Crane Operators making $500K???

[bronks]

Quote from J-Law:

Bronks, where should I start?

Union labor in NYC is a lil spoiled and has a sense of entitlement.
The premiums being paid for work to be performed is a little high. Could stand to be reeled in. That motto of union quality goes out the window once a job is manned with "hall guys". These are the men that no company wishes to hire on a regular basis because of lousy craftsmanship, are criminals, or in most case are flat out lazy. They end up being called because seasonal demand absorbs all the decent tradesmen. They end up on the job, feign productivity, cause labor riffs, or literally do nothing all day and in some cases SLEEP. They and non working shop stewards wearing dress shoes to site command the latest negotiated project labor agreement rates that can amount to $80/hr (includes benefits) and the construction client has to absurd this...... All under guise of "union quality"...

...

I will not argue this as it is true with most Halls.

Quote from J-Law:

... But, twisted is the system that rewards a person whom makes $500,000 a year or even lets for argument sake half that as an employee with a high school education. Where the licensed Engineer on the same job goes to College, gets an engineering degree, passes the state PE exam, then bears the risk by stamping the drawing set with his steel design and makes a fifth of the crane operator. It's truly ass backwards. ...

This is the crux of the matter isn't it? I'm willing to bet a good majority of this board are college educated, whitecollar workers, who will be damned if barely a high school graduate is gonna out earn their 4-5-6-8 year degree. Its gotta hurt. But:

Do you have the lives of you and your coworkers on the line everyday?
Is your job performance detrimental to others?
Do you work in the elements being under extreme heat or cold for durations at a time?
Do you risk permanent eye, hearing, back, etc damage daily?
Do you work with men that settle their differences with violence at the drop of a hat?
Is your completion schedule so demanding that you are required to work 10 - 12 - 14+ hour days, seven days a week?

... continued (I type slow)

EDIT: when I say you, I don't mean you personally.

 

[bronks]

I agree with you that the system is broken... but don't take it out on the hand. Hate the game, not the player.

 

[caementarius]

Quote from failed_trad3r:

WHat now happens in unions is the OLDIES abuse the YOUNGIES. Oldies lobby for crazy pensions which the youngies will have to pay for in the future. Both know that's unsustainable.

Hopefully, by the time I'm an Oldie, immigration and natural population growth will provide 2-3 Youngies to help pay for me. I think it could sustain quite awhile longer. Not sure how long.

 

[Lucrum]

Quote from bronks:

Care to voice your opinion on why it's not reasonable?

bronks you're one of my favorite ET'ers buddy.

But I think it's unreasonable. Airline captains operating even larger infinitely more complicated equipment at 500 mph while making split second multimillion dollar life and death decisions don't make that much.

 

[ChkitOut]

I don't blame unions i blame spineless ceo's. The ones that refuse to rock the boat and just "go along" with union demands because..

"hey, i'm not going to be here forever and i make a couple milllion a year, shuold I risk all that to bust up the unions?" "hell no, i'll just sit here in my big office collect my big bucks for a handfull of years, and split!"

 

[Hombre]

Quote from bronks:

This sounds personal with you and some others. Care to voice your opinion on why it's not reasonable?

Not a personal at all as i do not know you personally.
It was that the sheer stupidity of that statement just shocked me. How can anyone even quietly think that the crane operator could make twice as much as 80% of the world countries presidents,surgeons,pediatricians ,airline captains, university professors etc,etc.
That would be bad already but you are even more stupid and clearly you are not able to comprehend the idiocy of your thought so you've posted it..

IMO, only the very, very stupid person can say that's it reasonable.

 

[J-Law]

Bronk,

Honestly.....All in the game are to blame and have to take responsibility.
Blame the CEO's, the union leadership, the city and state agencies that all set the rates and yes, blame "the hand" as well. It's their working of the system that at the end of the day it's the regular citizen who pays his taxes & whom gets fleeced. Whether it's going over budget on a municipal project or high rents due to developer construction costs that get passed on to retail rents, then on to the consumer.

As far as "the hand" goes..... Yes, a construction site can be a rough place to work filled with occupational hazards. But, no one is putting a gun to their head to do it. We all make choices in this life. & if you choose not to go to school and get an education and choose to enter into that industry, that is what you have to contend with. I have heard every violin played by every construction trade while they in the end take home more than management.

I have worked on numerous union construction projects and have heard every crocodile tears story. & it's the same everytime. With one hand organized labor gestures and complains that they are trampled underfoot & with the other hand they systemically attempt to take over and control and dictate every portion of a project. IBEW Local 3 is king of this & in the process manipulate & hamstring productivity to their needs while still making very handsome rates.

You talk to these individual tradesmen and some of them own 2nd homes & have income properties as well as drive nice vehicles. They cry a mantra that they are taught in the union hall. It is what it is....a systematic manipulation that starts with union leadership and ends with the tradesmen. Everyone knows how it works. CM's, GC's, Design professionals, public and private clients alike.

Have the same conversation with any corporate employee anywhere in the USA & they will tell you that they do not take home paychecks like this.
The rest of the work force doesn't enjoy such benefits. Why should they?

It's unjustified. & I know as you agreed before, the system is broken.
But, I'm sure this is not what Samuel Gompers had in mind.

 

[failed_trad3r]

Quote from bone:

Let me guess, you also think that expending $273K per job created as the official Congressional audited result regarding the Pelosi/Reid/Obama "Stimulus Package" is reasonable as well.

you cant blame the democrats. they are merely continuing the ponzi started by re-thug-licans in the eighties

 

[Lucrum]

Quote from failed_trad3r:

you cant blame the democrats...

Horse shit, I can and I do.

 

[TradingPilot]

500K and playing with big machines! I'm quitting trading!