a story of a young man I worked with

larry@stinescorner

Well-known Member
I have been reading a lot of posts from a young man here on t talk. He is 16,and for 16,sure seems to be hard working and enthusiastic. I dont say too much to make controversy,but what came into my mind was the last young man I worked with, He was 18,almost 19 years old,. My boss at the time knew I was brought up as a hard worker and thought maybe I could teach the young man something. The first day,my assigment was to bring the dump truck and compressor to work on a storm drain that needed repair. It involves cutting the blacktop with a jackhammer to remove the grate and casting. I Had the compreesor hooked to the truck,tools and supplys loaded,ready to go,,,,now I have to wait for this young man,,he is late. Now we leave the yard,,,driving in the town with a dumptruck,towing a compressor.Young man says,,,I need cigaretes,can we stop? He didnt like when I Said no,he said he will be jonesing?with out smokes,he said,well Ill call my dad ,he will drop some smokes off for me. Now we get to the job,the boss said,dont let him run the jackhammer yet,ao I Did that,he was big and strong so he did help me lift the grate and casting,but he wore a black shirt,and it was getting very hot that summer,he is sweating like a pig. I Said first lesson,wear white or light colors ,not black in the hot sun,now hes thirsty,second lesson bring a jug of water,like the old man did,here have some of mine....now the catch basin was full of gravel from over the years,we have to clean it out before we repair it.He says cant we just fix the top and cover it up,no none will know....no,,we dont do work like that,,,,,he starts to shovel out some gravel,starts sweating,,,says ,,,and I quote him,,,,,Im sorry,,,but I Physically cant do it,I feel like Im gonna have a heart attack....so,,,I Cleaned out the catch basin. Now its time to mix some cement,,,we used the sand cement mix,so it takes exactly the same amount of water for each mix. Showed him how much in a bucket,,turn around he dumps in more water to make it easier to mix with the hoe. Now I Have to stop what Im Doing ,add more dry and fix the mix.You might say the first time no problem,,,but he did it for 4 different mixes?The next day,,,,he was late again,,,,black shirt,,,no water jug,,,,same deal with mixing cement,,,,,,He SAID i m tired today,I Was up all night on the coputer playing war games.....This is a true story,,,,,,sure wish a young man like Bryce was with me that summer to work,
 
I think they learn early on that if they screw up,you'll give up and won't ask them to do something again. Then it's your fault that they aren't working because you didn't ask them to.
 
Larry, Im 28 and see what your talking about. I was raised very old fashioned. Ive seen it growing up and see it today with people my age and younger, even some older. There is a sense of entitlement and laziness today.There is no reward for hard work anymore because everyone deserves the same, its their right.

Look at how the military has changed. Kids are updating their facebook page while at boot camp. I went to boot camp in 2010, I had a cell phone. We had to take out phones and pull the battery out. Then wrap the whole thing up in masking tape and they took them away and locked them up until we graduated. Now its emotional distress to take away your cell phone.
 
You hit the crux of the whole problem with one word. Deserve. It used to be up to somebody else or to society in general to decide what each of us deserve. Now it's a personal choice.
 
I was always insulted by the "old guys" who could out-work me on our framing crews. It challenged me to work harder. I wanted to impress them. Somehow, no matter how hard I tried (or how much it hurt doing so) them old guys always could run circles around me...
NEVER complain, that only makes it worse.
 
I have always been taught to do your best, and as far as I am concerned a job can go one of two ways:

Option 1,

Stand there are mope and wine because you don't like it, and finally get the day over with and go home.

Option 2,

Bust rump to get it done and over with so that you can move onto the next job, which is probably going to be better than what ever it is that you are doing (kind of the grass is greener theory)

I prefer option 2, because I CAN NOT STAND sitting around and waiting! Plus, with option 2, you run yourself into the problem that I have this year, a bidding war between 4 farms to get me to come work for them!

Right now my best offer is $15 an hour, which is already better than my normal $12....

Bad opinions/rumors/workers spread quickly, however sometimes good things spread just as quickly! :)

Bryce
 
I'm 36 and have worked in the engineering field since I graduated from college. Had a young lady who is just 2 years out of school tell me a couple of weeks ago that she was about to have an anxiety attack because there were too many lines on the plan she had in front of her. Told her she may want to look at another profession.
 
i agree totally with you larry. i wish i could hire a dozen like bryce, but guys like that are few and far between. i remember when lance first joined us many years ago. he was a wild full of fire young man. some guys here picked on him a little to excess. but he got enrolled in a welding school and has become a quite accomplished welder. kudos to both bryce and lance, we need more young men like them.
 
