That story really hit home for me. Aside from the monetary cost, there is SOOO MUCH work that goes into building a submarine, and as a result, the workers have a ton of pride in their machine. I'm amazed he didn't get his ass beat to a pulp right there on the dry dock. When you have your part in building something as amazing as a fricken' submarine, regardless of the looooong days, the hot hot heat, fumes, injuries, etc., it's all worth it when you see it pull away from that pier headed for its new homeport. We had a suspected saboteur on one of the ships I helped build, but I don't know if it was ever confirmed. Kept finding giant intentional-looking gashes in some of the larger cable runs. What a mess. I'd have beat his ass myself if I ever caught him doing it. But I'm proud to have been a part of the construction of the Ronald Reagan, the USS Virginia, USS Texas, USS North Carolina, and USS Hawaii, as well as helping the Ike stay afloat.
North Carolina... Will you hire Marines getting out? They decided to do a draw down and if that is what someone is interested in I can help you out there and post around. You know they will work!
this post cracked me up several times [well needed] talk about labor issues, try running golf maintenance in south fla for 30+ years
Well I Drag email me a resume. Ill review it and give you a call. But from the sounds of your post your one of those older guys that has to do everything your way and dont want to listen to your employer. Remember you have to come to NC from NY. Ill start you on monday but you gotta be at work on time. So come on down. This offer goes out to anyone. Feel free to shoot me a resume. My name is Lee. Tech@summersshowandgo.com
we have the same policy we treat you just like you were at home on the couch. ( i bitch and rag on ya just like your old lady! your gonna get up and do something cause your tired of the bitchin)
i am the only man left in the hangar other than peter who takes a regulation length break. i stopped feeling bad about it years ago, now its just what i do. i'm on time evry single day no matter whats going on in my life. this old way of doing things doesn't matter to our bosses though because they seem to allow it. i kind of feel sad that its all been let to slide. it used to be easy to impress your boss with the old standard. now the people who dont arrive on time and watch their breaks and use cellphones during work are pulling ahead of the old crew. its all about personalities and after hours bonding and stuff like that. i work hard because my dad taught me to. he raised me from the bottom up and i work like a son of a bitch. in the end it is the old loyal dinosaurs like peter and i that fall behind.
This is an interesting thread and I agree with what y'all are saying. BUT...there are from time to time exceptions. I was just reading a bit on the Garage Journal Board and came across a post from a 24 year old guy who is an exception to the general feeling that the younger generation is going to hell in a handbasket. If you want your faith in today's generation restored check this out. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110034 While the cars are OT for this board,this kid gets it and is to be commended for what he's pulled off.
Well Lee I will send the resume, I got your pm, thanks. And Ill always listen to a good employer, but theres very few of those around too, which Ill get to. But from the tone of your posts, you sound like you know all about business at only 23. Congrats. You also say you're an asshole as a boss. I seriously hope you're kidding, theres no shortage of those, and Ive had many. Btw what do you pay that no qualified help stays? Qualified help costs, most employers dont want to pay it (if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys). Also sounds like you need a little help with your hiring process. Im sorry, but either you dont pay enough, or youre a poor manager (or both). If the pay is right, and you are a qualified manager, you will have no problem. Just so we can still be friends, in one respect this is not your fault: The oldest story in small business failure is a craftsman that is so good at his craft, that he decides to run his own business. I am guessing this is you. Unfortunately, craft ability does not mean managerial ability. These guys just dont know how to manage a business. Its not the same as doing the craft, its a whole higher level. Without some knowledge of management, the guy does become an asshole; hes just not good at handling employees. They dont know how to get good help, how to pay good help, and how to motivate good help. I have seen this a million times.
I was in business for 40 plus years. Help was my main gripe. It kicked my ass. The more people you have, the more the insurance and payroll. I liked the best when it was just me and a couple of guys. ________________________________________________________________ "Real Hot Rods don't have fenders"
When you go to a fast food joint and the dufus behind the counter says, that will be $4.42, make sure you don't give them a 5 and 2 quarters. They will never figure out how much change to give you back if the cash register doesn't tell them..
I dont know everything about running a business but i manage cars in and out quite well. With being scheduled and booked solid until May 2013 currently i must be doing a little something right. I have a ba in buisness so im not standing around with my thumb up my ass, but i do have a girl to help me with accounting which im not so good at. Had her since I opened but she only works 1 day a week. I pay good help, well the 2 good helpers Ive been able to find. One going to jail and the other deciding to do a frame off to a customers car that was just getting some rust repair and body work while i was gone for a week. (that cost me alot of money and the guy ended up getting a frame off for the price originally quoted...)
The company I work for has hired many ex-military. They don't seem to have any better attendance record and fail drug tests at a much higher rate than average including pre-employment drug tests. Many will brag about all the drugs they used while in the military.
Didn't even read it, I've already seen it. Although that's the word they use, it's not being subsidized, it's a case where the U.P. (the other railroads are doing the same thing) is applying for and is being given grants of money that is supposed to be used to help businesses, mostly small business and as a result create jobs and help boost the economy. (Stimulus money) Now how the state of Oregon and the U.S. government thinks a company that has reported record profits every quarter for the last 5 years needs grant money is beyond me, but to anyone who knows Oregon, especially Portland, and it's government it's not surprising. I never said the U.P. wasn't smart or had any scruples. I guess it's the same way that after recording those record profits they convinced a Presidential Emergency Board that their employees needed to contribute more to health care costs. It's why all my 401k money going to buying U.P. stock because if they're going to take it from me on one end I'm gonna get it back on the other. (My investment has grown 38% in less than two years) The bastard do know how to make money, gotta give em that. Scott
Experienced employment costs money.Most big businesses wont pay it,but then again if you have the job, education can make you expendable.Catch 22.
