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Originally Posted by akelesis Well. I dont have a problem there at all. i have a problem doing more then 30 hrs aweek where i live. its a bit frustrating. right now im pulling like 20 hrs a week on a good week, but i do admit its april and everything is slow.Plus i just got out of my 2nd level of my apprenticeship. Ive been working for this sompany for about 5 months now and its a bit frustrating. Just wanted to vent a little!!! Yep....it doesn't matter how much you are paid per hour, if you aren't getting hours.....Perhaps it's better to take a lower hourly rate and get more hours. At least you're working, and gaining experience while honing your skills.
Originally Posted by King4207 In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months. Apprentices start at $16. After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20. After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24. After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28. Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test. Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry, Well. I dont have a problem there at all. i have a problem doing more then 30 hrs aweek where i live. its a bit frustrating. right now im pulling like 20 hrs a week on a good week, but i do admit its april and everything is slow.Plus i just got out of my 2nd level of my apprenticeship. Ive been working for this sompany for about 5 months now and its a bit frustrating. Just wanted to vent a little!!!
I can tell you that an inexperienced tech right out of trade school will get 12-14 dollars to start in New York City. But this is all relative... Different areas of the country will have different rates. The cost of living in NYC is incredibly high, so the starting rate is obviously going to be higher than other areas. I started my career in upstate NY (Syracuse) and got 11 an hour to start. Ya gotta start somewhere!....
Here in Southern California for an union 1st year apprentice starting pay is about 18$ an hour and journeyman is a little over 40$ a hour. But than again the average home is 700k.
BAH...for some reason the uploads aren't working like they should be...but yeah the SR-71 is in the hangar now.
Originally Posted by dumnut I’ve been there twice while on vacation. Now that my children are older I’d like to revisit. When I was there they had an SR-71 Blackbird parked out front. The battle ship is amazing, for anyone who gets down that way it is definitely worth seeing. Anyway, your avatar just brought back some memories and made me curious. Thanks for sharing that. More pics on the way
Originally Posted by AStudent It is, and I toured the U.S.S Alabama on the way back from vacation in Florida. Awesome museum, they also have a submarine and a hangar with modern as well as historic war birds. I’ve been there twice while on vacation. Now that my children are older I’d like to revisit. When I was there they had an SR-71 Blackbird parked out front. The battle ship is amazing, for anyone who gets down that way it is definitely worth seeing. Anyway, your avatar just brought back some memories and made me curious. Thanks for sharing that.
Originally Posted by dumnut So is your avatar the U.S.S. Alabama? Have you been to Mobile? It is, and I toured the U.S.S Alabama on the way back from vacation in Florida. Awesome museum, they also have a submarine and a hangar with modern as well as historic war birds.
Originally Posted by AStudent I'm more in central Arkansas and NE would be a pretty good drive for me. So is your avatar the U.S.S. Alabama? Have you been to Mobile?
Originally Posted by King4207 In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months. Apprentices start at $16. After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20. After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24. After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28. Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test. Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry, I agree with you....I'm in a trade school now, and I see that a lot of us don't know the VERY basics at the end of the school year. I'm more in central Arkansas and NE would be a pretty good drive for me.
Originally Posted by King4207 In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months. Apprentices start at $16. After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20. After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24. After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28. Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test. Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry, Wow I'd love to have that kind of opportunity down here. I'd jump all over that if I was presented with those kinds of opportunities. Hell, I might even move to Arkansas.
In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months. Apprentices start at $16. After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20. After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24. After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28. Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test. Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry,
Well all I can say is I started in 2003 at a commercial refrigeration company at $7.00 per hr and now in 2012 I am making $23.00 per hour and reviews are in a week. BUT! I had to work my a** off to get to the point Im at. And I have been working for the same company since 2003 fresh out of high school. If you get with a family owned company and show them you are hungry and willing to make both of you some money he will reward you! And when I say you need to work I mean I have put in several 90hr weeks and on average thru the summer you will be working at least 50hrs a week sometimes 60hrs. and to calculate the overtime rate at $34.50 per hour you do the math. But come winter time you can sit back and relax a little. You can give your family everything y they need doing this job if you are willing to work!
