And people who bitch about dust in the house while you are trying to do your job of installing vinyl plank flooring.
Harry Braverman, in his book Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century, examines Taylorism in considerable detail and notes that “Taylorism” is essentially capitalism, which is always seeking ways to lower labour costs to increase profit. The problem, of course, is that “labour” is people and lowering wages means those people get less. Anyway, point being you’re right, but it is also true that “Taylorism” has been part of capitalism from the beginning.
The problem has been around for a while. Frank Zappa made a song about it in 1979.
Find a union shop. You’ll pay more, but you’ll be more likely to get someone who has been properly trained.
Most trades seem to have a forum and reading the posts can be highly informative, both in terms of how they work and how to find a good contractor.
I did this a few years ago for some electrical work. A few weeks lurking made me aware of the regulations and what was possible. There were often links to videos that helped a great deal.
In the end, I did some preparatory work myself. Mainly chasing walls for cables and outlets, and moving furniture out of the way. Once the wiring was done, I employed a plasterer to finish the walls - I tried plastering once and made a right mess.
I’m not bitching about dust. I’m bitching about this clown not doing ANY mitigation measures.
This isn’t our first home renovation rodeo, mind you. We’ve done a total kitchen remodel (down to the studs and subfloor), and the same for the master bathroom/closet/vanity.
In both cases, the contractors did stuff like taping up plastic sheets to try and keep the dust out of the rest of the house. This clown didn’t do anything like that- just started chiseling up tiles and made the entire house look foggy with dust.
It’s not that there’s dust, it’s that there’s SO much, and that most of it is because this guy didn’t do the bare minimum to try and keep it in check. All he would have had to do is literally plastic off two doorways. But apparently that’s too much.
This after he spent two days of the job just unloading boxes, then hurt himself (?) and had to take a day off, and then just showed up and fucked our house all up. Very little communication, and what we do get is fairly mumbled and garbled- I’m not sure if it’s a language issue or not. But it’s really frustrating to not be able to pry what the plan is out of him, or a rough schedule or anything like that.
Since we had to pack up everything below about 5 feet in the house, as well as unload any movable furniture, and the dishwasher and oven are disconnected and moved, so the tile under them can be removed, this is a pretty huge inconvenience, and this guy is acting like WE are the annoying problem here, for wanting to know when the floors will actually be installed and we can go back to cleaning up all that damn dust, as well as unpacking 2/3 of our possessions.
It’s frustrating- the other contractors we’ve had have been communicative, and if there are issues, etc… they told us. And they tried to work with us, not treat us like we’re in their way.
@Kropotkin
I am a retired electrician. The poorly paid wire pullers are in the entry level of electrical work. Everyone needs to start somewhere. Some of the entry level people end up moving on because they lack the attitude to learn the trade. Those that apply themselves are soon sorted out and can be on a rapid path to gain the necessary skills.
Skilled tradesman usually learn by hands on training rather than in an academic classroom setting.
My son was going to the local community college for an Automotive Technician degree. Then Covid hit. Only online classes with no “hands on” lab/shop work, yet they still wanted the full amount for tuition.
Being a automotive mechanic is a “hands on” career so he finished the semester, didn’t sign up to continue the following semester, and went to work at a local dealership as a grease monkey (lube tech). He has taken some car brand specific online classes through the dealership and was given decent raise after the 1st of the year and expanded his job duties. Still not ASE certified but sounds like he can get that though the dealership in the future.
Bad part is he bought a lot of premium and specialized tools and learned a lesson about finances when he couldn’t afford to pay his tool truck bill. Those tool truck driver are sharks when it comes to young mechanics. With a “mom and dad loan” and working a second job he is finally getting squared away on his tool debt.
I went to a small rural school. The counselor only knew of two paths forward: Military and the trades. I did end up going to college, but only by luck. My parents had no clue and the counselor was no help. I didn’t even know I had to apply until a couple months before the university semester started and I happened to call and ask about the process. I was late, but it was a state college so it wasn’t an issue getting late admittance. I didn’t even think of setting my sights at higher schools. I had a 4.0 in HS. This was late 80s. I fully understand the struggles of 1st-gen college students and I think they’ve made great strides in helping them a bit more.
This same school still has “ASVAB” day. My wife, who is from Seattle and taught high school for many years in various schools was shocked to learn they come to the school and everyone takes that test. The US military feeds on the poor.
I had to take some deep breaths to settle down.
Mr VOW, back when he was Sgt VOW, was an Army Recruiter.
The ASVAB will show where an applicant has the skills for the jobs in the military. Not all kids become grunts and ground pounders.
