what would you do?

[safetydave]

Ok guys here some food for the thinking man,

I was working for a large trailer manuf company in Elkhart,In and when I started was making after tax's,ins,gas, $800-900 net this went on for about 3-4 months then I got called in to the big office and we had a talk about why I was makeing so much more then the other welder in the dept? my responce was that I'm more knowledgable in what I do and can produce better quality on a consistent basis with out been told or shown how to do some thing for the customers and also when a customer comes in and hands me a file of prints for what they want built for there trailer they can walk away and know it will be done to what they want without questions.

So after I said this to the boss's every thing seemed to be fine with all of them BUT my supervisor because he was buddies with the other weld-so called guy and was mad that I made a lot more then him (said I made to much money) and according to him he was (CERTIFIED BY THE STATE AS A CLASS A WELDER) and being the nice guy I am said [email protected]$% there is no way that you could be certified welder from the state and weld like that(JERK-OFF)

So any way I kept on welding for them until it all went bad and they started to deduct my pay by changeing the bonus system for our rates and yep you got it I started to make less each week until it went down 150-250 a week untill I was making about $600 a week net if I was lucky mean while the other guy got 2-50cent raises in 2 months and I asked my super about this he said I don't think that is true, I said yes it is because I saw his check and your the one who gave it to him so whats up? I ended up leaveing because of this and went back to my other job before hand only making about $500 a week and getting payed every two weeks instead, now we are struggling just make ends meet and my wife is always on me about why didn't you just keep your mouth shut and you would still be making $800-900 a week.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN THIS CASE? WOULD YOU LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB IN THE MEAN TIME? And also I'm doing welding on the side at home to help make up the difference and doing better to the point were I'm making more then at work now so I suppose it's working for the better,but its still the piont if you have an experianced welder I think you should try to keep good help instead of some one thats not as knowlegable or you have to babbysit all the time when working.

[Engloid]

My answers to the boss would have been:

1) Rework is more expensive than doing the job right the first time. My work doesn't require as much rework.

2) Can we reflect upon the party that decided to pay me this much, and get their reasoning for it?

3) If he's as good as I am, why isn't he making as much as I am?

4) If you want to pay me what you pay him, expect the same work you get out of him. Fair is fair.

[metal-doctor]

Well said Engloid. That would make a good approach for the situation.

[safetydave]

My answers to the boss would have been:

1) Rework is more expensive than doing the job right the first time. My work doesn't require as much rework.

2) Can we reflect upon the party that decided to pay me this much, and get their reasoning for it?

3) If he's as good as I am, why isn't he making as much as I am?

4) If you want to pay me what you pay him, expect the same work you get out of him. Fair is fair.

HI are you doing engloid these days? the guy that hired me ended up getting fired becuase he was missing days and got involved with a women who was a drug addict to meth and spent more time chaseing her then at work and then they hired this shot piss head of a suppervisor that didn' know much about welding other then he had a piont to prove that he didn't want some one else making more money then him.

[safetydave]

what would you do?

I want you guys to keep in mind I was trying very hard while all this was going on to be as calm as I could and not spout of at the mouth but I find it hard to do when I see these companys that put an add in the local papper help wanted experianced welders then when you do go for the interveiw they really don't want some one that knows what they are doiong and talking about when it comes to welding instead they want some freah guy that doesn't really know the trade and what you should be getting payed for and then only want to pay them $8-10hr and think they are getting this great welder only to find out they have to sit there and show them how to do every thing instead of haveing some body that doe's know how to welding and read blue prints and set-up... so do you see why I get so hot over stuff like this? or am I just a hot head welder lokking for a gripe

[fun4now]

wile i agree 100% with Engloid's post it covers it well except it left out one key point that should have been stressed if i understand it correctly.

bonus system
this shows why you are making more $$. clearly you are doing more or better work to get more bonus $$. as well you should. it shows you are earning the higher pay not just expecting it. if the other fella was producing same as you he too would be getting the extra $ and be happy. it sounds like he is unhappy because he cant keep up so he cant bring home the $ you do.

unfortunately too many company's still have the $$ for me first and or the buddy system. hard to fight that. i think i would put more effort into the home work to cover the $$ difference and maybe start building some trailers at home. who knows by this time next year you could be the trailer company to come to instead of the one you left.

good luck, hope all works out, it sucks to get lumped into a flock of turkeys when you are an eagle. sore away, don't descend to them.

it would be very satisfying to have the super come to you looking for work when the other shop crashes. 8^))

[uhohjim]

Hey Dave.Unfortunately stuff like this happens all the time.....nothing you can do but go with the program or do like you did and move on. As for the why didnt you keep your mouth shut part.........it wouldn't have mattered someone had a &%$#up thier butt and what happened is what was gonna happen............Nothing you can do when jealousy and favoritism rears it's ugly head. Good luck finding another job.I've been there and it sux.
Jim

[FabTech]

Dave, is this the same a supervisor that burned his arm, you were telling us about?

[safetydave]

what would u do?

My answers to the boss would have been:

1) Rework is more expensive than doing the job right the first time. My work doesn't require as much rework.

