The Spiral Staircase

chris kennedy · Jan 22, 2008

This is the state of our industry here.

Today I had 3 men working on the 2nd floor of a large commercial project. The only way up or down is a metal spiral stair case.

After lunch these men come back as I'm wrapping up a meeting. As I turn to exit I see them standing there waiting. The staircase has been cut loose so it can be rotated.

I have three men who's tools and material are now out of touch untill 2:30. Come to find out that my guys saw the iron workers cutting the bottom loose as they left for lunch.

1) Is it too far fetched for the GC to give me a heads up the stairs might be down today?

2) 3 mechanics see this as they go to lunch and can't take a minute to go get thier tools or cooridnate with the iron workers?

Thats all.

wbalsam1 · Jan 22, 2008

Seems like everybody's "give a darn" factor drops right out of sight when it's time for lunch.

Loyalty and maturity are hard qualities to find in individuals with personal, often selfish, agendas. :smile:

Dennis Alwon · Jan 22, 2008

Get out the extension ladder and get their butts back to work. :grin:

e57 · Jan 22, 2008

Dennis Alwon said:
Get out the extension ladder and get their butts back to work. :grin:

I'd say the same...

480sparky · Jan 22, 2008

"Go, go, Gadget helicopter!"

e57 · Jan 22, 2008

Funny - I almost didn't notice that wasn't in english...

JohnE · Jan 22, 2008

Maybe when everyone gets a 37 1/2 hour paycheck they will become procative.

satcom · Jan 22, 2008

chris kennedy said:
1) Is it too far fetched for the GC to give me a heads up the stairs might be down today?

2) 3 mechanics see this as they go to lunch and can't take a minute to go get thier tools or cooridnate with the iron workers?

Thats all.

1) Din't you have a copy of the project schedule.

2) Why would they cooridnate with the iron workers, are they managment
or labor ? the GC or PM's job is to cooridnate the work, not your men.

mdshunk · Jan 22, 2008

Of course I can't comment with any authority on this particular instance, but I might guess that this was a couple of employees getting their 'amount of work to amount of pay' ratio back in line. I've certainly been guilty of that in the past.

peter d · Jan 22, 2008

mdshunk said:
but I might guess that this was a couple of employees getting their 'amount of work to amount of pay' ratio back in line. I've certainly been guilty of that in the past.

As have I.

frenchelectrican · Jan 22, 2008

e57 said:
Funny - I almost didn't notice that wasn't in english...

Yep you got it right it in French and that movie is subbed in french.

Merci, Marc

iwire · Jan 23, 2008

chris kennedy said:
I have three men who's tools and material are now out of touch untill 2:30. Come to find out that my guys saw the iron workers cutting the bottom loose as they left for lunch.

This seems to me to be just another wonderful day in construction, adapt, overcome, and deal with it.............or go drinking.........but that pays much less.

e57 · Jan 23, 2008

iwire said:
or go drinking.........but that pays much less.

Thats if you punched out before you left or anyone knows you're gone.

realolman · Jan 23, 2008

wbalsam1 said:
......Loyalty and maturity are hard qualities to find in individuals with personal, often selfish, agendas. :smile:

Who are you talking about ... the employees or the employer?

I have yet to find an employer who rewards these qualities in employees.

Rewire · Jan 23, 2008

realolman said:
Who are you talking about ... the employees or the employer?

I have yet to find an employer who rewards these qualities in employees.

were you loyal and mature and not rewarded or have you just seen others be loyal and mature and not rewarded? My guys are rewarded with a paycheck each week ,a truck to drive, payed holidays ,payed vacation ,birthday off with pay and when work slows they get to continue getting paid as the dead weight falls by the way.

wbalsam1 · Jan 23, 2008

realolman said:
Who are you talking about ... the employees or the employer?

Employees, of course. Read post #1. :smile:

realolman said:
I have yet to find an employer who rewards these qualities in employees.

I would not refer to these character traits as "qualities" if it were me. I would be unlikely to reward employees who neglected to take a few moments out of the very beginning of their lunch break to retrieve their work tools prior to the path being obstructed, knowing full well they would be rendered inaccessible within minutes with the resulting destiny of a total work stoppage. :smile:

petersonra · Jan 23, 2008

Seems to me this is not a worker failure. It is a management failure.

Suck it up and take responsibility for not properly managing your project instead of blaming it on your workers.

Its your job to coordinate with the GC, not your workers.

Yes, it would have been nice if someone would have said something to you, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that the hundred other times they told you something similar you blew them off, so they stopped doing so.

Rewire · Jan 23, 2008

petersonra said:
Seems to me this is not a worker failure. It is a management failure.

Suck it up and take responsibility for not properly managing your project instead of blaming it on your workers.

Its your job to coordinate with the GC, not your workers.

Yes, it would have been nice if someone would have said something to you, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that the hundred other times they told you something similar you blew them off, so they stopped doing so.

If you do not keep a general foreman on the job then it is up to you.

chris kennedy · Jan 23, 2008

petersonra said:
Seems to me this is not a worker failure. It is a management failure.

Suck it up and take responsibility for not properly managing your project instead of blaming it on your workers.

The problem with a 30,000 sq.ft. project is you can't be everywhere. The GC has no PM on the job. Its a circus run by the owners rep.

On a job like this I have lead men in different parts of the bldg. This small project had two of my lead men assigned. They will be moved to other jobs at the end of the week. I'm not talking about $16-$17 an hour "workers" these are well compensated lead men.

Problem again as I see it, 2 kinds of guys out there, those who take great pride in thier jobs and those that are putting in time to collect a check.

So Peter, I do blame the workers and they will have to find someone else to work with.

Dennis Alwon · Jan 23, 2008

chris kennedy said:
So Peter, I do blame the workers and they will have to find someone else to work with.

Does that mean there will be an opening there soon for me? :wink:

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