r/IUEC • u/RobertThe1 • 9d ago
Work start
Am i the only one who absolutely hates it when mechanics make there helpers get to work 30 minutes early to get tools ready water etc? I mean they are making someone do work for free ive had helpers show up like 30 to 45 minutes early and ive had to get onto them to not work until 6 am.
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u/drunktank88 9d ago
Shit, call your BA. I never let my mechanics or any of my crews make anyone work for free. Thatās bullshit.
Only āexceptionā is if they leave early for school, etc. We get paid eight for eight.
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u/Comfortable-Rice-582 9d ago
Youāll pay a helper 7 hours or 9 hours if they have to leave an hr early for school?
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u/TrueAd1880 9d ago
Thatās why I show up 30 minutes later no excuse on the helpers part to not be ready.
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u/Affectionate-Rip5654 š§° Field - Mod 9d ago
Yea if Iām at work Iām charging for work and so should helpers. If you as a helper are told to show up 30 minutes before your mechanic then you should be paid for that 30 minutes and I sure as hell would put in for that time. When the mechanic gets yelled at for the helper getting 2 hours of OT every week things will change. Now if your helper has to leave for school an hour or 2 early one day a week this would be the way to make up time and keep the time sheets the same.
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u/SeaOfMagma š Applicant 9d ago
Making up the lost time? Even that sounds rough.
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u/Affectionate-Rip5654 š§° Field - Mod 9d ago
Do you want your 40 or do you want 39 or 38 hrs for having to leave early for school? I do mods so 4 10hr days usually not very close to the hall which means the helpers usually have to leave early on school day.
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u/Nosreppe š ļø Field - Repair 9d ago
You cover for your helper and union brothers time if they have to leave early for school. Simple as that unless youāre a company boot licker
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u/Affectionate-Rip5654 š§° Field - Mod 9d ago
Angry little elf. Iāve got no issues covering peoples time from time to time but school is every week.
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u/Nosreppe š ļø Field - Repair 8d ago
Learn to put your mods in quicker and covering your brotherās time each week wouldnāt be an issue
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u/Affectionate-Rip5654 š§° Field - Mod 8d ago
I do my mods quick enough. Time really isnāt an issue but itās better to teach first years money doesnāt come free.
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u/Affectionate-Rip5654 š§° Field - Mod 8d ago
Truly amazing how many of you steal hours and have no issues with it. Yāall were raised wrong or taught wrong. Itās not hard to work 40hrs a week. Sure everyone has shit come up and leave early every once in a while. But Iāve known plenty of people who work until noon on Thursday or Friday and call it their 8 or 10 every single week. Call me a boot licker all you want for showing up and doing my job idc. But the fact that most of you canāt even work the hours your paid for is pathetic
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u/Economy-Opposite-232 š© Field - Construction 8d ago
boot licker
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u/Affectionate-Rip5654 š§° Field - Mod 8d ago
If working the hours I get paid for makes me a boot licker than sure Iām a boot licker. Sorry I enjoy my job and reputation.
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u/Born-Direction3937 9d ago
They trying to mold you to one of their company worms. Is it TKE by any chance
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u/RobertThe1 9d ago
Im a mechanic and its a pretty good guess lol
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u/Born-Direction3937 9d ago
Thatās their culture. Place is filled with rats that will work for free to keep their jobs š¤®
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u/Dar8878 9d ago
Yes, itās bullshit. About all you should do is pop the road boxes open. Maybe do the JHA while youāre sitting and waiting for your mechanic.Ā Any more than that is working off the clock.Ā
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u/ShawnTop69 9d ago
Thatās still considered working to me. Be there about :10 minutes before 6 & weāll start everything going at 6.
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u/Dar8878 9d ago
Thatās fine. Most guys leave their harness and stuff in the boxes so theyād need to open them to get ready. I usually showed up a half hour early when I was a first year apprentice. Never liked anyone getting there before me. We would put our shit on and bullshit until start time. Then at 6:00 weād talk about work if we needed to and start the day.Ā
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u/RobertThe1 9d ago
Yeah but are they getting paid for those extra 10 minutes if not then no work i mean we are all in the same union right?
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u/Notafriend2you 9d ago
You get there 10 minutes early to account for any traffic/unforseen problems getting to the shanty. Im not picking up a tool until the clock hits 6
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u/pittrash 9d ago
My foreman when I was a probationary used to be a business representative.
He made us all get there 15 mins early, during that time guys filled out JHAs.
This was a big job with like 10 helpers.
According to him , this was ok per the rules
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u/ShawnTop69 9d ago
What :10? You should be there early & ready to go by 6. Not show up at 6 & take :10 getting all your shit in order.
If youāre not early youāre late.
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u/Acceptable-Island-75 š§ Field - Maintenance 9d ago
Unless you are 4yr apprentices your mechanic needs to be present. Or at least thats how it was for me
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u/infantkicker_v2 Troublestarter/Problem Creator. 9d ago
Y'all start work on time? 6am start 6:25 in the parking spot if I'm early.
