Got To Get Out Of Here!

[shorty 6801]

I have worked in NW Florida for over three years now, and I can not take it anymore. I spent 1 1/2 years at tech school for HVAC, and have been on the job for over three years. My pay is rediculous, but so is every other HVAC tech's here. I have to pull weekend calls every other weekend, but do not get paid to be on call, just OT for every bill hour, not time going too or comming from job. I could go to work with most any local company, but none of them pay a fair wage. I have been thinking of TN or NC, but I do not how the pay vs. wage evens out. Could someone tell me how the wage in other areas weigh out?

NW FL = extreme low wage, high cost of living = poverty

[cg2]

I looked into moving into the Destin area, not too seriously, and didn't think the house prices looked too bad, at least not compared to South FL. How many gallons of gas are you making an hour after 3 years in the field?

[shorty 6801]

The local officals have kept the wages very low in this area, the rich get more rich, the poor get more poor. I have looked at want ads from other areas, there starting wage is better than what I make now. "I make as much as a general labor makes in most areas". Most HVAC techs here local have left the field because the pay is not worth it. I have a hard time dealing with the fact that I make $1hr more now than what I did six years ago when I drove a delivery truck for a HVAC supply house. I'm not greedy, but I'm a very good service tech and feel that I should be paid fairly.

[maxair]

I have only heard bad things about Florida seen alot of
guys saying the same thing your saying.Im in tn pays a
little better here Only in the cities.The south in
general is the pits in my opinion.I meen all you
have to have is 55.00 dollars for a minimum business
license and some 75.00 or so dollars for a small contractors license no test required if you get the
license for jobs less than 25.000.00 dollars.We have tons
of guys working out of the trunks of there cars.

If Jeb Bush has done for Florida that George Bush has
done for America I bet it is really bad for Floridians.Lets
see the Bush record for the working man.
1.Eliminated over time pay for alot of working
people.Tried to eliminate it for everybody.
2.Goofed up a war (Iraq) we really need to win.
3.Spent 3 times more money than any president in
history.
4.Highest gas prices in history.
5.Most of the money spent was on homeland
defense FEMA TOM RIDGE said we will be prepared!!
Well if katrina had been soviet soldiers we
would have all been speaking russian by time
Bush found out.
6.Wheres Bin loden.
7.More imigrants from Mexico than any president
in history and mad cause theres not more.

This all boils down to in Florida lots of cheap forieng
labor driving wages down.I think that we all going to feel
it. These gas prices are going to cool the economy.I look
for alot of installation shops to hit the rocks when the
new contruction market cools.If you looking at Tn or Nc
I would look at the big cities only. The little towns will
probably close to what you have now.

[cascader]

Wah,wah,GWBush and friends ruined my world,wah,wah.Wages are driven by the market and the local codes and licensing requirements.Yes the south pays less.It also takes less away from you.Soon,because of the Katrina,Rita thing they will be begging for installers,techs etc.$20+hour easy.Halliburton will hire you at a handsome price.Google Hallibuton and follow job opportunities.

[dash]

Originally posted by shorty 6801
The local officals have kept the wages very low in this area, the rich get more rich, the poor get more poor. I have looked at want ads from other areas, there starting wage is better than what I make now. "I make as much as a general labor makes in most areas". Most HVAC techs here local have left the field because the pay is not worth it. I have a hard time dealing with the fact that I make $1hr more now than what I did six years ago when I drove a delivery truck for a HVAC supply house. I'm not greedy, but I'm a very good service tech and feel that I should be paid fairly.


West central Florida here,send me your resume,I think we can do better than what you're getting,email is in Credentials.


Pay is required ,from your home and back for oncall.No pay required for being on call,if you have a pager or cell,so you don't have to sit at home and wait.
You should turn them in ,that's the only way some people learn.

[Edited by dash on 10-02-2005 at 10:24 AM]

[Special Ed]

Originally posted by maxair
I have only heard bad things about Florida seen alot of
guys saying the same thing your saying.Im in tn pays a
little better here Only in the cities.The south in
general is the pits in my opinion.I meen all you
have to have is 55.00 dollars for a minimum business
license and some 75.00 or so dollars for a small contractors license no test required if you get the
license for jobs less than 25.000.00 dollars.We have tons
of guys working out of the trunks of there cars.

If Jeb Bush has done for Florida that George Bush has
done for America I bet it is really bad for Floridians.Lets
see the Bush record for the working man.
1.Eliminated over time pay for alot of working
people.Tried to eliminate it for everybody.
2.Goofed up a war (Iraq) we really need to win.
3.Spent 3 times more money than any president in
history.
4.Highest gas prices in history.
5.Most of the money spent was on homeland
defense FEMA TOM RIDGE said we will be prepared!!
Well if katrina had been soviet soldiers we
would have all been speaking russian by time
Bush found out.
6.Wheres Bin loden.
7.More imigrants from Mexico than any president
in history and mad cause theres not more.

