Deem Mechanical

[mikmike4]

Anyone ever worked for Deem Mechanical? Saw an ad for them and just wondering how they are to work for, pay, etc...

[reset ron]

Stay away from them they will use you for the summer then get rid of you.

[wannameltice]

I have been with them for a few months and so far have enjoyed it. In my part of the country we do a lot of rack refrigeration work. This can be a downer if you don't like night,weekend and unscheduled work. They charge you 15 bucks a week truck fee and have gps on the vans. I'm not sure that is legal but in this economy seems you have to take the good with the bad.

[Tech Rob]

Truck fee?!

::DD:

Sounds like a bottom feeder to me.

[Trublshter]

I've never heard of a truck fee either. Ive heard of charging a customer for a trip charge, but never the tech having to pay to use the truck. Sorry to hear that.

[hvacpope]

I worked for an outfit that charges techs $35/month truck fee, I question it and was told that it has something to do with NYS law or some sort of tax and it was not a profit. there are a few companies doing it but most dont.

[Retread]

truck fee and GPS don't seem to go together. If the IRS thinks the truck is for your benefit they want you to pay tax on that benefit. Charging the truck fee keeps you from being taxed. Outside of the HVAC world this is common with a company car.

Now if the GPS is to keep you for using it for running around town how is it a benefit?

[Special Ed]

If I'm being charged $35 for the privilege of driving a co truck then I'm also driving it to the store or maybe even run some errands from time to time.

IRS can think what they want but the only reason I have a co vehicle is so that I can run calls for them. I would cover that fee for the employee if I owned the co.

[Retread]

If I'm being charged $35 for the privilege of driving a co truck then I'm also driving it to the store or maybe even run some errands from time to time.

IRS can think what they want but the only reason I have a co vehicle is so that I can run calls for them. I would cover that fee for the employee if I owned the co.

I agree.

[wisconsinapp]

If I'm being charged $35 for the privilege of driving a co truck then I'm also driving it to the store or maybe even run some errands from time to time.

IRS can think what they want but the only reason I have a co vehicle is so that I can run calls for them. I would cover that fee for the employee if I owned the co.

Think of it this way... The company doesnt NEED to let you take the company vehicle to your house. They could make you park it at the office, then if you get called out, you drive your personal vehicle to the office pick up your van and go, and drive your personal vehicle to the office every day. Pretty sure you would tally up more than 15 dollars a week in gas doing that. And before you say you would cover the cost if you run the co. Maybe if you only had 5-10 trucks on the road, but when you are talking about a company that has 300+ trucks on the road, it seems a little foolish to foot the bill for 250,000 bucks doesnt it?
As far as GPS goes, its not really that big of a deal to me. I dont do anything wrong iwth my van whether I do or dont have GPS so it doesn't bother me. Its more or less a tool for the company to be more efficient, and make the job easier on the dispatchers. Because I doubt someone from Indianapolis is going to know where any town in Wisconsin is except maybe Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay. Oh, and on a side note, I work at DEEM, and love it. I go to work in the morning, do my work for the day, dont create any waves and I never hear from the office, nobody complains and my paycheck is always in my account Friday mornings.

[Special Ed]

I'm just saying that I don't understand why a co would essentially charge an employee to work for them. Doesn't sound right, & I've never heard of that type of thing happening before.

And, you're right an employer doesn't have to allow an employee the privilege of driving a co vehicle home, I know of some co's that don't.

What I'm struggling with is a co charging me to drive their vehicle for the sole purpose of making them money.... And they put a GPS on the vehicle I'm partially pay for? Doesn't sound right.

Now, if it was either/or that would be a different matter entirely.

[Tech Rob]

I don't care about GPS, but here's the thing. I won't be forced to subsidize the company with the money I earn when company vehicles are just a part of being in the business we are in. It's not a benefit. It's a liability. It is a necessary evil. I would rather not have that rolling billboard parked at my house, when it says to everyone who passes by "Break into me! I am filled with thousands of dollars worth of tools and materials!" Is the company going to assist me in any way when I have to defend my family with deadly force because some miscreant was tempted by the van marked “____ Heating and Air Conditioning”?

The company knows that by me being able to go straight to the job immediately from my house, without having to go to the office and load/unload saves them tremendous amounts of cash! I work for a company with about 75 service and controls techs. Can you imagine what it would cost them to provide parking for 75 personal vehicles at their office, in addition to the 100+ engineers, sales, managment, and administrative personnel who already park there? Can you imagine the astronomical costs of those 75 people having to load and unload their stuff from the vans every day? They're not doing it for free. Maybe I should charge the company I work for an additional $15 a week for allowing them to use my driver's license? Or maybe I should hit them for hazard pay every time I go out on the road, seeing as how I am risking my life and safety for their bottom line! We are exposed to more danger on the roads than anywhere else in our jobs. Especially those of us who live and work in high-traffic heavily populated areas.

The employers can choose to run their business any way they see fit. The only option I have, being a skilled and experienced technician who is in demand, is to go to work for a company that does not treat me as a liability and offers a working environment that is consistent with industry standards. This is an issue of principle, not money.

Just my :.02:

[jpsmith1cm]

Think of it this way... The company doesnt NEED to let you take the company vehicle to your house. They could make you park it at the office, then if you get called out, you drive your personal vehicle to the office pick up your van and go, and drive your personal vehicle to the office every day.

