Keeping workers

Saw some discouraging news about the problem the shipbuilders are having with retaining trained workers. Seems that the retention rate of newly trained workers is only 53%. I would say a lot of them simply did not understand just how hard some shipbuilding jobs are. I worked in a shipyard and have seen the work span of some trades. Structural welding is an area in which the career is usually relatively short. It doesn't take long for a guys knees, shoulders and ankles to start giving him trouble after several years of standing, kneeling and scraping on solid steel surfaces.
If it's union or a "good ole boys club" it could be people getting burned out as well.
 
I share the sentiments of many above. I worked at U.S. Steel Gary Works for one year post high school to pay for college. The older guys there had terrible health. I would not (did not) choose a career that would wreck your body and health in 10 to 20 years. And even in the physically demanding occupations, one can learn/choose to work smart and healthy. In my profession that included intermittent heavy logging work, the young whippersnappers that showed off their testosterone levels are all crippled now. Opportunity in the U.S. is almost limitless. I urge young people to be careful to consider the whole career, not just the paycheck.
 
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I share the sentiments of many above. I worked at U.S. Steel Gary Works for one year post high school to pay for college. The older guys there had terrible health. I would not (did not) choose a career that would wreck your body and health in 10 to 20 years. Opportunity in the U.S. is almost limitless. I urge young people to be careful to consider the whole career, not just the paycheck.

I enjoyed reading your stories about working in that steel mill. You mentioned a few over the years. (y)

Yes, hard work here in the USA pays off in the long run.
 
What’s amazing to me today is when I see “work life balance” posts on social media. A person will be touting their employer for the year off paid starting a family, or the one month off to get away from stress paid, etc etc. imagine how hard a shipbuilder has it, or a longshoreman, etc? What if they have a friend who works from home, or a brother, or a spouse? Now they’re really going to either be discouraged or not even want to do the back breaking work. It’s a wild world today.
 
You need alot of support to make a leap and move close enough to shipyard to work there.

2 Major problems:
1-most people don't live near a shipyard
2-most people don't want to/don't see moving as a viable option.

Are the areas near a shipyard somewhere you want to live?

I'm not a tradesperson, but I looked at some of the job postings a few years ago when I saw the "build submarines" sponsored Nascar team. It just wasn't compelling for my vocation. Move, get paid the same, less other options if it doesn't workout.

Would it be awesome to work in that industry, yes! Is it a smart move for me no.
 
You need alot of support to make a leap and move close enough to shipyard to work there.

2 Major problems:
1-most people don't live near a shipyard
2-most people don't want to/don't see moving as a viable option.

Are the areas near a shipyard somewhere you want to live?
Areas near a shipyard are usually waterfront property, so YES! The issue is some yuppies already took the best spots so there's a HCOL.

There's an old mill town here about 40 minutes inland from the shipyard that seems to have half its residents employed there. Plenty of ride-share commuting vans support this bedroom community.
 
I enjoyed reading your stories about working in that steel mill. You mentioned a few over the years. (y)

Yes, hard work here in the USA pays off in the long run.
Yes, but through the school of hard knocks, I learned that working "smart" is equally important. I also acknowledge that things are MUCH different now compared to my young adult, early 1970's years. Back then, anyone could step out of high school and directly into a very high paying factory career, with opportunity to grow into management/supervisor positions with golden parachute benefits. College was VERY affordable.

I have hope that things will turn around, with less emphasis on traditional college and an increase of other career paths (trades, etc.). Time will tell.

Finally, I scold all of us oldster's when our chest pounding stories start up ........." back in my day, we walked ten miles to work, uphill both ways through five foot drifts of snow". Today's young people have different challenges, one being the evil influence that cell phones and social media have on their lives.

1743951955507.webp
 
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It's getting tougher to find industrial millwrites, pipefitters and welders. The ones you can find are booked out for weeks/months. We often have to bring them in at the plant depending on the scope of the job. The work could be in crazy confined spaces, within heat exchangers, boilers, etc.. These guys/gals take their time and take lots of breaks. In most areas, the welds have to be x-rayed, which requires everyone be out of the area for 30min or more at a time. Then there's pressure testing, which also requires everyone be out of the area.