2) Can we reflect upon the party that decided to pay me this much, and get their reasoning for it?

3) If he's as good as I am, why isn't he making as much as I am?

4) If you want to pay me what you pay him, expect the same work you get out of him. Fair is fair.

Hi engloid and yes I did ask these questions and the guy that runs this company said to me that he has to go by what the super says, even though when we do our rate sheets for the week I make a copy of what I weld so that it matchs up with what the list of trailers are for each production run just incase there might be any ? as to who and what was welded & it clearly shows how much was built & how much money wise I have lost over a period of time untill I left. The production boss knew what my qualifications were that is why they called me to come back to work for them because they didn't have any one that could do the job to the standards they wanted.

[safetydave]

what would u do?

wile i agree 100% with Engloid's post it covers it well except it left out one key point that should have been stressed if i understand it correctly.

bonus system
this shows why you are making more $$. clearly you are doing more or better work to get more bonus $$. as well you should. it shows you are earning the higher pay not just expecting it. if the other fella was producing same as you he too would be getting the extra $ and be happy. it sounds like he is unhappy because he cant keep up so he cant bring home the $ you do.

unfortunately too many company's still have the $$ for me first and or the buddy system. hard to fight that. i think i would put more effort into the home work to cover the $$ difference and maybe start building some trailers at home. who knows by this time next year you could be the trailer company to come to instead of the one you left.

good luck, hope all works out, it sucks to get lumped into a flock of turkeys when you are an eagle. sore away, don't descend to them.

it would be very satisfying to have the super come to you looking for work when the other shop crashes. 8^))

Thanks for the opinion on this matter and yes it does suck when your trying to make a good living at what you do and the guy next to you is slow or not up to the same level of experiance and then wants the same amoount of money that your getting because you know how to do your job right the first time without haveing been told and showen how to do it. As for the job search I was all ready going back to a previous job that was closer to home but not the same amount of money, this is why I'm doing side work to make up the difference.

[safetydave]

what would u do ?

Dave, is this the same a supervisor that burned his arm, you were telling us about?

FabTech, no this is not but he has burnt himself on things that I've welded, the one that burnt his arm was my original boss when I started work there about 3-4yrs ago and he was the one that called me wanting me to come back to work for them and I told him it would cost them for me to think about it & he said whats it going to take for you to come back here to work for me? so I told him what I was looking for in the way of $$ he then told me ok because we kno3w you can do the job better then any other welders we have had so when can you start, but he his also the one who got hooked up with the girl on meth and the became involved with it as well we always got along great as far as talking about hunting,fishing,weightlifting things like that I forgot it also made the other guys in the shop ticked because we always seem to be talking but I still got the job done on time and NO I DO NOT SUCK [email protected]@ WITH THE BOSS.

[safetydave]

what would u do?

My answers to the boss would have been:

1) Rework is more expensive than doing the job right the first time. My work doesn't require as much rework.

2) Can we reflect upon the party that decided to pay me this much, and get their reasoning for it?

3) If he's as good as I am, why isn't he making as much as I am?

4) If you want to pay me what you pay him, expect the same work you get out of him. Fair is fair.

Hi engloid and yes I did ask these questions and the guy that runs this company said to me that he has to go by what the super says, even though when we do our rate sheets for the week I make a copy of what I weld so that it matchs up with what the list of trailers are for each production run just incase there might be any ? as to who and what was welded & it clearly shows how much was built & how much money wise I have lost over a period of time untill I left. The production boss knew what my qualifications were that is why they called me to come back to work for them because they didn't have any one that could do the job to the standards they wanted.

[tacmig]

As an employer..

A good welder is hard to come by. Let me say that again. A GOOD welder is hard to come by. Employers that play tag with employees pay and position are not worth working for in any event. A good employer understands talent and what is required to recruit, maintain and retain quality employees. From what I have read, this is not the case and your leaving is justified as the situation would likely end in despair anyway. An employer of any shop large or small should have wage/salary policies in place that are based on several factors as they relate to his/her business. The bottom line is that employers are in the game to make money in which they are entitled to but when and how they make this money depends on how well that employer runs his/her business affairs and the treatment of quality employees is critical for success.

Around here, welders get a reputation for their skills not only as a welder but how well they get along with others, how well they treat the employers customers and of course honesty and loyalty. I could go on forever, tell you what has made my shop successful etc., but the end result is an old metaphor: "A fair days wage for a fair days work". It's old but still applies and any employer or employee that refuses to play by this old rule is destine to failure.

TacMig

[Broccoli1]

SD-

Go get a Biz Lic, etc etc and start makin' trailers.

You are going to get all kinds of "The sky is Falling" crap about everyone in the world will try to sue you.

Possible- sure but someone can sue you delivering a newspaper to your home

Are you a good welder? Yes- don't worry- Ok worry some-

Having your own business is enough worries.

Good Luck.

Ed

[Broccoli1]

Do not bad mouth your former employer.

Your new employer sure does not want to hear it and any customers you may have, if you start your own Biz, do not want to hear it.