That would not fly doing commercial refrigeration service.

Most of my customers demand a 2 hour maximum response time on emergency calls.

My home office is one hour, one way. Now, I get the call, drive an hour (depending on traffic, of course) pick up my van, drive another hour to get back home, THEN start driving to the customer.

Not a good way to keep customers.

[John Markl]

truck fee and GPS don't seem to go together. If the IRS thinks the truck is for your benefit they want you to pay tax on that benefit. Charging the truck fee keeps you from being taxed. Outside of the HVAC world this is common with a company car.

Now if the GPS is to keep you for using it for running around town how is it a benefit?

A free ride, to and from work? :whistle:

As a sidebar, I was on the city council here from '96 to '07. More than once, we had to deal with the issue of employees taking vehicles home. Many of them lived outside the city limits. Some of them a good 15-20 miles away.

What you as a technician see, doesn't always gee-haw with what the IRS or management sees. When you have a hundred people taking vehicles home every night, there are issues.

Most likely, the "truck charge" is to keep you from being taxed for your ride to and from work, which the IRS does consider (in most cases) to be "income".

[madhat]

Charge them for off hours parking and :tank: security, nothing is free :yes:

[JWB]

Local co. here charges $10 a week. Most of the guys say they look for a way to get that money back, like letting the truck run all day etc.

[Tech Rob]

Since Deem is sharing the cost of their business with their employees, I wonder if they are also sharing the profits? I wonder if the owner of the company has an opinion on socialism? My bet is that he or she votes Republican.

:hijacked:

[wisconsinapp]

Since Deem is sharing the cost of their business with their employees, I wonder if they are also sharing the profits? I wonder if the owner of the company has an opinion on socialism? My bet is that he or she votes Republican.

:hijacked:

I hope he does vote republican!!! Then I will like my job even more yet. But in all seriousness, they are very upfront with it during the interview process its one of the first things they tell you about. So if you are a smart person (not claiming I am BUT this is what I did) when they ask you what you need, just tack an extra dollar an hour or 50 cents an hour on there to cover it up. I did that plus got more, so I guess thats why it doesn't bother me at all.

[John Markl]

Charge them for off hours parking and :tank: security, nothing is free :yes:

NO problem....then you'll also get a 1099 for your non-wage income.

You're missing the point. It's a legal issue, not a monetary one. Taking a truck home is considered income by the IRS. If there's an audit, you'll find that out for yourself.

[chuckcrj]

NO problem....then you'll also get a 1099 for your non-wage income.

You're missing the point. It's a legal issue, not a monetary one. Taking a truck home is considered income by the IRS. If there's an audit, you'll find that out for yourself.

What if I am dispatched from home and only get to the office once or twice a week?

I see what you're saying but in my case it saves the co. money. So should they report more income since my first call every morning takes less drive time than if I started from the office?

[Tech Rob]

NO problem....then you'll also get a 1099 for your non-wage income.

You're missing the point. It's a legal issue, not a monetary one. Taking a truck home is considered income by the IRS. If there's an audit, you'll find that out for yourself.

Are the other 99% of the companies in the country following a different IRS code than you are?

[John Markl]

Are the other 99% of the companies in the country following a different IRS code than you are?

They're just wingin' it......As I stated earlier, my experience with the city council yielded the same situation. Taking an employer's vehicle home in many cases is considered income. If you wanna charge me for "storing" my vehicle at your house, fine....that's income too :)

Disagreeing with me doesn't change that. :cheers:

[John Markl]

What if I am dispatched from home and only get to the office once or twice a week?

I see what you're saying but in my case it saves the co. money. So should they report more income since my first call every morning takes less drive time than if I started from the office?

That's between you, your employer's accountant, and the IRS...:grin2:

You can bet that the companies charging a "truck charge" ain't doin' it for the bread.....it's a tax accounting issue. The pittances mentioned here, certainly would not be worth the hassle or the ill will generated.

[Special Ed]

If it's a legal issue then somehow take it out of my paycheck in such a way that I don't have to write the co a check.

Still don't see why very few co's actually charge that fee if it's a legal issue. Funny how the IRS doesn't come after 'em either, 'cause it's not like any of the non-compliant co's are cooking the books to hide their blatant dishonesty.

[hvacpope]

If an employer offers and good total package; salary,benefits,401k etc. I wouldn't make a big deal about them taking a few bucks a week for the privilege of driving the company truck, I mean if your making $30+/hr $15/week truck charge equals 38 cents an hour in a 40hr week, not a biggie.

[Tassajara]

taking the truck home for a tech is considered a non taxable fringe benefit it is not subject to federal income tax. You can look it up for your self simply by googleing fringe benefits it will take you right to circular 15 section 2.

I actually might have the circular wrong but just google fringe benefit it will take you right to it

[hvacpope]

taking the truck home for a tech is considered a non taxable fringe benefit it is not subject to federal income tax. You can look it up for your self simply by googleing fringe benefits it will take you right to circular 15 section 2.