I am on edge, as I am the guy, or one of the guys who's 'signed and certified' the shut down, purge, lockout and zero energy verification for the area that's being worked on. Some of the lockouts are quite intense. Hundreds of locks/locking devices, bleed points, sample points for one job.
 
What’s amazing to me today is when I see “work life balance” posts on social media. A person will be touting their employer for the year off paid starting a family, or the one month off to get away from stress paid, etc etc. imagine how hard a shipbuilder has it, or a longshoreman, etc? What if they have a friend who works from home, or a brother, or a spouse? Now they’re really going to either be discouraged or not even want to do the back breaking work. It’s a wild world today.
You ain't seen nuthin' until you see the complainers with Silicon Valley cush jobs. Bunch of Mama's boys... Makes me sick.
 
When I was 17 years old I was unloading produce trucks at 4 AM for Publix Supermarket.

Not an easy job especially during the summer and there was daily heavy Florida rain.
Driver was on a tight timeline and we didn’t stop unloading truck.

Luckily this work ethic continued into and throughout my working career.

I consider myself very similar to Fred from Dunkin Donuts.
Everyday I was grinding, ‘putting in the work’ and never complaining about having to work.

🍩
.
 
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My first job was at 13 working with a friend's father paving. OSHA? Child labor laws? No one cared. Payed me cash to walk next to the paving machine and throw shovels of asphalt and tamp edges. What did I learn during this summer job? It sucked! Everyone there by 45 looked like they were 65. Most spent every night drinking at the VFW. No one liked what they were doing and they were there because they had no other options. It taught me one of the most important lessons in my life - I didn't want to live my life that way. As far as ship building and manual labor jobs, many did it because they had to do it, not because they wanted to do it, and if given an option to not do it, they'll take that option, especially if it's less physically taxing and pays better.

The fact is other countries have large populations with no other choices than this type of labor and that's quite an incentive to continue doing somettting trades for hing you don't really like doing. Heck, there's an entire population of people in the US, who weren't born in the US, who tend to do jobs no one else wants because they too don't have any other options.
Worked in the pipefitting trade for 40 years. Started in 1972. Look how many smoked and drank alot.
Excirsise never. Smaller people like myself 5'6" 155 lbs. Was the go to guy to work in small places. Between 35 to 45 most are at their top then your body starts to break down. Guy's that played sports in high school already had knee, back and shoulder problems that required surgery.
 
These threads are always interesting. Every single time it’s the old guys complaining about how easy the young workers have it now. I think there is a lot of underlying jealousy and resentment that pay, benefits and worker safety are much improved. Would you rather people have low wages and no benefits? I think the old guys have the victim mentality just as much that everyone needs to suffer as much as they did.

I worked in a restaurant for 2 years during high school, then worked in a tire shop for a year post graduation, then started a plumbing apprenticeship and did that for almost 11 years. I’ve now been with a utility company for going on 11 years and have about 20 years left before I’ll retire. It is very difficult now days to get good help and wages have skyrocketed. Trades are hard the body and the pay reflects that.

You old guys need to remember that the cost of living is outrageous now too. $35/hr isn’t squat these days, maybe it was good in 1985. Home prices all over the US have nearly doubled, vehicles prices are through the roof, food is expensive ect.
 
These threads are always interesting. Every single time it’s the old guys complaining about how easy the young workers have it now. I think there is a lot of underlying jealousy and resentment that pay, benefits and worker safety are much improved. Would you rather people have low wages and no benefits? I think the old guys have the victim mentality just as much that everyone needs to suffer as much as they did.

I worked in a restaurant for 2 years during high school, then worked in a tire shop for a year post graduation, then started a plumbing apprenticeship and did that for almost 11 years. I’ve now been with a utility company for going on 11 years and have about 20 years left before I’ll retire. It is very difficult now days to get good help and wages have skyrocketed. Trades are hard the body and the pay reflects that.

You old guys need to remember that the cost of living is outrageous now too. $35/hr isn’t squat these days, maybe it was good in 1985. Home prices all over the US have nearly doubled, vehicles prices are through the roof, food is expensive ect.
Them old guys are the problem bruh 😎
 
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These threads are always interesting. Every single time it’s the old guys complaining about how easy the young workers have it now. I think there is a lot of underlying jealousy and resentment that pay, benefits and worker safety are much improved. Would you rather people have low wages and no benefits? I think the old guys have the victim mentality just as much that everyone needs to suffer as much as they did.

