Am I being to petty with this??

[jimskio]

Let me try to shorten this story, here goes. I work for a place that sent me for my welding certification to do some welding on our vessel. Like replacing hatches and such. So I did get the certification but I got nothing in return, except the certification. So now they want me to crawl into a ballast tank to weld some deck tie downs. At this point I really feel like saying that I am not "certified" to weld in a confined space. So am I being too petty with this? Seems to me IF they appreciated what I do they would have given me a raise for getting my certification?

I assume I will get the "at least you have a job" replies but welding is not the only thing I do at my job.

jimskio

[bayweld]

There are certain steps that have to be taken for your safety if you weld in a confined space like a tank...A safety person stationed to watch you and the manhole, ventilation requirements, etc....If the employer meets these standards get in there and get to work.....Don't be petty

[wronghand]

You said "they sent you" to get the cert right? Did you have to pay the test fees or did the company. Cause if the company has ALREADY foot the bill for your new welding cert then I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to start demanding a raise.

Seen this too many times-- I used to run front end crews in the oil patch. If I got a promising labourer I would pair him with a welder and get his apprentiship started, which came with about a $3.00/hr raise. Most of theses guys were great but with the odd one, the next time I asked him to grab a shovel and help expose a tie in he would say: "But I'm not labor, I'm an apprentice welder".

Short story is I (the company) would do everything we could to get these little *******s into a career and the first time I asked them to do any real work they would pull the "prima donna" card. They were gettin $3 more per hour, they should have been happy to grab a shovel when I asked them to.

[jimskio]

The only safety procedures that would be in place is a fan in the hatch pulling fumes and smoke out and a ships crew member watching me.

Yes THEY paid for the test. I am not a welder by trade, I am a machinist. When they fired what was our welder they asked me to take it on so I did. Nothing for that either. I DO more than machine work, I will grab a shovel if need be, whatever they want. BUT when they keep saying year after year we have to do more with less it kind of gets to you. I do feel this is being kind of petty about things but when you keep taking on more responsibility it would be nice to be recognized for it.

[jbmprods]

as long as safety concerns are met, do the welding job and show them that dollars invested payed off. if what all you say is on the up and up, "then" i would go to the boss and ask about a pay raise. they reduced their expenses by having you take on the multi tasks and if you are good at what you do and performing good with the extra duties then you should get a raise. i have always rewarded my performers with just dues. makes them feel appreciated and more like they are working with you, not for you. makes for a happy ship. a good attitude far out ways a bad one.

[Donald Branscom]

The company invested in you by giving you the opportunity to advance your career.
It will last a lifetime. Go find out how much it costs for that exam bro.

Before you weld inside of the ballast tank make sure to follow all of the safety procedures. Do NOT do it alone without an observer. Make sure you have a fresh air supply. Exhaust fan is good. But where will the air be coming in?

Ask for a one dollar raise each year if the company is doing well.
Because remember that when they got rid of that welder, they saved a lot of money.

[Rbeckett]

The costs of training and certification should fall to the company. The company is responsible to develop and implement a process that conforms to industry standards for the good or service it provides. That being said, as long as the company is meeting it's regulatory requirement then they should pay you standard wage and allowances to perform duties with in you scope of work and expertise. Training to enhance you skills supports the company and it's need to comply with industry practice and regulation. If the work you are being asked to do is within you scope of work, and you posses the requisite skills then you should go to work immediately. If what you are being asked to do exceeds your skill or level of certification, then you should stop working and ask for assistance and guidance. Being a good guy and performing beyond your skill level or expertise will get you in good with your co-workers, but can and will get you and others dead too. If I have even the slightest question whether I am capable of performing any task I ask to look at the process sheet that created the need for my services. If all of my skills are corrrect on the process order and it appears to be in order I will proceed, up to and including competion of the job. If I run into an issue of lack of skill, missed required skills, tools, fixtures, WPS, or any other number of legit reasons to stop I do. I am personally unwilling to take a change of blowing up. damaging, or killing my co-workers because of pride. It's not really being petty, it is following the rules to prevent damage or injury from unskilled or underskilled labor. Bhopal India could have been avoided, so could Chernobyl. FWIW that's my .02.
Bob

[MMW]

I would assume they gave you the choice if you wanted to get certified or not? When they originally asked you to get certified was there any mention of a pay raise by them or you? Did you get paid by them while you were getting certified or did they make you go on your own time? Did you think when you got certified for welding they wouldn't ask you to weld?

I would say to just do the job & quit whining. You are now more valuable to them so somebody else will most likely get canned before you. Training & retraining are all part of any job. Just because you learn to do something else does not give you an automatic raise.

If you don't like the way the place is run then either try to change it, get a different job or go out on your own. Since you are now certified you should have no problem going somewhere else & getting the money you feel you deserve.

[MMW]

OP's Quote " BUT when they keep saying year after year we have to do more with less it kind of gets to you. I do feel this is being kind of petty about things but when you keep taking on more responsibility it would be nice to be recognized for it."

They did recognize you by keeping you & not the welder. You can always say no to more responsibility.

[shovelon]

The raise would be nice, but don't put the cart before donkey.

What you really need is a copy of the documentation or a card. Did you get that?

[jimskio]

I think deep down I always knew this was petty on my part but needed conformation from someone. Thanks!
I do have the documentation along with the xray, but I have been with this company for 19 years and am not looking to leave as of yet.

Thanks guys
jimskio

[shovelon]

I think deep down I always knew this was petty on my part but needed conformation from someone. Thanks!
I do have the documentation along with the xray, but I have been with this company for 19 years and am not looking to leave as of yet.

Thanks guys
jimskio

Good!

Keep them together in a safe place. Most labs are only reqiured to hold onto your records for 5 years. After that you have no proof without the films, lab reports, and coupons.

Would be nice to have the coupon too, but the film is gold. You hold all the cards now. You can certainly update your resume now.

For the record, I pay to certify my weldors. I give them a token raise, but keep the records since I pay for them. Kinda keeps them in their place. Every weldor I certified hit the road for greener pastures.

Does the lab report reference your name on it at all? That is important.

[Daniel]

On the same token, if you're a machinist you should already make, what a certified welders makes. The wages are pretty much the same when you're certified.

[Azphiks]

pimps

Don't let all these pimps fool you. People are entitled to everything they can get, just don't expect to get it where you are. Sit in the bush(keep your job) and stick your name out there. When you find what you want, go and never look back. Helps if you incorporate, but I won't help you there: research! Good luck.

[wronghand]

Jimskio,

Sounds like you're being pretty reasonable about this. Now after my previous rant I'd also like to say that I have also been in your position. An outfit I worked for once did the same thing-- let a guy go and then had me fill his shoes on top of still doing my regular job.

I did get a couple of new tickets out of the deal so I kept my mouth shut and went with it for the year. At year end though, I teased the boss a little about the extra workload I took on (we were and still are pretty good friends) and about how much money he had saved by getting rid of an unreliable guy. Wouldn't you know it, at the start of the fiscal year for the company there was a $2/hr bump on my pay stub.

If you've been with the same outfit for that long, they'll take notice of the extra effort on your part. Cheers,

WH