This all boils down to in Florida lots of cheap forieng
labor driving wages down.I think that we all going to feel
it. These gas prices are going to cool the economy.I look
for alot of installation shops to hit the rocks when the
new contruction market cools.If you looking at Tn or Nc
I would look at the big cities only. The little towns will
probably close to what you have now.

I didn't know I was in ARP!:D

[shorty 6801]

After reading other post in this section, I am 100% sure that I am being treated wrong. I like my job, but I can not afford to work there or anyware else in this are. The company I work for as been in business 60+ years, but can not find another service tech or metal duct guy. They have ran ads for over three months, but have not had anyone agree to work for the wage paid. Being the company can not find another service tech, I have to do the job of two techs and get cussed like a dog because I was not at two places at once. It's bad when you look at Now Hiring sign at fastfood joint and think, "that is not that much of a cut in pay". I have no choice but to go somewhere else.

[dirtyboy103us]

I've seen five guys leave the last month for different reasons out of about 15 most was for money
every time they leave its for a dollar if you change jobs 4 times this year thats four dollars a hour more
when do the owners figure it out that if you pay they will stay and they have to pay less overtime to the guys that are here never mind the training cost of a new hire
i live in southwest Florida and you can't find a tech
we are down three and have utility guys running calls
and calling for help they will be techs. shortly

[shorty 6801]

I am leaving this area ASAP, I have been treated wrong for the last time. My boss pulled a real good one on me today, I asked for a raise the first of the week, but got a shock when I picked up my check. As you could imagine, I did not get the raise, but did get cussed out over something I did not do, and did not even know of. I was accused of leaving a flue pipe off a furnace, he said "You F-ing idiot, if those people would have turned there furnace on, the flue gas would have killed them, or there house would have burnt down". I told him after I found out where the house was, "I did not work on the furnace, never been to that house, and where is the service ticket with my name on it that states that I worked on that unit". This is how far my boss will go to avoid giving someone a pay raise, and keep them on a total idiot level. I am a very calm person, I try my best to live right, but when someone does me like that, I want to take out a few of there pearly whites. I have to be honest 90% (I make up the other 10%) of the employees are convected felons, they do not have much choice but take being talked down too, and treated very poorly. I sorry, I have to vent a little, I work to hard, do a great job, and feel there is not a reason for being treated this way.

[Freezeking2000]

I would respond to the guy in this post. No one deserves poor treatment on a personal level. Like others said find another job, Jump, jump, jump a few times to get up the $$$$.or move!

[frozensolid]

South Florida has a decent wage even for qualified non-union Techs. As far the contractor’s license goes, Florida has a pretty tough exam for A/C and Mechanical contractors. Even if you pass the test you still must prove your experience. The only guys working out of their trunks are unlicensed hacks.

Apply to some companies down here and I think you will be surprised at the offers you get.

[The Penguin]

dude you gotta get out contact Dash he posted that he would consider your application

[smurphy]

man i need to talk to you. I'm in the destin fort walton area, and we're looking for someone. All our techs get time and half after 40 hrs and after 50 goes to double time.We get paid above average around here. Also get paid 4 extra hours for being on call. 401k,health insurance paid for employee,company van to drive to and from work, cell phone, company uniforms with boots.if interested reply to my post.

ps, if you talk the talk , and walk the walk you could make 20 an hour, 22 an hour with nate heat pump service certification, 24 an hour with gas furnace and air distribution certifications.

[alang]

Check this out. We have lots of traffic, and high housing cost. However
Techs make $20 to $30 per hour
$2400 a year christmas bonus
Paid medical
Paid vaction
Profit sharing
Take home new trucks
Disability
Trip incentive programs
Uniforms
Lots of Overtime
On call once every 4 weeks
Life Insurance
AFLAC
Great commission pay as well
Company cell phone
Laptops with GPS in trucks
Sattelite Radio Sirus or XM
Hackney style service body's


Northern Virginia is not for everyone but if your interested give me a call at 703-330-5748 Alan Givens

[maxair]

So halliburton pays what??? You may not have been here
when a company called klm a sub contractor for Hallibuton
which they proudly bosted.They promised 80.000 to 90.000
a year to work in Iraq.Some of the guys here realy looked
at the contract they posted on this site.As with most
republican owned garbage the devil was in the fine print.
The big money meant you worked 7 days a week 12 to 14
hours a days with zero days off for the entire year salary.This meens no overtime period.
plus a 3 to 4 week wait in houston for your paper work
to arrive again unpaid.
They only wanted top quality techs for what averaged out
to be 16 to 17 dollars an our with zero bennies.

