What a pisser
I hate to admit it, being a newer union member (in the trade since '87), things are leaning this way.
You now work for AC&R?
What do you do now? ( if you don't mind )
I do apologize for the length of this post in advance.
Six or eight months ago my boss came to me and said. “I am closing my union construction operation. I am going to transfer the work to my new non-union company. You need to quit the union, or not have a job”. I chose the latter. Since he was the only union contractor left doing market work. I became a market man, without a market.
The way this all transpired, it appears that it was driven by a major market chains anti-union attitude. This troubled me because I respected this chains management philosophy and style tremendously. The funny thing is I still do, even after what it cost me. Even though they appear to be anti-union, I must say, they do market’s better than anyone I have ever seen.
This is the way it went down. About 6 months before I was screwed, my boss opened a non-union company on the other side of the state. This market chain gave him 70 stores, under service contract, to open this company with. This was his only customer at the new location.
The previous contractor, who had been recently bought by Hussman (a union company) they were booted.
When he opened this new company, our Construction Coordinator went to become G.M. of this operation. I was then offered and accepted the Construction Coordinator position with the existing union company.
I did the bidding, scheduling, and supervision, of all remodel, and new store installation. During this period, all our install work for this chain, started to slowly wind down. So I was seeking work with another even larger, though less well managed chain. When we began to get offers of work from this other chain, my boss made me turn it down.
I could not understand why the boss would not let me accept this work. When I asked him, he told me our service department could not handle the extra load. Then came the previously mentioned day, now I understood everything.
Many people were given the same option I was. I stood alone everyone else gave in. He promised them the world, and they believed him. I new better, if you will screw me now, you will screw me even more later. He did, many of them left after getting his non-union shaft. They are now working non-union elsewhere. Regretting having burned their union bridges.
I now work for one of the largest A/C and Refrigeration companies in the country. They like, and respect, my knowledge and work ethic. I feel lucky and blessed to have landed with such an excellent company. They have been union for over 70 years. They are working with the union. To try and solve the problems that made union, a dirty word.
I have much knowledge, and I work very hard. I deserve good health care, financial security, and retirement. If supermarkets want to be cheap, they don’t deserve me.
I do believe the markets are smart enough to see the light, sooner or later. Good Market guys will always make good paycheck money. The benefits are going in the crapper though.
I am now and always will be a market man. The knowledge gained in markets made my transition to AC&R easy.
I must admit I still long for Market work. The way an addict longs for drugs, a dog for a bone, or a man for a women (maybe not that one).
The moral of the story, learn your markets well. They will prepare you for everything else.
A Diamond is just a piece of coal, that made good under pressure!
What a pisser
I hate to admit it, being a newer union member (in the trade since '87), things are leaning this way.
You now work for AC&R?
What do you do now? ( if you don't mind )
When I say AC&R, I mean Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.
I now work on anything from water source heap pumps, chillers, Giant DX building systems with vav controls, Ice Cream warehouses, and everything in between (except Markets).
A Diamond is just a piece of coal, that made good under pressure!
Things do not look to good for the future in the market end.
future may see more of the reverse auctions for both service and install work over the internet.
I know what you mean Frozen.
Well ... look at the good side; you no longer have to deal with frozen pans in FF lineups.
I'm sure your markets NEVER had junk piled high and deep inside the motor rooms, like as if they were storage sheds.
I am working for a fine contractor outa Dallas. Unfortunately though, the price for market service is so low these days .. for a non union shop ... I have to be on overtime before I even come close to earning what I consider a fair and aprpriate wage.
I imagine market service can become addicting over time. I just havent been there/ done that for long enough yet to feel that way.
Soon ... maybe very soon.
R-12 after a year or two in markets, you will never have to accept working for $18.00 dollars an hour again.
You will have the kmowledge, and confidence, to work any where you want.
A Diamond is just a piece of coal, that made good under pressure!
is the on call better?Originally posted by frozensolid
When I say AC&R, I mean Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.
I now work on anything from water source heap pumps, chillers, Giant DX building systems with vav controls, Ice Cream warehouses, and everything in between (except Markets).
Call is better, mostly evenings, and of course weekends. The middle of the night stuff is rare, but it does happen sometimes. Ice cream won't wait till morning. Once in a while a pump goes down, takes out the whole building on high head.
Working for a large company makes it easier. I'm primary every sixteen weeks, back-up every eight weeks in between.
A Diamond is just a piece of coal, that made good under pressure!
Have seen a few already. The system used was setup by large property management companies with tens of millions of sf of property nationwide. Its a sad state of affairs our market has gotten into. Quality is out the window with lowest bidder being king, even if it means a hacked in non functional job. Cant image what it will be like in 15 years when I retire.Originally posted by smbore
Things do not look to good for the future in the market end.
future may see more of the reverse auctions for both service and install work over the internet.
my opinion only.
today with companys like albertsons,kroger and safeway
that represent 75 percent of a 660 billion dollar industry
and the the poor souls that bid and accept those losing
and demanding service contracts only makes matters worse for our Supermarket Refrigeration Industry.
a proper service agreement that benefits both sides are non existent.
I blame contractors that accept those stores under such strict and non- profitable guidlines.
I"LL show you Hussmann guys attitude will positively
come back to burn them out of business.
The contractors share the blame no doubt.
But ultimately I blame those who will work for less. As long as there are people who will work for less. There will be people willing to pay them less.
A Diamond is just a piece of coal, that made good under pressure!