I actually might have the circular wrong but just google fringe benefit it will take you right to it

I looked up and seems like the IRS wants cut.

http://www.payroll-taxes.com/articles/177-taxing-and-reporting-personal-use-of-employerr-provided-vehicles.htm

[Tech Rob]

Personal use of a company provided vehicle is a taxable fringe benefit. I think most companies that go as far as to have GPS and charge their employees for the business-related usage of the company's vehicles probably have a policy in place that prohibits such "personal use" of a company vehicle.

[Tassajara]

I don't anything about the personal use thing as my guys are not allowed to use them personal stuff. I don't have gps on them. But I can't imagine whybthey would want to drive around in van with my name on it lol

[wisconsinapp]

Who says "personal use" has to be defined as dropping the kids off at school, going to the gym, going to the store, running errands etc. Because MOST people do have to drive their personal vehicle to work. I know most people dont get paid from the time they leave their house until they get to the shop, therefore they are on "personal time" which would mean that is technically personal use of a vehicle. I am not trying to start an argument, but like I said, I pay the 15 bucks a week, and its really no hair off my back. I guess my theory is if 15 bucks a week is going to make or break you, maybe you need to re-evaluate your lifestyle. Its not worth throwing a fit about because I happen to like my job and if I have to give up an entire 38 cents an hour, so be it. Like I said, I figured it in my starting wage anyway so its not like it really affected me at all.

[wisconsinapp]

And if you look at HVACPope's link he posted it clearly states this:

Commuting Rule

If the only personal use of an employer-provided vehicle is commuting to and from work, then the employer can use the commuting rule. The value of each one-way commute is $1.50, and either the value has to be included in the employee’s wages or the employee can reimburse the employer this amount.

So, 1.50 each way, two ways a day, 3 bucks a day five days a week, and what is the magical number you come up with? 15 dollars... And for everyone to say that the company you work for doesnt do it, yes that may be true, but my guess is when you have 300+ vehicles on the road and 700+ employees, you are probably a little more likely to be audited by the IRS than a company of say 10-20 employees. So covering your tail may be a little more essential. Just my thoughts.

[John Markl]

Who says "personal use" has to be defined as dropping the kids off at school, going to the gym, going to the store, running errands etc. Because MOST people do have to drive their personal vehicle to work. I know most people dont get paid from the time they leave their house until they get to the shop, therefore they are on "personal time" which would mean that is technically personal use of a vehicle. I am not trying to start an argument, but like I said, I pay the 15 bucks a week, and its really no hair off my back. I guess my theory is if 15 bucks a week is going to make or break you, maybe you need to re-evaluate your lifestyle. Its not worth throwing a fit about because I happen to like my job and if I have to give up an entire 38 cents an hour, so be it. Like I said, I figured it in my starting wage anyway so its not like it really affected me at all.

I really get a chuckle out of the guys who act like they're doing their employer a favor by taking the company van home....:grin2:

[wisconsinapp]

I really get a chuckle out of the guys who act like they're doing their employer a favor by taking the company van home....:grin2:

I dont by any means think I am doing my company any favor by taking the van home. But I know people that spend over 75 dollars a week in other trades in gas alone, not to mention wear and tear on their personal vehicles. Its more that I appreciate the fact that I get to take my van home and my personal truck doesnt leave the driveway all week. Thats why 15 dollars really isnt a big deal to me. Sure, its the first place I have had the 15 dollars, but at the end of the day, its only 15 dollars.

[John Markl]

I dont by any means think I am doing my company any favor by taking the van home. But I know people that spend over 75 dollars a week in other trades in gas alone, not to mention wear and tear on their personal vehicles. Its more that I appreciate the fact that I get to take my van home and my personal truck doesnt leave the driveway all week. Thats why 15 dollars really isnt a big deal to me. Sure, its the first place I have had the 15 dollars, but at the end of the day, its only 15 dollars.

I wasn't directing that toward you....but rather, some others that I read on this and other similar threads. :cheers:

[acdave17]

I agree you should not be charged for using a company van or truck. The GPS is great for the dispatchers. If your someplace that would make your company look bad, you shouldn’t be there anyway. You are the company, people judge your company by your behavior. I’m on salary, but put in 2+ hours of unpaid overtime a week. I do it because I like getting a pay check. If I don’t get everything done, they’ll find someone else who will. If you don’t like the company rules find another job. Just make sure you have the job before turning in your notice. With the economy in the tank. :.02:

[Special Ed]

If you're only getting paid what amounts to $15/hr & then you have to give the co $15 a week, then aren't you essentially working for free for an hour just because the greedy IRS wants their "cut"?

So, John, I take it you're asking each tech for $15 a week, right?

[Tech Rob]

If you're only getting paid what amounts to $15/hr & then you have to give the co $15 a week, then aren't you essentially working for free for an hour just because the greedy IRS wants their "cut"?

So, John, I take it you're asking each tech for $15 a week, right?

Can I waive the $15/week truck fee and handle the matter with the IRS myself?

[wisconsinapp]

If you're only getting paid what amounts to $15/hr & then you have to give the co $15 a week, then aren't you essentially working for free for an hour just because the greedy IRS wants their "cut"?

So, John, I take it you're asking each tech for $15 a week, right?

I dont know... The government doesnt seem to have an issue with taking 30 percent of my pay check each week... So why would they care about taking 15 extra dollars from me?

[John Markl]

Can I waive the $15/week truck fee and handle the matter with the IRS myself?