Many people finish their military service with a skilled trade. Enlistees will also be told about college opportunities, both during active duty and after they separate from the service.
Sgt VOW worked long, hard hours helping kids get what they wanted, and explaining what the Army could offer them.
A recruiter is not a vulture. He or she is a skilled professional, serving our nation. Recruiting has the dual duty of finding jobs for people, and educating people about the opportunities available while serving the USA.
/flagwaving
~VOW
The military can be a fine option for some people. I was in the Air Force, my dad was in the Air Force, my father in law was in the Air Force.
I would disagree with having EVERYBODY take the ASVAB in a school setting. If a student is interested in joining the military, contact a recruiter.
I never took the SAT or whatever the college tests were because I wasn’t heading to college.
Amen to all of the above. I’m 9 months into a bathroom remodel and still going!
[quote=“a6ka97, post:28, topic:960528”]
Bad part is he bought a lot of premium and specialized tools and learned a lesson about finances when he couldn’t afford to pay his tool truck bill. Those tool truck driver are sharks when it comes to young mechanics. With a “mom and dad loan” and working a second job he is finally getting squared away on his tool debt.
Snap On tools probably. They are a predatory business. They sucker a lot of new mechanics into their long term payments. Hey, I’m in a trade without any long term student loan payments! Yes you do now.
Yeah, Snap-On makes very nice tools that will probably last your career, but you don’t need a $10k set of tools straight off. I’m a big advocate of the “Buy Once, Cry Once” philosophy of equipment in many ways, but with tools you can buy a decent set of basic tools and piece together more specialized tools as you need them, then figure out what is really worth paying a premium for when you replace or upgrade, e.g. torque wrenches and sockets, tap & die sets, et cetera. Nobody should be spending $300 on a breaker bar or $120 on a dead blow hammer unless you just have money to burn.
Stranger
Yeah, the Duralast tools sold at Autozone are just as fine a tool. Supply yourself with what you need to do your business and add on the special tools as needed.
A professional mechanic will need a slide hammer for pulling bearings and other things, but if you go with a basic Snap On set you are also buying things may never be, or rarely, needed.
T
Sorry, that wasn’t my intention. I was disputing the assertions that all schools are all pro college and in my experience, some schools are a complete 180 from that.
I do believe the military targets smaller poor schools (edit to add - or maybe the richer schools block the military’s request to administer the ASVAB?). My wife attended and taught at several affluent Seattle suburb schools and they didn’t administer the test at those schools. They still go to the high school I attended which is a very poor school (I have a niece that just took the test and she was confused why she had to take it).
I had two brothers and one nephew that joined the military out of that high school so it is effective.
That’s what they do at my school. I was gone the day they gave the test and they came back for those that missed it. I scored extremely well and received so many pairs of recruiting socks from all the branches (along with a ton of calls).
I remember taking the ASVAB in the early 90s and one of my classmate said he was going tank the test himself and advised me too as well but I did NOT listen to him. So I was harassed by multiple recruiters as well. And he was left alone.
At the time Sgt VOW was in recruiting, there was a recruiter assigned to every school in their area. Even the private schools.
The ASVAB doesn’t force every one who takes it into uniform. While it is obviously a screening tool to see what military jobs would best suit someone, ANYone can take it to see where his or her strengths lie.
~VOW
Edited to add: perhaps you should talk to a recruiter and verify some of the assumptions you are making.
Military service is an honorable profession.
If you tell a recruiter you are not interested, you will be left alone. Believe me, no recruiter wishes to waste time on someone who won’t join the service.
If you took the ASVAB, a recruiter WILL contact you, to explain what your test results mean. But again, be up front, and hear what he or she has to say. Part of a recruiter’s job is to make contact with those who took the test.
And before anyone asks: NO recruiter EVER gets a monetary bonus for signing someone up. That’s one of the biggest kies ever told about recruiting.
~VOW
Yea, I do a fair amount of automotive work, and have used a large set Craftsman hand tools for many decades (sockets, ratchets, wrenches, etc.). I have only broken a couple things in the last 30 or so years. OTOH, I’m not sure if they could put up with the intense, daily abuse of a professional garage.
But… I believe the key to making them last a long time is understanding the limit of a tool, not how frequently the tool is used. Whenever I need to apply a lot of torque, for example, I never use my chrome-plated vanadium (or whatever the alloy is) sockets. I use an impact socket, along with impact-rated extensions. (I learned this when I was removing lug bolts from a car a long time ago. I used a socket that had a 3/8" drive, a 3/8" to 1/2" adapter, and a breaker bar with 1/2" drive. Stupid! But I learned something…)