work hard, the pay WILL come!!!!!!!!!! always 100% of the time for everybody! may take longer but it will come! Originally Posted by hvac69 I started part time in 87 making minimum wage while still in high school and in tech school. It was a time where you needed to prove yourself and jobs were not on every corner especially for a new guy. The one statement I will always remember was if you bring in a day what you make a week on average and have few call backs you will make good money. My employer did not expect us to rip off people he knew that good techs could do it honestly. The statement about taking what ever comes in the door in the last decade is something I have seen to a point. The quality of techs has diminished and the good ones are treated very well so they are not looking to move on. Going through the last 3 years without a raise is hard to swallow seeing how everything costs more but I cant agree with the statement that companies are raising their rates, some may be for general off the street service but contract customers, quoted work and construction prices are being dropped by a lot of companies to compete, especially with all the one man companies that popped up in the last decade. Property owners are in the same boat and are beating the contractors down on prices everywhere they can. Education should not entitle you to higher wages, diplomas and degrees don't mean crap. I have worked with many slugs that graduated from the same tech school with the same diploma that some talented guys have, it needs to be about attitude and ability. I do not own a company but I am tired of hearing if they want me to work harder they need to pay me more, really? If you haven't shown your worth yet it isn't going to happen. If you are a hard worker, show that you are willing to learn and take initiative on your own you will go far, if your the one always asking whats in it for me you will be left behind.
I started part time in 87 making minimum wage while still in high school and in tech school. It was a time where you needed to prove yourself and jobs were not on every corner especially for a new guy. The one statement I will always remember was if you bring in a day what you make a week on average and have few call backs you will make good money. My employer did not expect us to rip off people he knew that good techs could do it honestly. The statement about taking what ever comes in the door in the last decade is something I have seen to a point. The quality of techs has diminished and the good ones are treated very well so they are not looking to move on. Going through the last 3 years without a raise is hard to swallow seeing how everything costs more but I cant agree with the statement that companies are raising their rates, some may be for general off the street service but contract customers, quoted work and construction prices are being dropped by a lot of companies to compete, especially with all the one man companies that popped up in the last decade. Property owners are in the same boat and are beating the contractors down on prices everywhere they can. Education should not entitle you to higher wages, diplomas and degrees don't mean crap. I have worked with many slugs that graduated from the same tech school with the same diploma that some talented guys have, it needs to be about attitude and ability. I do not own a company but I am tired of hearing if they want me to work harder they need to pay me more, really? If you haven't shown your worth yet it isn't going to happen. If you are a hard worker, show that you are willing to learn and take initiative on your own you will go far, if your the one always asking whats in it for me you will be left behind.
working for "fish scale" cant be that bad, I bet there are plenty worst employers a little bit south of Texas.
A lot has changed in El Paso, since I first joined the now defunct UA Local 231 back in 2000. Starting scale was a whole $15.91/hr back then. El Paso is now part of the Albuquerque Local and this April Fools Day the scale goes up to $29.91/hr. All that's fine and dandy, but where are the signatory companies! A whole three in all of El Paso.
Originally Posted by freemind Double standards lead to movements like the occupy movement. There are more of us uneducated ego maniacs then there are of you business owners. If there can't be a meeting in the middle it will destroy both sides.... Your ignorance is becoming tiresome. Shut your pie hole, and open up a business.......doing whatever it is that you do well now. After all, it's easy where you live, right? Show us all your masterful ways.....since you are obviously an expert on the theory of supply and demand.....
Originally Posted by freemind Nah, it's just that you can get away with paying less. More people than there is work. You can take full advantage of that, and put more in your pockets, while they have less. I know how capitolism works, as well as supply and demand. I think John has mentioned that he has not made any pay cuts... so, how is he paying less? Yup, here: http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showpost.ph...&postcount=128
Originally Posted by freemind Here you are back to what I said earlier.... We did NOT put slobbering idiots into a brain surgery position BEFORE, and we are not doing it now. No one FORCED you to do anything. If you hired a lazy moron, then you did so of your own free will. Hiring stupid and worthless people is a stupid business model for any business. The pool of talent has ALWAYS been there. You just weren't willing to pay for it. Now, business as a collective has decided they won't. You obviously have never run a business, nor have you been very observant. An example: 20 years ago, a guy covered in tattoos had little chance of landing a good job, no matter how good he was. It just wasn't acceptable to most people, especially the customers of a business. But 5-10 years ago, that guy would be hired, because he was desperately needed. You really should open your own shop, and show us all how it's done.....since we're all just idiots...
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