It's not a matter of YOU handling it....it's a matter of the EMPLOYER handling it. The IRS frowns on unreported income....and they have been clear....Free transportation to and from work constitutes income.

[madhat]

I worked for a company, and all the lead class A mechanics wanted to sit down and talk to the President, Vice Presidents, Service Reps. And Managers of the company about quite a few problems, with they way they were doing things and changes we wanted to see. Well the Sales VP sent put a memo "That we needed to stop having unauthorized 'Union' meetings with the employees." Well guess who had a meeting in our shop, on company time? Then he put out a memo that if we talked union, we would have to park the trucks at the shop. He went on a roll with this. So one Friday before a four day weekend we parked all our vans in the unsecured parking lot and pulled our tools off the vans. LOL

[John Markl]

I worked for a company, and all the lead class A mechanics wanted to sit down and talk to the President, Vice Presidents, Service Reps. And Managers of the company about quite a few problems, with they way they were doing things and changes we wanted to see. Well the Sales VP sent put a memo "That we needed to stop having unauthorized 'Union' meetings with the employees." Well guess who had a meeting in our shop, on company time? Then he put out a memo that if we talked union, we would have to park the trucks at the shop. He went on a roll with this. So one Friday before a four day weekend we parked all our vans in the unsecured parking lot and pulled our tools off the vans. LOL

Which proved what, exactly? :anyone:

[racingfan]

They can't stop you from talking about the union. Its the law and your right!

The company I work for makes us pay income tax on our truck mileage to and from work.

It is shown as profit and we get that added to our weekly income. And then taxed on the total.

[Special Ed]

He must be "breaking the law" by not demanding $15/week from his techs, lol!

[John Markl]

He must be "breaking the law" by not demanding $15/week from his techs, lol!

According to my accountant/tax preparer, we will begin doing so on Jan 1. The guys already know about it, and see it as no big deal. See, you get to blame it on the government....

[Pascone10]

I worked for a company, and all the lead class A mechanics wanted to sit down and talk to the President, Vice Presidents, Service Reps. And Managers of the company about quite a few problems, with they way they were doing things and changes we wanted to see. Well the Sales VP sent put a memo "That we needed to stop having unauthorized 'Union' meetings with the employees." Well guess who had a meeting in our shop, on company time? Then he put out a memo that if we talked union, we would have to park the trucks at the shop. He went on a roll with this. So one Friday before a four day weekend we parked all our vans in the unsecured parking lot and pulled our tools off the vans. LOL

I love it when you can get all the guys to stand side be side. Most of the time you get a handful of guys that are afraid to stand united.. THey won't fire the whole company!:grin2:

[hvacpope]

I hate when employers take money out of my paycheck for any given reason, why put it in to take it later?
Some companies are now charging employees for uniforms and cell phones.

[steelersfan1]

I hate when employers take money out of my paycheck for any given reason, why put it in to take it later?
Some companies are now charging employees for uniforms and cell phones.


Where I work charges us a few bucks a week for uniforms but that also

includes washing them repairs etc. For me I feel its more than fair because

if I had to go out and buy shirts, pants, coats and what not I would have

to spend a lot more just due to wear and tear.


As far as trucks I don't get charged. We get to take them home and I get

my first call from home every morning. All they ask is that we keep the

trucks clean and make sure that maint is done on them. For me I feel this

is a huge benefit because I don't have to buy gas/wear and tear on my

personal truck.

Even if they charged me I won't complain because I know if I had to drive in

to the shop everymorning or on Saturdays that would suck big time.

Just one guys opinion.

[framehvac]

Which proved what, exactly? :anyone:

They are committing suicide!!!
Sounds like they are going union!
The owner is about to lose control of his business!
Or he will be closing the copmany down!

Good luck with that!!!!

[John Markl]

They are committing suicide!!!
Sounds like they are going union!
The owner is about to lose control of his business!
Or he will be closing the copmany down!

Good luck with that!!!!

I watched Kroger close a union store here, pull all the equipment, then reinstall and reopen (non-union) a year later.

While unions may still have a stronghold in some places....long term, they are on their way out. Look at all the areas of the country that are in the worst economical circumstances.....Look at where all the factories are closed....There's a common theme there.....

In the last 20 years, EVERY union or union scale manufacturing plant here where I live, has been closed. (Oscar Mayer, Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, LOF Glass, etc.....)

[Special Ed]

According to my accountant/tax preparer, we will begin doing so on Jan 1. The guys already know about it, and see it as no big deal. See, you get to blame it on the government....

See? 16yrs working for three different co's, part owner of 1 & I've never even heard of this obscure regulation nor has it ever been enforced upon me. Is it new?

Still, I don't see how allowing a tech to drive his/her svc vehicle home is entirely a benefit. I mean, I can see how it's a minimal benefit but I can see how it goes both ways too. No, techs aren't allowed to use it for personal business - ever! - only for co business. And, as is the case where I live, I can't even park it in my driveway - it must be hidden from view. The only benefit I can see is driving it to & from the shop, & that's not enough of a benefit to consider it an incredible enough of an income to be "taxed".

The benefit it would serve the co to have a tech drive a truck home far outweighs the benefit it serves the tech. Convenience just to name one. And not having a mgr open up the shop every time the on-call tech has to run a call in the middle of the night.