We were packing rebar onto a 4 lane bridge floor, me and a buddy working togather, and it was hot. The next day they hired 3 new hands, 2 young blacks, and a same age white boy. White boy lasted 1 hour, as he walked off I heard him say, some people must need a job really bad. The 2 blacks were working togather, but we were making 3 trips to their one, so we each got one of them. If I was in the lead, I had to pull him, if I was behind I had to push him. Same thing with my buddy, finally the boss told them, either pick it up, or pack it up, then didn't come back the next day.
 
I deal with that every day Larry, maybe one out of four "kids" will work. Farm kids used to be the best workers, but farm boys disappeared along with the farms around here. I try to shame them by out-working them, but that doesn't bother them.....less for them to do! I never ask them to do something I wouldn't do. Go figure......wish Bryce lived closer to me.
 
My cousin's friend had a boy that was some trouble, skirted jail time, dabbled with chemicals, dropped out of school(got his GED). Had been working carpentry with some losers then came to work with us, his big mouth and immature ways almost got him fired in the first week, but he was trying and was a worker, we set a good example didn't take any of his crap, worked his butt off and showed him what he could be/do if he straightened his a$$ out. He was in his early 20's. He worked with us a few years straightened out matured and became a good man. We told him not to stay in construction to learn a trade, get a job with pension and benefits. Took a part time meter reader job that lasted a few years but when he found out they were not training any more linesman he quit went to a linesman's school and now has a linesman job. He and his father give me a great deal of credit for his success, I don't know if I can take all the credit but it does feel good when you make a difference in someones life.
I been staying out of it, but just because someone has a rough start doesn't mean good things can't come of it. I say this for a friend of that young man your talking about.
 
Old guys have a better system than the youngsters. Experience does
pay off in that trade.Don't ask me how i know.

Vito
 
Young Marine veteran moved in next door; he whimped out just trimming a few plants in his front yard, using my tools. Marine training must not be as good as it used to be, judging by that young guy.
 
I have to brag on my nephew.Heavy drug user and ask to move in with me when my son died. I told him you can move in.BUT no drugs and you get a job. You will pay rent. He had a job within a week. Clearing fence lines until the man ran out of money.

Did odd jobs around town. Then started working at the feed store.Now he is in charge of deliveries and making sure the yard is clean.Keeps all inventory up to date in the yard. Many people have told the owner. How nice it is. To be able to pull up in the row you need to be in.Have your order loaded and be out in no time.

All this from a 27 year old former drug addict that has turned his life around. Bought himself a good used truck. Does his jobs without being checked on every five minutes.Give him a job to do and it gets done.Many of the ranches and farms. Request him only to deliver what they buy.One ranch will only let him on their land.

I am very proud of him. Plus we split all bills
 
(quoted from post at 15:59:09 01/27/15) Young Marine veteran moved in next door; he whimped out just trimming a few plants in his front yard, using my tools. Marine training must not be as good as it used to be, judging by that young guy.

I know a lot of younger vets. Some are good hard working people others not so much. If you listen to them talk about their service you can pretty much tell how fast they were promoted and just how much trouble they had been in. The last 10 years I was in the military had become a social welfare program. Kid turned 18, mom stopped getting extra money from them so their only option was to join up. Some expected to sit on their backsides and collect a check and others used it to pull themselves out of the ghetto. It was really hit and miss. Of the kids we got in I'd say as a guess that 70% were welfare babies. 25% were looking for college money and 5% were there because they wanted to be soldiers. With the poor kids about 50% turned out pretty good after a couple of years. Most of the college bound ones were OK and about 50% of the GI Joe's were not worth spit. I graduated in 73. I can take a look back at my class and come up with about the same numbers. There are a fair number still around who have never done anything. I really don't think anything has change except WE are now the old guys complaining about the kids!

