy he think's what we tell him that we're picking on him.and the bad part is he's been a grunt for 6 years and just now moved up to a lineman step, a pole linemanstep.(so what is wrong with that picture)

[Resto-master]

I am a newer journeyman and I am having a major problem with apprentices allready. Seems the hireing process is totally ruined, (do you like to work outdoors, do you like crew environments etc) and then bam you have a job. "I try to bring back the way I was treated and the Super keeps telling me you can't talk that way anymore you have to be firm but not mean, you can challenge but not insult". Seems I am finding apprentices hired out of small towns are working out better then city raised people(not 100% true but almost).

I could go on and on,

[IRONWILL]

This is line work right?everything has to be earned? saying you are in the bucket doing the work might be part of the problem,maybe you should be doing it out of hooks? we all have to make are own way... and i know we all live in a new world,but just think about it ,being roughed up verbally is to see if you can keep your head about yourself,when things get a little rough ...there are far more ways to learn than in a book or a classroom..

[Special ED]

If they don't like the way I do it, then they can come up here and do it.. Beng a second class I've learned a hell of alot from a lot of seasoned vets, and I've developed my own style which works for me and is safe and I'll be damned if someone is gonna tell me to do it differently no matter if he does have 30 odd years in.

Dont know ya and you very well be a jam up hand.. But an attitude like that coming from an ape I dont care what class will find themselves kickin rocks and countin insulators on the way back to the shop on my jobs... Been a journeyman since 2004 and foreman since roughly 2006. Guess what though? I dont know it all and Im still learning along with the guys with 30 or 40- or even 50 years in the trade.. The day you meet a lineman that claims to know everything you best run for the hills cause the guy is bound to get themselves hurt or even someone else.

Theres more than one way to skin a cat yes. For you to be so standoffish and an apprentice.. Your goin bout it all wrong. If a journeyman or foreman suggests or asks or even tells you to do something a certain way don't be a dick. This is where communication skills come in.. Take a time out talk about the job and the various ways it can be completed in a safe way.. Hear everyone out and then voice your stand point if you feel it is better. And in all honesty if your up in the air doing the work your work procedures should have been covered in your tailboard anyhow it would be on my jobs atleast.

I've got an apprentice right now.. Loves the trade eager to learn but dumber than hell.. He can't remember anything.. I constantly quiz him about random stuff and hes finially starting to come around. He just turned second step and last week I'll be damned if he didn't bust hump get all the ground work and material made up and came and asked me "Hey boss you mind watching the handline and sending stuff up to Danny for a bit?" I was like "sure" I thought he had to run off to the rest room or something. It was dead grounded line so it was no biggie.. Well next thing ya know I hear my lineman say "Alright ya dumbass if your gonna climb up here and get in my way you might as well hang on to this for me." How many apprentices take that sort of innitative these days? Not too many. Like I said hes finally comming around. Always has pliers and tape in his pocket and when I tell or ask him to do something a certain way he does it. Cause he knows Im trying to make it easy on him while staying safe cause we all know time is money and the management hates when we take to long on a job...

[Pootnaigle]

Freshjive you may wanna rethink your position a tad. No true journeyman would ever ask you to do sumpin the hard way. Theres likely a very good reason he may suggest sumpin......... Even though yer at 2nd class you dont yet have the sperience to just do it your way each and every time. Its good that yer confident in your abilities but overconfidence can get yer ass in a major bind. Tone it down a tad and listen to what the older guys tell ya, A few years from now you may understand a lil better. You should always remember those old guys have been exactly where you are right now but you aint been where they are................ Yet.

[west coast hand]

Some of these young I know it all apps just need there asses kicked really good one time and that will stop that shit... Just fired an know it all app. If there a know it all app I just fire them usually I got no time for some kid to tell me I know they don't know shit just enough to get hurt or killed and a bunch of them top out and take a formans spot somewhere and are not even JL's yet. I think they should not even make someone a Forman tell they been topped out at least 5 years. Talk to most guys and they will tell you, you learn more in the first 5 years after you top out then you do throw your apprenticship it's a fact...

[never_forget_our_brothers]

I'm the one in the bucket

Sounds like thats the problem.

[climbsomemore]

I agree with PaBen, when I was coming up, my company was just transitioning from the tie or tape up the loud mouth apes, as well as rip them a new one, to only being able to verbally abuse us, if we weren't whiney [censored]s who would run to HR.

The thing the Journeymen would do, and I did as well (before taking a trouble truck) was give advice on how to do a job, if we heard "I know" then we just let em go, and work themselves into a bind, sore feet are one of the best teachers. If the apes were receptive to advice, then we taught, if not, they learned to be receptive.

I tried to stress early on, small habits (like "a good apprentice always carries tape") and ripped ass when they f'ed up the little stuff, pointing out that it is the habits that keep us safe, and that we learn to get into habits, good and bad early on. I would also stress and try to teach them to think about, if I do this, then that will happen, actions, reactions, consequences etc.

When they started working secondaries, I always felt that a little fire was a great learning tool (one of our more respected and Elder J-men says this, just don't tell management that ) and would let them get into a bind, not hurt, just in a bind. If they don't learn to respect electricity at the secondary level, then they could be seriously hurt not respecting primary.

When they were starting to work primary, I always would ask them "how are you going to do this?" If I liked the answer, here we go, if not, go over options and scenarios, actions and consequences, or just say "you're not ready" and do it yourself.

When I had young J-men on the truck who wanted to teach the ape, I'd ask, once again, how are you going to do this, if I liked the answer, I'd let them go up, if not, I went up with the ape.

If the ape was afraid of heights and electricity, he climbed all the time, and we did everything hot, jumpered out cutouts and never took outages, I told them, look sometimes we just can't have outage, so here hold this and handed them a hot mechanical head. I loved taking the 'fraidy cats up into a rubber tree. One time we set a new pole and were moving three phase, we had a double dead end, corner pole (small wire) that we cut straight through onto armless (fiberglass angle arms) construction, we had hoses (guts) and blankets as well as hoists everywhere, he was ducking and looked like a bobble head with his head moving everywhere (I was driving ) When we were done, I noticed him standing a little taller and straighter, made me feel good.

The toughest would be the lazy ape, some of them are hard to shame, and you'll have to work your ass off to get them to work their ass off. Do everything the cave man power and light way and work em late, is my only advice.

Bottom line guys' do your best, keep them and yourselves safe. If they aren't ready to do it, don't let them, do it yourself.

I could not agree more.

[HighTower911]

I believe that the lifestyle and life priority difference is always a challenge. I am not that old or young but I look at the kids and think to myself "What the Hell are these kids Thinkin?" But I too remember Thinkin that I was a Hot Shot know it all. But then I got Married and Bought a house and had kids and all that shit stopped. I have Responsibilities and my ass on the line. These younger guys should eventually get a grip.

HighTower