Now, if it meant me giving up an hour's wage every week or not having a job, then obviously I'd pay up.

[John Markl]

See? 16yrs working for three different co's, part owner of 1 & I've never even heard of this obscure regulation nor has it ever been enforced upon me. Is it new?

Still, I don't see how allowing a tech to drive his/her svc vehicle home is entirely a benefit. I mean, I can see how it's a minimal benefit but I can see how it goes both ways too. No, techs aren't allowed to use it for personal business - ever! - only for co business. And, as is the case where I live, I can't even park it in my driveway - it must be hidden from view. The only benefit I can see is driving it to & from the shop, & that's not enough of a benefit to consider it an incredible enough of an income to be "taxed".

The benefit it would serve the co to have a tech drive a truck home far outweighs the benefit it serves the tech. Convenience just to name one. And not having a mgr open up the shop every time the on-call tech has to run a call in the middle of the night.

Now, if it meant me giving up an hour's wage every week or not having a job, then obviously I'd pay up.

You're viewing this thru the narrow sliver of our trade. The tax code was written to cover a broad-stroke of folks taking company vehicles home.

I don't disagree with your points. I just know what I read, what my tax lady read, and what I dealt with when I was on the city council years ago.

[Special Ed]

Seeing whereas all I've ever known is our trade I can see what you mean. Other than the building/repair trades that require us to go to people's homes I can't see why anyone would need to drive a co vehicle (I'm not including taxi cab drivers & the like, etc, etc....). As an aside, do cops/troopers who drive their cars home have to abide by the same rules as us?

And, thanks, I didn't even know this code has existed for this long....

[feelcire]

I may have a job with them DEEM Mechanical, doing commercial refrigeration piping. They have offered 13$ an hour and I have to fly to Indiana for an interview or something and will cost them about 2K$ for travel expenses.
I feel hesitant. Any comments or thoughts?
I've been in the Sheet metal and pipe fitting trades since 1982 and this is the lowest starting wage I have ever been offered. They must have something real good to offer to keep employees there cause it not the pay.

[feelcire]

I have been with them for a few months and so far have enjoyed it. In my part of the country we do a lot of rack refrigeration work. This can be a downer if you don't like night,weekend and unscheduled work. They charge you 15 bucks a week truck fee and have gps on the vans. I'm not sure that is legal but in this economy seems you have to take the good with the bad.
Are you still employed by them and if not why, How was your experience there?

[feelcire]

So did you take the job with DEEM? just curious to see what you think before I get too involved but work is work.

[ChrisTechMech]

I may have a job with them DEEM Mechanical, doing commercial refrigeration piping. They have offered 13$ an hour... I've been in the Sheet metal and pipe fitting trades since 1982 and this is the lowest starting wage I have ever been offered. They must have something real good to offer to keep employees there cause it not the pay.

REALLY?

I'd laugh at them and go apply at an apartment complex. I knew nothing at all about HVAC when I started and I was offered $12.75 to be an industrial mechanical equipment service apprentice. It was a union gig but he offered me over scale. I live in Columbus, OH and I can make more than that as a waiter. $13/hour is an insult, especially since you already have so much experience. I was offered a position today with a non-union commercial company and although I haven't received the official offer yet, he said it would be well more than $19/hour plus health, dental, vision, iPhone, laptop, and paid training with only 4 weeks a year on-call. I only have 5-6 years in the trade.

[mapurcell]

I live in Illinois my first day with Deem is Monday.

[markettech]

It seems to me there may be a slight misunderstanding from an employee's standpoint as to this $15.00 per week charge.

It's not an employer sticking it to the employee issue at all. It's an IRS taxation issue in which the employer is forced to be the tax collector.

I saw a post asking whether or not law enforcement is being charged this weekly fee. I would suspect they are not, and here's why. The $3.00/day charge is for personal use of a company vehicle. Most law enforcement agencies are on the clock from the minute the key turns in the ignition at their house until they shut the cruiser off at home at the end of the shift....there is no personal use.

We are dispatched directly from home - in fact, I only get into the shop every couple of months or so. Likewise, we are on the clock from the minute our truck leaves the driveway until the minute it pulls in and therefore have no obligation to pay a weekly fee for personal use of the company truck.

A previous company I worked for in WI was able to skirt the weekly charge by requiring us to have our trucks washed weekly. I was never told directly, but I came to understand that this requirement (in this particular company's eyes) satisfied the IRS company vehicle usage issue.

Who's to say why one company does it and another doesn't? Bottom line, if you - as an individual - can live with the weekly fee....great! If you can't, then it's time to start polishing up the resume.

Either way, it's not the employer's who came up with this idea of charging a technician to take a truck home and so any problem you have with it doesn't lie with the employer......it falls directly on our US government. To take out any frustration on the employer seems immature, at best.

[valdelocc]

been driving company trucks home for a long time, have never pay a dime for it.
all taxes, insurance,gas, repairs etc. are employers responsibility, I dont use the truck for personal stuff either.
where are we going at $13 bucks an hour plus tuck and uniform fee? Time to unionize, they driving our trade all the way to the bottom.