Rick
 
Good work is hard to find anywhere, if they can't do it with the phone or computer they can't do it, it seems anyway. One time helping neighbor with haying I was on the wagon, by myself, and 4 or 5 people in mow. I stacked the elevator as tight as I could go, being a little upset for having to work alone. When that load was done everyone else was ------ off at me. They never worked that hard before. I told them with all of yous up there I should of been able to go faster than I did. The next load, three people on the wagon TRIED to get the elevator as loaded as I did(to get even), with me in mow. The 2 of us in the mow still kept up when the wagon crew managed to run heavy. The rest of the day no one said one word about being to much work.
 
he worked all summer,then decided he didnt like masonry /construction work,,,I will say this,,he wasnt a wiseguy,he was polite and respectful,he did learn some,havent seen him for awhile,hope he did well,I Heard he quit smoking too
 
I'm 26 and was brought hearing these types of things all the time at the local coffee spot/café/tavern. People would talk about how kids won't work anymore; their lack of work ethic and lack of ambition. They would say a fully fit muscled football player who works out, runs a mile everyday, and watches what he eats couldn't last an hour cleaning out the hog shed, or scooping a wagon full of corn, or even sit on a tractor and watch the dirt get turned. And they say the same things now. My family has farmed forever and brought my brother and I up right...not afraid to go after a project and get the job done. If we talked back or lollygagged there was a boot coming our way, and that boot could be on grandpa's, grandma's, mom's, dad's or any of the uncle's foot and we knew it. Proud to say I learned from the best...and proud to continue the way of life that they've all known, sometimes hated, but definitely wouldn't have it any other way. There are several young men and couples in this area (SD) that are willing to do whatever they have to try and exceed in agriculture. Glad it's not totally dying out but sure has changed a lot even in my lifetime. Go Bryce, do whatever makes you happy, remember honesty and manners and all will be alright..
 
Let me tell you a quick story for you guys who have sons of your own.

When I was a kid,there was a guy who farmed right up the road,who had more money than the bank. He worked his kids like a rented mule. The younger one left home and went to work on another farm when he was 17. He lived with that other family.
The old man died about 1965 or so. He was holding the mortgage on 11 homes when he died. The older son ended up with the place and ran it right in to the ground. He died in the late 80s,broke and deep in debt.

His widow told me this story some years later. She said that in the spring after the old man died,her husband was out in the yard for at least two hours one day trying to figure out how to set the grain drill so he could plant oats. Another neighbor happened to stop in and set it for him.
She said that was just how it was though,the old man did all the thinking,got things ready,then just sent the boys out to do the work.
I mentioned that to his younger brother one time. He said "Yup,that's exactly what went wrong,the big boss never taught the little boss what to do.".
 
That is amazing. We have a young friend just out of the marines. We hired him to do some yard work. Took him 4 hours to do a 2 hour job and he didn't even finish it. We paid him and he is still our friend but I will hire somebody else next time.
 
I always told my apprentices, "that if they did not make the boss money, he did not need them." And one of those was the bosses' own son, never did get him straightened out. joe
 
Randy, you hit it right on the head. I was paint dept super. in large wood chipper/harvester factory for 10 yrs before I retired. These kids are definately learning this at home from parents that just don't have time or willpower to teach lifes lessons. These people didn't just decide to be this way when they hired it. Somewhere they learned to work smart and not hard. Worst part is upper mngmnt. won't give you the power to kick their worthless @sses down the road. No , I'll take that back, the worst part is that they KNOW they won'y be kicked down the road. Worst ten yrs of my working career. I can only imagine what it's like in a union shop full of these people.
 
Years back, I was doing day-work at a neighbor's when a new kid showed up - a friend of the owner sent his son over to "learn something". It was a brainless job of moving a pile of junk from one place to another. I laid into it for the sake of exercise but before too long the new kid was sitting out. About the time I saw this the owner showed up and demanded he get back to work. The kid was nearly crying with indignation, the work was too hard and he was going to tell his dad that he broke a sweat and he expected the owner to get in trouble for it! Nothing new about kids with no grip on what work is - or the parents who don't teach them at home.
 
In the movie "The Devil wears Prada", The assistant goes looking for a sympathetic ear, because the boss is unhappy with her, again. When she tells her friend that "I do a good job", He says "Really?" You really think you do a good job?
First, her look is shock and confused.
Then it turns to puzzled as in "Maybe I am not doing a good job"
Third look was determination, as in I AM GOING TO DO THE JOB RIGHT

My opinion is that many people only work at their own pace, without regard to what the demands of the job require.