You set fire to a boomer http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/accused-submarine-arsonist-held-without-bail_2012-08-01.html Poverty leaves an impression
I get what is being said here. Ironically, I have a boss who, while technically knowledgeable, couldnt lead drunk sailors to a whore house. Hes one of those lead from behind types and does not care about training any of his people. I bugged him daily to give me things to do, finally I just got sick of it and got myself another job in the company. I am hoping the paperwork will be chopped by next week and my ass will be westward bound before the beginning of September. When I was a warehouse supervisor about seven years ago, I worked for a retired marine who got blown up in Vietnam, a sergeant in recon. His whole thing was teaching me my job and the next step for me, furthermore expected me to do the same for those that worked for me, which I did and still do. I'm moving up the ladder and I'm not pulling it up behind me like so many slugs will do. I take the younger people under my wing and I find as I teach that there are times that I learn.
Wow, after reading all this I feel very fortunate. I have 7 full time employees who are talented and loyal. I pay them a decent wage, they work hard, have pride in what they do and actually enjoy coming to work. I must either be too easy or I'm living in the twilight zone!
Fire took out torpedo room electronics and all the CIC electronics in the Con. Took 100 firefighters to put out the fire. Still undecided as to whether or not the hull reached temps that compromised the strength of the steel. So Navy still has to make decision to rebuild sub or scrap it. Lots of plastic and electronics in these attack subs. All because some snot nosed kid wanted to go home from work early and see his girlfriend. And yes, in full disclosure, I am a Navy submarine vet and this pisses me off big time!
What you didn't tell is how long that took. I went through 6 in 2yrs. Some examples? "I want you to sand in this direction. I don't want to see you following the beltline with a sanding stick. Got it?" 'Got it. Thanks." 3min later: "What are you doing? I did say how I wanted this done, right?" 'Yeah but I have a fetish about inside edges and...' "Frankly I don't care about your 'fetish for edges'. I want it this way, exactly this way (as I once again demo blocking at angles)." 'Ok, ok, I got it.' I walk through one door, go around the shop and come in through the other side from behind the car to find, you guessed it... "So you either have a problem with comprehension or you flat out refuse to do as I said. Which is it?" 'I just know you're wrong! You can't do it this way and I'm not letting this go out w/out...' "Stop now. Pack your shit and take a hike, or, do it like ALL OF US DO THIS PART OF THE JOB. Those are your choices." My #1 talked to this douche and explained really deep, the reasons and end result. He went along for a while and I was kept aprised. Later I wanted something "sealed" in Duraglass as it's water proof. 4 days later the thing blistered and screwed up. I went down through and found plain ol bondo used where I wanted 'glass. 'Well I don't like that stuff and it's not how it's supposed to be used anyway.' "Then you're free to use it as you se fit...in your shop. Take a hike." That was fuck up no.4 Another one.. 'Fuck him, who does he think he is? I didn't spend 3yrs and $35K for nuthin!' Not knowing I was behind him: "Well let's see about that. C'mon outta there, I got another job for you." Given a simple print for 2 sheet metal braces: "Here kid, this is a 1 to1 print, see here?" 'What does that mean?' "Seriously? Scale?" 'Oh yeah, uh, I get it.' "Here's some acetate and sheet metal. Make me 1 out of the acetate and 2 out of the sheet metal. Here's your bend radius (a nice piece of round stock) and in fact let's do that right now." as we bend in this 3/8 round at the end of the sheet. 'Ok, I got this.' "You got 2hrs. I could do both in less than 1, but what do you gain from that? Impress me..." 2hrs later, the parts are nowhere near the print, don't fit the acetate (which he did get right) and the holes were, well: "Dude, almost 2 1/2hrs later and where's my parts? These can't be them, can they?" 'Well yeah, but that print's fucked up. Look at mine, they're even and nice and I got the holes really close and...' The print called out .137 holes for tubular rivets, and the parts were pruposely offset in the print. "You have some tiny little holes here. What's up?" 'Well it says 1/37th and we only had a 1/32 drill, and I didn't like how they looked and made em pretty, and then...' "Stop. Did you say 1/37th? I guess you did spend 3yrs and $35K for, uh 'nuthin'? Go clean the restroom" He lasted 2 more weeks. And those are minor movie trailers. Had a guy in his 50s who shoulda known better, drilled out the lock from a gennie NOS Lincoln locking gas cap. What really chapped my ass was that there was a lock smith 200 feet down the street! "Looks like a cheapo locking cap to me." No remorse, no care for gennie parts. Didn't want to know. Yeah, it's easy...
As Highlander so vividly brought to life... There are these people in every profession. The kid that puts the spaghetti sauce jar on top of your bread is that type of person. Those types become mechanics, engineers, plumbers, doctors, and politicians. Same person ,different life path. I went to a restaurant one day, table cloth place. There was a kid there bussing tables that was a real go getter. I thought "I'm going to hire that kid." No wasted movements real bounce in his step, smooth and smart. I spoke to the owner about him and he told me that he would love for that kid to get a better opportunity than he could give him. " I'm sending him to culinary school to be a chef, and a contract for 5 years after he graduates. I see no reason why he won't make top chef here and that position pays nearly 6 figures. I'll let him out of that deal if you promise to do better for him “
The Jalopy Journal