[markettech]

been driving company trucks home for a long time, have never pay a dime for it.
all taxes, insurance,gas, repairs etc. are employers responsibility, I dont use the truck for personal stuff either.
where are we going at $13 bucks an hour plus tuck and uniform fee? Time to unionize, they driving our trade all the way to the bottom.

Personally, I think if a person is truly a man, he acts like a man and does what needs to be done to look out for himself and his family. If this means having a heart to heart with the boss over pay and benefits, or it means he find another contractor willing to satisfy his pay/benefit requirement, so be it.

IMHO only a person with a childlike mentality needs others to fight his battles with/for him.

.....but that's just my 2 cents.

[John Markl]

Personally, I think if a person is truly a man, he acts like a man and does what needs to be done to look out for himself and his family. If this means having a heart to heart with the boss over pay and benefits, or it means he find another contractor willing to satisfy his pay/benefit requirement, so be it.

IMHO only a person with a childlike mentality needs others to fight his battles with/for him.

.....but that's just my 2 cents.

Amen, Brother !! :cheers:

[valdelocc]

Personally, I think if a person is truly a man, he acts like a man and does what needs to be done to look out for himself and his family. If this means having a heart to heart with the boss over pay and benefits, or it means he find another contractor willing to satisfy his pay/benefit requirement, so be it.

IMHO only a person with a childlike mentality needs others to fight his battles with/for him.

.....but that's just my 2 cents.

in my tenure I've met a tough guy or two, they ended at the unemployment line. you were fired from a job or two and your business failed miserably so your anti-union motto didn't work good for you either.
anyone can pile up a few words and make a smart sounding phrase but in real life money talks a BS walks and union techs make double or more $$$ compared to non-union, there is nothing wrong with we the workers standing together and negotiating better pay and benefits.

[John Markl]

union techs make double or more $$$ compared to non-union.

Good thing I'm wearing boots tonight....shi+s gettin' deep....::DD:

[jpsmith1cm]

Guys,

The jobs forum isn't a place for union/non-union arguments.

[markettech]

in my tenure I've met a tough guy or two, they ended at the unemployment line. you were fired from a job or two and your business failed miserably so your anti-union motto didn't work good for you either.
anyone can pile up a few words and make a smart sounding phrase but in real life money talks a BS walks and union techs make double or more $$$ compared to non-union, there is nothing wrong with we the workers standing together and negotiating better pay and benefits.

You're absolutely right. I lost my business due to my inability to be an effective leader.....but really, is there any other way for a business to fail but miserably? Can't say I've ever heard of a business failing pleasantly.

I was also fired.....so, you're right again.

I'm having a hard time seeing how the union, or lack thereof, would have changed anything relating to my business failure and my terminations.

Regarding your money talking and BS walking - please prove to me that every non union service technician makes at least 1/2 that of a union service technician. I'm certain you'll have no problem with this as you appear to be a man that researches things in great depth before speaking about them.

[markettech]

Jeremy - I just now saw your post.

My apologies........I'll refrain from further comment.

[valdelocc]

Good thing I'm wearing boots tonight....shi+s gettin' deep....::DD:

John

I understand why a business owner/slave driver like you oppose the union but I dont get it when a fellow hvac tech bashes organized labor for the sake of it, there is no better place for a worker than the union, having a legal binding contract between employer and employees spelling out our pay and benefits is priceless, working union there is no " cant give you a raise cause my wife got her boobs done".

[valdelocc]

Jeremy - I just now saw your post.

My apologies........I'll refrain from further comment.

X2

[John Markl]

there is no better place for a worker than the union, having a legal binding contract between employer and employees spelling out our pay and benefits is priceless,

Unfortunately, we don't have a "yawn" smilie....:D

[John Markl]

Guys,

The jobs forum isn't a place for union/non-union arguments.

gotcha :cheers:

[wisconsinapp]

I live in Illinois my first day with Deem is Monday.

Thank god!!!!! Now maybe I will get to spend a LITTLE more time in Wisco. It's a good company, its got its pros and cons just like every job, but the pros far outweigh the cons. A lot of freedom and a lot of work (especially down in Illinois) so really not alot to complain about. Welcome aboard.

[jrmech]

hahahahahha $15 truck charge?

taking the truck home is INCOME? what kind of backwards twisted tax laws you guys gots goin on down there. It sounds like the IRS is scrapping the bottom of the barrel for cash.

[John Markl]

hahahahahha $15 truck charge?

taking the truck home is INCOME? what kind of backwards twisted tax laws you guys gots goin on down there. It sounds like the IRS is scrapping the bottom of the barrel for cash.

The reality is, that your work vehicle represents free transportation to and from work....something that most American workers do not enjoy.

So, yes, it IS a form of income. Unless, as some stated, your work day starts when you leave your house and ends when you arrive at it.

[wisconsinapp]

The reality is, that your work vehicle represents free transportation to and from work....something that most American workers do not enjoy.

So, yes, it IS a form of income. Unless, as some stated, your work day starts when you leave your house and ends when you arrive at it.

Agreed, although it seemed really backwards and screwed up at first, when you actually sit down and think about it, 15 dollars really isn't anything. If you were to drive 20 miles to work each day with your personal vehicle, you would spend more than that in gas, plus wear and tear on your personal vehicle. At the end of the day its less than an hours worth of labor so if it bothered me that much I would just work an extra half hour each week and call it good. Laws are laws and I can't blame a company for following them, especially if there is potential for the IRS to come at me years down the road and charge me a lump sum for all the weeks I didn't pay it in the past.