Cascader is another of what is becoming the an
epidemic of unqualifed voters who never like
watch the news or read the paper.where if
you had read daddys boy w has asked for all
pay scales in new orleans be suspended and boats to go to mex,guatamala
and so on to inport your replacement and you can go
wa wa wa wa. As most wana be republicans do on there
way to the poor house.

[Edited by maxair on 10-20-2005 at 07:40 PM]

[R12rules]

what kind of person ... what level of maturity or understanding would they be if they assumed any one man or group of statesmen could make such an influence over our National wages?

The word: "CHILD" comes to my mind.

I have lived both as an idiot and not. (not is mo better) But neither frame of mind has ever lead me to think for one second that either the dems or redpubs were the fault of whatever was happening in this country!

Even when I was yuoung and stupid ... when I didnt have a clear mind to think with ... I never made such allegations as I have read today!!!


You dont have to think the way most do in order to be called a man.
But let's just say this ... anyone of integrity wouldnt go blaming other people for his troubles. He would first ask the questions .... what did he do wrong? What "DIDN'T he do about this issue himself?


Most of us want to blame somebody else ... to try and make it look like they didnt have any responsibility in the matter thamselves.


Either you are a man and a citizen of this great Nation ... and you vote about the issues and the people who are being admitted into public office ... or else you simply do NOT have a platform to speak from.


Does it mean your a fool not to vote?
Does it make you an idiot if you are blaming others for the problems all around us?

No ... it just makes you annoying to those of us, THE MAJORITY, who do take an active interest in the affairs of the Nation!
It's called having pride in where we live and work and raise our family's.

[sfry]

have you considered charlotte, nc.

be part of a team that is growing. we are 98% commercial, very few after hours calls. avg 40-45, steady all year work. a great place to work, first time in years i have looked foward to going to work. opinions are always welcome as long as they contrubute to makeing a better team. you get full heath and dental, pay is based on individual, you get out what you put in.

if interested

scott@thermalconditioning.com

[bittan]

To you Florida Guys:

Just came back from a trip to Tampa, Orlando and Sarasota. Read all the newspapers Classified Ads. Seems like theres a lot of work and companies are hiring. But the cost of housing blew me away! Plus I'm a "basement troll". Where else can a guy get away........the Lanai?
Hey DASH, read a great full page ad today in the Tampa Paper for a Carrier dealer. Buy his 12 seers before UNCLE SAM nails us.

[dash]

I didn't see that one,but have heard of the idea,and passed,I'll look for it .

[shorty 6801]

"smurphy" I am very interested in your offer, I would be more than happy met you somewhere to talk about it.


I have looked into moving somewhere in the Tennessee and North Carolina areas, if you know of something in these areas, please send me an email.

tapies23@knology.net

I know that is a silly email address, it's my wife idea and does not reflect me.

[mechanicalmaster]

If the money was right you might even talk me into moving there. It is one of the nicest areas i have ever visited love it there...

[shorty 6801]

""" SMURPHY """"

Are you still looking for someone? I am in dire need of another job. I do not like to post again, but I am desperite.

[smurphy]

hey shorty,
sorry man but it took you awhile to post to the first post and we already found someone.But let me talk to my boss and see if he needs anybody in the panama city, 30a area. I'll post again this evening.

[shorty 6801]

I will check back tonight, if your company does not need anyone, thanks for asking.


Thanks for the replys

[debigo]

Have you found other employment yet?

We have a very busy HVAC business in Western North Carolina, and are looking for an experienced service technician. The job is open now.

We would like to talk to you personally if this area is of interest, to see if we could fit together.

Reply to this thread with your email address if you would like to talk. I will email you back with a phone number to call.

[shorty 6801]

Originally posted by debigo
Have you found other employment yet?

We have a very busy HVAC business in Western North Carolina, and are looking for an experienced service technician. The job is open now.

We would like to talk to you personally if this area is of interest, to see if we could fit together.

Reply to this thread with your email address if you would like to talk. I will email you back with a phone number to call.

No, I have not found employment yet, yes I am interested in your offer. To be honest I am leaving for TN/NC area tonight, I am going to look around in these areas and see what there is to offer. I will try to log on from another computer if possibe to check email.

My email is tapies23
at
knology
dot
net
My name is Keith.

Please no use of email addresses, forum rules.

[Edited by Mod2 on 11-16-2005 at 02:45 AM]