I have been told that I should show the new guys how I manage to get so much done. I don't think they can learn that, it requires a willingness to push your personal limits.
SDE
 
I won't be the one to get this poofed, but you just painted a a very wide brush stroke over some thing you think you know about but don't. gobble
 
Neighbor came up one day, asked my cousin to help with hay. His son had the football team out to unload hay. He was hauling it out of the field with the car they were so far behind. The next day my cousin at all of maybe 95 pounds fully clothed and soaking wet buried them in the mow by herself. I don't think that story got told when they went back to school.
 
I wonder if the young man's work ethic was his fault or his parents fault? I am on the down hill side of raising five boys, just two left at home now. My sons haven't been raised by the boob tube, or baby sitters, or the moral relativism of public schools. My sons and I have worked together on everything from building a barn to repairing tractors and trucks, raising and butchering animals, bucking hay, etc. The key word is 'together'. I truly feel sorry for a generation raised with computer games, cell phones, and entitlements.
 
I can only speak concerning the building trades midwest. You produced or you were gone. So I still contend the statement was not accurate. We also had great apprentices who wanted to learn the trade. And some who only joined because of the hourly rate, did not want to work hard or fast/efficently, they were gone after not to long a time. Good young workers are hard to find, but they always have been. jmo gobble
 
I know first hand what our company was like and I said "I can only imagine" referring to union shops. If that is " painting a wide brush stroke" then you have quite an imagination. You are right about me not "knowing" about union shops policy, I never claimed to, hence the words " I can only imagine". Why would that make someone so defensive? and get a post poofed ?
 
There are three kinds of people in this world . Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that wonder what happened . I have been a member of a building trades union for 25 years and believe me if you ain't gettin it you will be sorted out . Not saying that it doesn't go on elsewhere . My father was a union electrician , bought the farm I live on when I was 12 . My sister and I milked cows along with all the other work , mom and dad always worked off the farm . Had a little extra help till we graduated. Oh and we were from town . Cows are gone but place is paid for , dad passed 15 years ago . Sis milks 50 or so with her husband , I farm small scale and work as a superintendent and do fab work on the side . Both our parents were union.
 
I am a high voltage splicer. Annoying kids don't work for what I have to do. I would have sent him back when he was late the first day. I have a task that takes a kid to pay attention and also to not talk to me. These types are hard to find. The job is as easy as it gets . Stand there and monitor an air sniffer and crank me outa the hole if I pass out. There is no tolerance for any type idiot kid.Water is supplied on the truck by contract.T-shirt color is the kids problem.
 
Tom, yes I too worked Union Construction in the Midwest for a time. Ended up getting an even better opportunity but I would gladly go back if situation changes. Good jobs that guys really wanted. Whether you like unions or not, the cream rises to the top. Lot of really sharp hardworking guys that had "risen to the top", making a darn good wage and a good life for their families. Also the Foremen and Superintendents didn't give a second thought to laying off guys that didn't work out. You had to be skilled and/or a hard worker plus a decently likeable guy to get steady good jobs. Everything has its exceptions, but in general I wouldn't hesitate to have a steady working Union construction guy help part-time on the farm with little instruction because he'd know what to do or would be sharp enough to figure it out quick.
 
(quoted from post at 08:32:15 01/28/15) There are three kinds of people in this world . Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that wonder what happened . I have been a member of a building trades union for 25 years and believe me if you ain't gettin it you will be sorted out . Not saying that it doesn't go on elsewhere .

I worked in the building trades for several years too and my FIL was a foreman, job super and union official in his local (Painters and Allied Trades) and in the Ohio Building trades. He supported working or being replaced. In fact he'd come and throw you off the job himself if someone gave the contactor crap about being fired. He knew everyone and would send out the best guys (and gals) first. He and everyone else knew they were in a dogfight with non-union workers and his union guys had to be the best or they wouldn't work.
 
(quoted from post at 08:24:44 01/28/15)
(quoted from post at 08:32:15 01/28/15) There are three kinds of people in this world . Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that wonder what happened . I have been a member of a building trades union for 25 years and believe me if you ain't gettin it you will be sorted out . Not saying that it doesn't go on elsewhere .

I worked in the building trades for several years too and my FIL was a foreman, job super and union official in his local (Painters and Allied Trades) and in the Ohio Building trades. He supported working or being replaced. In fact he'd come and throw you off the job himself if someone gave the contactor crap about being fired. He knew everyone and would send out the best guys (and gals) first. He and everyone else knew they were in a dogfight with non-union workers and his union guys had to be the best or they wouldn't work.

I think most people's opinion of unions stem from factory workers where there are plenty of stories of misconduct by union workers, like the bunch the news media caught drinking beer and smoking pot on their lunch break from an auto plant. This was in a state that didn't/doesn't have recreation pot legalized.

