Where are the labororers?

[basspro]

I am 33 & I'll labor 7 hours for ya, if I can get the chance to operate for 1. Not as fast as I used to be though

In my exp. if you are looking for high energy folks, with pride in workmanship...go hit up a wild land fire crew...not an engine crew. I am talking the 20 man crews that dig fire line all day long. Granted most of em are a little off center, & have enough testosterone to kick a horses hinney, but 90% of em are hard working dudes willing to do what it takes to get the job done, and are used to working long shifts...with low wadges.

Illegals...hmm. My wife is from the Azores, & we went through a TON of work to get her legal. Her sister is staying with us right now, leaves on Friday. We really like her here helping with our baby, but if she stays longer she will be illegal (3 month cap), & that will not fly in my house. I see to many illegals that come here, & don't even try to speak the language, but expect ME to speak theirs. I currently work at Best Buy in Stockton, CA & most illegals look at me like I did something wrong when they say "espanyol?" (or however you spell it), & I say no. I peronally find it intimidating when there are 50 men walking up to my truck at a stop light all looking at me talking a different language. & they LOVE to get close to the truck don't they?

ok /rant of speakie the language of the country you live in.

 

[wormkiller]

The company I have been at the last couple years has a help wanted sign out front. The first morning I thought it was a joke to improve our shop output or something. I aksed the owner about it, he said he needed a laborer with a CDL. We have teamsters for the dumps and lo-boy,but Our laborers were told last year to get cdls and they could have more work taking small stuff into jobs and back to the shop at the end of the day but none took the hint and missed out on winter repair work. So it will be intresting to see who gets a job outta this. If anybodys intrested you must have semi experince, belong to or willing to join local 582 Elgin,Il and have sewer and water experiance.

 

[HEO Girl]

i have the same problem here on long island. get a guy to show up for a week gets the first pay check and never here from them again... its all college kids who only need a few bucks and dont wanna work. most of them will flip burgers in the a/c for the 7$. its getting to be a pain. i dont know about where you guys are, but the mexican labor here is 120$ a day cash (8 hours) plus lunch and transportation. what can you do.

:cussing I'm a college kid!!! Haha . We aren't all that bad

 

[Buckethead]

I know when I was a kid my plans of becoming an operator were belittled by teachers and other authority figures who did not know that operating equipment takes skill and knowledge. I am glad that I did not listen to those people and followed my heartfelt desire, but when I was a kid it was quite destructive to my self confidence. I think that is part of the problem with young people not wanting to work as laborers.
Also people might not realize that laboring (in the right circumstances) can help someone learn a skilled trade like operating.

 

[murray83]

As a kid the teachers always said smarten up or you'll be digging ditches the rest of your life....guess they were right

 

[Turbo21835]

As a kid the teachers always said smarten up or you'll be digging ditches the rest of your life....guess they were right

They didnt know what to say when I told them thats what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. :beatsme

 

[RocksnRoses]

As a kid the teachers always said smarten up or you'll be digging ditches the rest of your life....guess they were right

Oh yes, but don't forget, it's the only job you will ever have, where you get to start at the top!

Rn'R.

 

[Bully]

Oh yes, but don't forget, it's the only job you will ever have, where you get to start at the top!

Rn'R.

Nicely done

I heard alot of the same too, "You'll never make anything out of yourself but a ditchdigger!" "Quit clowning around, do your homework and pay attention!"

Sad for them to know 3 years after high school I was doubling their tenured salaries...wait for it....as a ditchdigger.

5 years later triple that as....a deckhand..... making 70% more...as an Operator

And no student loans to pay off!!!

Who's the clown now!!!

13 years of education taught me well...

 

[Skalesplitur]

I'll do it! I need ANY job right NOW! My kids are hungry..

 

[wyley187]

I wish I was out there

I wish I was out east where you guys are looking for labor, I've been in The IUOE for 15 years and it's totally dead here in Mn. Been laid off since December 08'

 

[tippatone]

I am trying to get in the heavy equipment industry and I wouldn't have a problem being a labororer as long as I can be taught how to operate equipment. I would look at it as a trade off, my hard work for some instruction on the equipment. I have been working in a hospital for the better part of five years and I never knew what I wanted to do until one day passing a work crew on the highway then it hit me, I want to be a equipment operator. I realized that if I did not want to pay 7 grand for a school that I would have to pay dues, and hard work is paying dues

 

[toomacho]

Nicely done

I heard alot of the same too, "You'll never make anything out of yourself but a ditchdigger!" "Quit clowning around, do your homework and pay attention!"

Sad for them to know 3 years after high school I was doubling their tenured salaries...wait for it....as a ditchdigger.

5 years later triple that as....a deckhand..... making 70% more...as an Operator

And no student loans to pay off!!!

Who's the clown now!!!

13 years of education taught me well...

As a high school teacher myself, I have always encouraged my students to learn as much as they can in "Whatever Profession" they are interested in, whether it be white or Blue collar work.
Showing up on time, willingness to learn and giving an honest 8 hours work for 8 hours of pay will take them a long way. Having put myself through college as a Machinist, I have great respect for any of the skilled labor positions. I also learned very quickly never to belittle "Any" job, because many of their parents are doing those same jobs. At least they are working and not on welfare, and certainly there is a certain amount of pride in that.
Some students are great and highly motivated, and others are too lazy to even bring a pencil to class! :Banghead
:my2c

 

[Dozerboy]

Some students are great and highly motivated, and others are too lazy to even bring a pencil to class! :Banghead
:my2c

LOL I always had a pen or pencil but had to use a classmates paper and books. I was very highly motivated just not at school, but still had a 3.something GPA. It would have been better, but if I didn't do my homework in another class it didn't get done.

 

[Finish Blademan]

I cleaned a lot of curb in my day.Shoveled a lot of curb back fill topsoil as a young man.Raked and shoveled a lot of topsoil in my early days.I was payed seven dollars and 5 cents an hour back then and I did it every day if I was told to.I got on a machine and proved myself when given the chance.
As for laborers,Lord have mercy have I seen a bunch of em.I fired a bunch of em in my day.Every now and then you find one worth a darn.That is about one in fifty around here.
I don`t believe in stereotyping or tacking a perception on anyone because of their race.So I think I`ll avoid that part of the discussion here.
Anyways,laborers are like everything else.There are good and there are bad.Keep hiring and firing till you find a keeper and pay em right.

 

[tippatone]

I cleaned a lot of curb in my day.Shoveled a lot of curb back fill topsoil as a young man.Raked and shoveled a lot of topsoil in my early days.I was payed seven dollars and 5 cents an hour back then and I did it every day if I was told to.I got on a machine and proved myself when given the chance.
As for laborers,Lord have mercy have I seen a bunch of em.I fired a bunch of em in my day.Every now and then you find one worth a darn.That is about one in fifty around here.
I don`t believe in stereotyping or tacking a perception on anyone because of their race.So I think I`ll avoid that part of the discussion here.
Anyways,laborers are like everything else.There are good and there are bad.Keep hiring and firing till you find a keeper and pay em right.

I think Finish Blademan hit the nail on the head. Some people just expect to come out today and be a foreman the very next day. I believe in "paying dues". That means showing yourself, busting your hump to get the job done. And in due time you will reap the benifits. Hard work hardly goes unoticed. If I'm wrong please tell me, isn't that the way it goes. I wish I could get a job with a company that will allow me prove myself. I work in a medical records office in a hospital, everyday is hell, working with a bunch of women cackling all day everyday, is hell, I would rather hearing the roar of a grader/scraper/dozer/loader or anything at this point.