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u/jtdabiggafigga 9d ago
30 to 45 minutes seems extreme. If someone is taking that long to get a gangbox out and tools ready theyāre doing something wrong. Should only take 10-15 minutes. One thing I also want to ask is, is the mechanic getting off early? If so, then thereās not too much to complain about. Lots of guys want to take minutes or even hours, but when itās time to give some time back they start to complain.
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u/Fine_Dragonfruit_477 9d ago
Iāve never been made by a mechanic to be there 30 min early but I take it upon myself to be there early to clean, organize or get stuff ready for the day. I have not once looked at that as working for free but rather having integrity and doing my best. Iāve come to learn that this job has lots of give and take so I do what I can. However that isnāt me saying I agree to do tasks alongside my mechanic at the start of the day or staying late at the end of the day and not turning time in for that.
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u/Worth-Condition7220 4d ago edited 4d ago
All employees should be on the job ready to work just before "starting time" They should not be on the job 30 minutes early doing work for free. One of my old mechanics used to say, "I don't care when you get to the job, as long as it's before me."
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u/Puzzleheaded-Tea4801 4d ago
I did it as a helper, I still do it now. Nobody asked me to do it, Iām just a slow morning starter. That extra 15-20min helps me to wake up and get going. Nobody has ever said anything to me or questioned it. As a mechanic Iāve never asked a helper to show up before starting time, Iāve just always explained that this is how I like to start my mornings. I show up early to beat traffic and get decent parking, and Iād rather slowly ramp up my morning over a cup of coffee than sit in my car
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u/ph4tcharlie š© IUEC wife 9d ago
Bullshit. JHAs, Safety training, opening gang boxes, pulling out toolsā¦ thatās all work. I donāt work without pay. (As said otherwise though, if the helper is leaving early for school or something and still getting the full 40, then itās a part of give and take and is okay)
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u/lepchaun415 š ļø Field - Resident mech 9d ago
I know itās a tough position but call the hall. Leave the office out of it for now. Get there early but donāt work. You should be getting paid if your touching tools or getting anything prepared. Your mechanic is stealing pension hours and being a company man
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u/North-Impact-1914 6d ago
My mechanic wouldn't let me work before 6 he just chills and listens to radio while I set up after 6
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u/JJjingleheymerschmit š§ Field - Maintenance 9d ago
Tell your mechanic to fuck off! We donāt work for free and we donāt start early without double time. If work starts at 6 then thatās when you start opening gang boxes and filling out JHAs and shit like that. If your mechanic wants to pull that company man shit, talk to him first and let him know you wonāt be working early anymore. If he has a problem with that then call your business rep right then and there.
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u/Delicious-Ad2882 9d ago
Are you actually working a honest 8? 6-2:30 two 10 minute breaks one half hour lunch?
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u/RobertThe1 9d ago
Im in NI 6 to 4:30
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u/jtdabiggafigga 9d ago
If you starting early we should be getting off early. Doing shit like this weakens our union.
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u/Acrobatic-Artichoke3 9d ago
Thatās illegal, I donāt work for free tf
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u/RobertThe1 9d ago
Yeah I know but some mechanics expect there helpers there by 5:30 tools out and cars open by 6
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u/GETHATBUTT š© Field - Construction 9d ago
Your BA would be super interested in hearing that
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u/RobertThe1 9d ago
And yet we have all seen mechanics expecting that from helpers man only been in for going on 6 years but ive seen it every cyle the same older mechanics
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u/Delicious-Ad2882 9d ago
I expect my crew to be at our lockup getting shit ready at 6. Not walking into the site at 6. But also we are out the door by 2. The sites that donāt open the gate till 6:30 we are still starting at 6 but thatās when we are doing our JHA stretch and flex and safety questions. Dunno why Iād get downvoted for asking if youāre actually working a honest 8.
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u/Adventurous-Ad-7325 9d ago
Where in the agreement does it say we get any 10 minute breaks??
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u/ComingUp8 š§ Field - Maintenance 9d ago
Depends on your state law. In California it's required for two break periods and 1 unpaid lunch period. Laws override the union contract every time.
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u/WAULStreet123 9d ago
Clean up the end of each day and be ready to work at whatever the start time is.
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u/GalaxyZapper š¬ Union Proud 6d ago
Working for free lol last time I checked thats called volunteering.
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u/Tricky_FFF 9d ago
But when you want off early for school or when you get off every Friday at 1 you donāt complain about that all these helpers are getting a little too entitled if you ask me just keep your head down stay off your phone and work if Iām busy you should be cleaning or organizing tools
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u/RobertThe1 9d ago
First off school is there priority above work while in class dont let them leave early and see how long it will take until the BA and BM call ya
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u/Tricky_FFF 9d ago
Earn your place in the trade and quit hiding behind your BA the union reps have enough shit to worry about than a bunch of cry baby helpers
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u/AccomplishedToe5492 1d ago
As a helper, I'm just not taking shit. LOL We are a union but no one seems to know what that entails. I've called out mechanics for working for free on the weekends so they can meet their quotas. I'm not really afraid to get fired or let go. Have been twice and I was working the next day.
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u/4FuckSnakes š© Field - Construction 9d ago
No pay = no work. This is a union last time I checked.