Rick
 
I ran a repair shop for years and always had 2-3 young/just starting out kids to help out with things.
Most always busy so when a rare slow day came up the place would need cleaning real bad.
The first thing I would do was grab a bucket and rag and wash down the toilet and floor in the bathroom.
After watching me do that, not one of those snot nosed little mouthpieces ever had the nerve to complain about what job they were given to do.
 
If they know they can't "get kicked down the road " than that is the fault of management not the worker.In a union shop it is a simple formula. Do alot of work get paid alot of money . Don't work your fired the first day.Don't think you know some imaginary union shop were guys sit in a room all day and the boss brings them coffee and donuts.Doesn't exist.
 
(quoted from post at 01:42:53 01/28/15) Randy, you hit it right on the head. I was paint dept super. in large wood chipper/harvester factory for 10 yrs before I retired. These kids are definately learning this at home from parents that just don't have time or willpower to teach lifes lessons. These people didn't just decide to be this way when they hired it. Somewhere they learned to work smart and not hard. Worst part is upper mngmnt. won't give you the power to kick their worthless @sses down the road. No , I'll take that back, the worst part is that they KNOW they won'y be kicked down the road. Worst ten yrs of my working career. I can only imagine what it's like in a union shop full of these people.

A good union wouldn't help keep a poor worker. They would let management weed them out.
 
I ran into this last year when I hired a guy to help me pull Palmer Amaranth out of one of my fields. The guy was in his 30's and was big and tall and strong. I thought he would have done a great job for me. The situation ended up being me pulling all the weeds and handing them to him as he walked behind me... I told him a half a dozen times to stop following me around and go pull some weeds. He complained the whole time and was on his cell phone most of the day. Not much got done that day and I never called him back...
 
(quoted from post at 15:30:54 01/28/15) I ran a repair shop for years and always had 2-3 young/just starting out kids to help out with things.
Most always busy so when a rare slow day came up the place would need cleaning real bad.
The first thing I would do was grab a bucket and rag and wash down the toilet and floor in the bathroom.
After watching me do that, not one of those snot nosed little mouthpieces ever had the nerve to complain about what job they were given to do.

'Bout 30 years ago I worked for a guy like you, construction work, concrete pouring and whatnot, hard work.

He would always jump right in whenever a particular hard or dirty job needed done.

Boys he'd say, "I'll never ask a man to do a job that I wouldn't do myself."

His crews would go through a wall for him and want nothing but a thank you in return.

At the end of the contract he would reserve a restaurant and put on a big feed for the crew and provide a ride home for anyone who got a little unwound if you know what I mean.

Best man I ever worked for.
 
I fired a girl today, 22 yr old, been working for us in print shop for about 3 months, single, pregnant, about 70 lbs overweight. I have told her and written her up numerous (7-8) times to stop eating at her desk, getting cheeto crumbs in keyboard, and to stop texting on her phone constantly. Caught her texting again today, and just told her she had used up all her strikes and to pack up and go. She never said a word, just packed her crap and left. Anybody know a good graphic designer for computer work in a print shop? Must be ONE good one out there.

Dick ND
 
Trevor-thanks for the affirmation, appreciate that you do understand the Union construction enviroment.Amazing how many bash the Unions but never worked in that enviroment. gobble
 
(quoted from post at 19:45:48 01/28/15)
(quoted from post at 15:30:54 01/28/15) I ran a repair shop for years and always had 2-3 young/just starting out kids to help out with things.
Most always busy so when a rare slow day came up the place would need cleaning real bad.
The first thing I would do was grab a bucket and rag and wash down the toilet and floor in the bathroom.
After watching me do that, not one of those snot nosed little mouthpieces ever had the nerve to complain about what job they were given to do.

'Bout 30 years ago I worked for a guy like you, construction work, concrete pouring and whatnot, hard work.

He would always jump right in whenever a particular hard or dirty job needed done.

Boys he'd say, "I'll never ask a man to do a job that I wouldn't do myself."

His crews would go through a wall for him and want nothing but a thank you in return.

At the end of the contract he would reserve a restaurant and put on a big feed for the crew and provide a ride home for anyone who got a little unwound if you know what I mean.

Best man I ever worked for.

It's called leadership. I've worked for leaders and I've worked for leaders. I'd much rather work for a leader.
 

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