[jrmech]

Trucks are part of the business and there is no business without them, if it was a luxury vehicle then I can understand and justify a charge.

is the IRS going to ask employees to pay the lease on the building the company occupies?

[wisconsinapp]

No, I won't accept anything, but the fact is there are some things you just don't have a choice with and unfortunately when it comes to the IRS there is really no negotiating... It just is what it is, and there is no point in getting bitter about it, just accept it and take it for what it is because at the end of the day 15 bucks a week really is nothing for me to gripe about, if I don't like it then I guess I will find a job where they don't offer me a company vehicle. Not to mention I knew about the 15 dollars before I started so I figured it in when I told them what I needed to make with no issues.

[John Markl]

Agreed, although it seemed really backwards and screwed up at first, when you actually sit down and think about it, 15 dollars really isn't anything. If you were to drive 20 miles to work each day with your personal vehicle, you would spend more than that in gas, plus wear and tear on your personal vehicle. At the end of the day its less than an hours worth of labor so if it bothered me that much I would just work an extra half hour each week and call it good. Laws are laws and I can't blame a company for following them, especially if there is potential for the IRS to come at me years down the road and charge me a lump sum for all the weeks I didn't pay it in the past.

Exactly. It's all in your point of view. A healthy viewpoint makes for a much less stressful life. It's $15. a week for a ride to and from work. Depending on your family/lifestyle, it might even allow you to have one less personally owned vehicle in the driveway. :cheers:

[rtu]

I live in Illinois my first day with Deem is Monday.
Welcome aboard! Hope you like OT :grin2: Handful of us had 90 to 100 hours last week:eek2: No worries of not getting 40 here.
What part of the state are you at?

[cold in alberta]

hahahahahha $15 truck charge?

taking the truck home is INCOME? what kind of backwards twisted tax laws you guys gots goin on down there. It sounds like the IRS is scrapping the bottom of the barrel for cash.

we have it here too-it can be considered a taxable benefit,by getting the 15 bucks a month it eliminates it in the eyes of the IRS or CRA

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/t4130/t4130-11e.pdf

[jrmech]

Exactly. It's all in your point of view. A healthy viewpoint makes for a much less stressful life. It's $15. a week for a ride to and from work. Depending on your family/lifestyle, it might even allow you to have one less personally owned vehicle in the driveway. :cheers:

yes, we can convince ourselves to accept anything and everything, Goebbels did wonders for the Nazi's..it didn't make it right though.

[wrightbrigade]

I want to give my 2 cents about Deem as I worked there for almost a year. They let the dispatchers run the business. They will run you into the ground and you will hate life. They put unqualified techs on service calls and have the best guy go play clean up. This cycle only lasts so long, if your any good you will work until it's completely unsafe and they will demand for more. They will send you FAR away and keep you out late. This is coming from a former Refrigeration Service Supervisor and mainly speaking of the refrigeration calls. They can not even handle a simple Papa Johns PM or CVS call without somebody totally screwing it all up. You will get great pay, a new van and some nice shirts. You will get terrible insurance and a bad attitude. You will have to call off to get some rest. The word is out on the street and they can't find any good techs anymore. They used to have some of the best but they have moved on. I started to get the opinion they like having call backs as most of the time they still get paid twice. I say this because the worst guys never got in ANY trouble for doing poor work. The dispatchers also talk trash with all the techs so they spread stuff around and get people mad at each other. The contract / installers slap stuff in and run. As if service didn't have enough on their plate you run call backs on the contract side constantly. Good pay / NO life.

[mikeacman]

I really get a chuckle out of the guys who act like they're doing their employer a favor by taking the company van home....:grin2:

we are ... Keeps all their property safe because when at the shop they have thefts ...

And if we start at the shop our time starts at the shop,as it is now my time starts when I arrive at the job or after one hour of drive time ...

I live 3 minutes from our shop . I would love to park my van there . I wouldn't have to look at it when I'm home . I would get an easy 300 more hours of pay each year.

I could walk or ride A bike to work

I could go on ....

Not being an ass... In our case it's cheaper for our customers ,allows jobs to be bid lower, and spreads our property out so the meth heads can't raid them all at once

[bohncoils]

Not disagreeing with your post, but you just described most if not all mechanical contractors :) Kind of the nature of the beast, feast or famine.

I want to give my 2 cents about Deem as I worked there for almost a year. They let the dispatchers run the business. They will run you into the ground and you will hate life. They put unqualified techs on service calls and have the best guy go play clean up. This cycle only lasts so long, if your any good you will work until it's completely unsafe and they will demand for more. They will send you FAR away and keep you out late. This is coming from a former Refrigeration Service Supervisor and mainly speaking of the refrigeration calls. They can not even handle a simple Papa Johns PM or CVS call without somebody totally screwing it all up. You will get great pay, a new van and some nice shirts. You will get terrible insurance and a bad attitude. You will have to call off to get some rest. The word is out on the street and they can't find any good techs anymore. They used to have some of the best but they have moved on. I started to get the opinion they like having call backs as most of the time they still get paid twice. I say this because the worst guys never got in ANY trouble for doing poor work. The dispatchers also talk trash with all the techs so they spread stuff around and get people mad at each other. The contract / installers slap stuff in and run. As if service didn't have enough on their plate you run call backs on the contract side constantly. Good pay / NO life.