I worked in a restaurant for 2 years during high school, then worked in a tire shop for a year post graduation, then started a plumbing apprenticeship and did that for almost 11 years. I’ve now been with a utility company for going on 11 years and have about 20 years left before I’ll retire. It is very difficult now days to get good help and wages have skyrocketed. Trades are hard the body and the pay reflects that.

You old guys need to remember that the cost of living is outrageous now too. $35/hr isn’t squat these days, maybe it was good in 1985. Home prices all over the US have nearly doubled, vehicles prices are through the roof, food is expensive ect.
Hmmm...I have a different take on this thread. I didn't post about paving at 13 as some kind of badge of honor. I posted about it because it motivated me to stay in school until the 26th grade, get two graduate degrees so I could work in AC, and make a great living working 32 hours per week. I think my other point is that there is no going back to the good old days of yore because the entire world has adapted to a different reality.
 
Reality has changed for sure. My parents first home was a little over 1,000 sq ft and under $200k. A family with a single working father could afford a home. Now, the average home in the same area is 2,200+ sq ft and almost $600k. Rent on a just an average basic home is over $3k a month. I feel for today’s youth, it’s got to be depressing, unless you’re making 6 figures up here home ownership is almost out of the question. The days of $50k a year providing a decent life are over. And I’m not talking owning a huge new home, new car, toys ect. It takes $50k just to get into a garbage rental and survive.
 
Finally, I scold all of us oldster's when our chest pounding stories start up ........." back in my day, we walked ten miles to work, uphill both ways through five foot drifts of snow". Today's young people have different challenges, one being the evil influence that cell phones and social media have on their lives.
I've been in, and worked in enough shipyards, the walking required would shock many people today. I had it easy as a defense contractor too.
 
I agree with you SC Maintenance. I was raised on a farm and my dad was a carpenter. Hard work was the name of the game. I imagine the training is not too bad but when they enter the production it is a different world and a shock to their system.

And I don't blame them. If the job doesn't retain workers, the salary isn't in proportion to the demands. The problem is the employers rather train another new person than pay the existing force a fair wage.
 
Reality has changed for sure. My parents first home was a little over 1,000 sq ft and under $200k. A family with a single working father could afford a home. Now, the average home in the same area is 2,200+ sq ft and almost $600k. Rent on a just an average basic home is over $3k a month. I feel for today’s youth, it’s got to be depressing, unless you’re making 6 figures up here home ownership is almost out of the question. The days of $50k a year providing a decent life are over. And I’m not talking owning a huge new home, new car, toys ect. It takes $50k just to get into a garbage rental and survive.

In 1985, my parents paid $50K for their second home on 2.5 acres and they stressed over how they were going to pay the mortgage. Blue collar middle class family of 6. Dad worked 2 jobs into the early 1970s. Mom worked part time to supplement when we were all in school.

Their first home was a ~900sq/foot cape cod that they bought in the mid 1960s for something like $13K and again, stressed on how they were going to cover the $50/mo mortage. Certain things do cost a ton today and we pay for way more stuff than we did back then.
 
So, I actually work at a Naval Maintenance Facility. I have for 21 years and was on Submarines for 11 years before that. I work very closely with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Welders in private Yards typically get paid more than government welders. You can look at the government WG pay scale to see what they actually make. Typical starting salary is about 24.50 an hour in this area of the country and can go up from there. They go from WG-1 up to WG-11. The electronics mechanics can go up to WG-12. Then there are the WL (work lead) and WS (Work Supervisor) positions. I am an Electronics tech which is a GS-12. There is a pay scale for that if you interested in what I make a year.

As to nuclear work. It is not true that NNS is the only yard that is allowed to do it.
Read for yourself here.

Nuclear Work

Some people don't want to go to college. There is good work to be had that won't kill your body if you want. Nothing wrong with wanting to work with your hands.

@CorvairGeek you are correct. So much walking...EVERYWHERE and no parking.
 
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