[Dowadudda]

I can assure most of you that Pat could probably kick any one of your a$$es, just sayin. lol. Pretty big fella to be lipping off to. lol.

Actually he can muster with the finest mechanics around. Pat usually is the only guy who I can count on to come help when I need the muscle, technical or anything else at 2 am. He's a good decent dude.

As for the truck benefit as income, I don't like it, but it seems thats the way the IRS wants it.

As for Deem and any other mechanical contractor, talent is extremely hard to come by. And when less talent is on staff, it makes it hard for the rest of the talented guys. Supermarkets especially. The solution is to train, teach, train, teach, train, teach. And find good men who have ethics and willingness and motivation to get better. The character of real men is the missing link.

I was just with a young guy yesterday, who was really moaning about all the peripheral troubles and I could not help but think of back when I was in his shoes. Things were different. The trade has changed, it's kinda depressing.

[Ammonianite]

I've worked for companies big and small but DEEM is the most adversarial toward the front-line technician of any that I have ever worked for in decades in the service business. Turnover, at least in the geographical division with which I was affiliated with, was and is extremely high- even in this tough economy. In six months, we lost ten excellent rack technicians, two supervisors and a salesman. They do not treat their technicians fairly. One of my co-workers was the victim of what I have never seen in the service field. A meeting was held. A new rule was established (they were always changing policy and procedure but rarely communicating it to the techs). My buddy was called into the office and suspended for three days for allegedly misdiagnosing a unit. And the kicker was that during the meeting the manager from Indianapolis stated that the rule was just being put into effect and the penalties were to proceed from a verbal warning up to termination. They skipped all that and immediately suspended a good technician who may or may not have made a mistake. This kind of hints at the type of malice that DEEM engages in regards to their front-line employees. When I first started at DEEM, we spent an inordinate time waiting for the next call in parking lots- 1 hour or more was not uncommon. I spoke to a manager in Indianapolis who put the blame squarely on the technician- "The techs aren't trying hard enough to get ahold of Dispatch. And I am not going to pay you guys for sitting in parking lots!" I can cite so many examples, but I will share one last one- We were scheduled at a facility to replace some unit heaters. I showed up first, looked around and could not find a platform lift which I assumed was scheduled for the job. I called the office, was redirected from person to person to person until I finally got ahold of a man who sold the job. His response: "A platform lift wasn't included in the quote! Can't you guys do it from ladders?" No way- some of the heaters were located over a conveyor belt and couldn't be reached anyway without an extending platform. And how were we to get the old ones down and the new ones up? We did as much as we could as we continued to play phone tag for 3/4's of the day and having the local supervisor, who promised to get us a lift never call us back or respond to our calls until the end of the day when he called to cuss us out because we were going to exceed the quote. It was our fault! An hour later, in a more subdued tone, he called back and admitted that the lift was included in the quote but someone in Indy had dropped the ball. With DEEM, it is always the technician's fault until overwhelming evidence vindicates. Don't get me wrong- there are many good people in the Indianapolis headquarters but they, unfortunately are not the ones that engage the technicians on a regular basis. The things that I saw at Deem, I have never seen anywhere in twenty-plus years in the service industry. Bad craziness. Still- a job is a job and these days beggars can't be choosers.

[valdelocc]

time to unionize the rats SOB, call your local union, talk to the organizer, its easier than you think.

[MechanicallyInclined]

Even Serviceman classification wages trump what most non-Union Com. Ref. Techs make. It's time for change, indeed.

[John Markl]

time to unionize the rats SOB, call your local union, talk to the organizer, its easier than you think.

Ask the Hostess employees how that worked out for them. :bump:

[MechanicallyInclined]

You mean about the CEO's salary being tripled even after their 1st bankruptcy & then blaming their failure on union bakers & truckers? You must also be a strong Walmart supporter.
Will you close your shop if your employees organize?

[John Markl]

You must also be a strong Walmart supporter.


Funny how union people like to point their fingers at Wal-Mart as some sort of lighting rod for "what's wrong with America"......Yet, millions of Americans "voice their support" with their purses and wallets on a daily basis. :whistle:

[koolkahuna]

The company I started with was non-union. They stated that there was no union needed as they treated everyone well and paid decent wages. 7 years later I left that company and all the remaining mechanics went union as we were no longer being treated properly, getting ripped off and the service manager was an alcoholic fool backed by the company due to his extensive refrigeration knowledge. It had become so bad that communication between mechanics and the service manager required a mediator. No face to face conversations if you could believe it.

IF a company tows the line no union is needed. The problem is that very few companies can stay decent without morals in place. They start getting greedy, tyrannical and think that they are doing the employees a favor by giving them a job. They think they can always get other employees.
In that case it is past due for a union as the employees have built a life around that employer and location and through circumstances are almost forced to put up with the abuse.
Human nature will soil employers, employees and unions if watchdogs are not in place. There is no right or wrong side. It comes down to the people involved.

To quote a former coworker that was unhappy with that company:
"Hey, I was looking for a job when I found this one!"