increase per diem

[SloGlo]

with prices screaming upwards, this would be the perfect time to demand more per diem.  everyone knows it costs more to operate today that before.  demand the fed rate for the area to be worked.  this is the time to make it work.

[MR BIG]

with prices screaming upwards, this would be the perfect time to demand more per diem.  everyone knows it costs more to operate today that before.  demand the fed rate for the area to be worked.  this is the time to make it work.

I agree but we have to ALL come together. Too many out there doing their own thing. Looking out for #1. When we stop being selfish and stick together, then maybe something will happen.

[SloGlo]

know knead to stick together.  tell da recrewter ya ain't going to go 'n lose money.   tell them you want all da cash dat's legal to git.  period.  there's a shortage of teks.  prices are going up.  you want two take a 40% hit on yer expenses, don't say a word.  ya wanna maintain what yer making?  get da max now.  it ain't going up much next year, prices will.  git it now.

[vikingfan]

i work for that company that raised their per diem from 95$ to 130$ across the board. its great knkowing that no matter where you work your diem will be the same. also its good knowin that the company realized that the working field techs where paying more over the years for such things as gas, food, and hotel stays that they took the time to analize the costs of the sites we service nd raise the per diem. now i know other comapnies do not pay flat rates across the board or hourly rates, but whats stoppig them fom doing this ??

[SloGlo]

da cost of gas alone justifies telling da recrewter ya need da monee. period.

[RADBASTARD]

This fall they will have to come up with the travel pay because of the price of gas ,and per diem across the board.

Hell southern company only pays $300 max in and out travel and last time I checked that sucked!

TVA pays only travel in and nothing out. Once again that sucks too!

That would maybe fill your tank once with diesel ?

[biloxoi blues]

The good news is that the techs will be getting 55 cent a mile, the bad news is they are lowering the cap to $100.

[RADBASTARD]

I maybe able to fill up my tank and drive from fort pierce to st lucie now sweet

The good news is that the techs will be getting 55 cent a mile, the bad news is they are lowering the cap to $100.

[MR BIG]

This fall they will have to come up with the travel pay because of the price of gas ,and per diem across the board.

Hell southern company only pays $300 max in and out travel and last time I checked that sucked!

TVA pays only travel in and nothing out. Once again that sucks too!

That would maybe fill your tank once with diesel ?

You're right, but they ARE NOT going to increase P.D. or wages if we have people out there accepting jobs at those rates. That's what I mean about sticking together. But we're all too scared to sit out an outage to get their attention. And that's the sad part about it.

[jowlman]

The really bad part is that even if we did try to unite, you know the companies would first try to brake us. The easiest thing for them to do is call unemployment and tell them that we turned down work. See how many techs would go running back then. 

[LaFeet]

They can't go running back if they can't afford to put gas in their vehicles... I'm thinking I gotta shift to diesel and bring my still with me....

[RADBASTARD]

They can't go running back if they can't afford to put gas in their vehicles... I'm thinking I gotta shift to diesel and bring my still with me....

Diesel costs more lafeet are you crazy? Diem must come up with these gas prices.Also some of these plants need to wake up and raise the rates and we need to wake up and stop working for the low paying plants,also the bumkins need to wake up and quit working for them.
Duke power is an excelent example.The bumkins do their little circut work for the $20 an hour still they complain about the wages SUCK.
They don't want to go on the road or they say I have to work it,it's my home plant. Well unless they have their name is on the corner stone of the plant,it ain't their home and how are you obligated to work there.
TIME TO WAKE UP!

[SloGlo]

The really bad part is that even if we did try to unite, you know the companies would first try to brake us. The easiest thing for them to do is call unemployment and tell them that we turned down work. See how many techs would go running back then. 

check yer u.c. regs.  last time i looked, you couldn't be forced out of town.  you couldn't be forced in town, if you used public transportation and there was none to were you were to report to work.  vary few busses run to power plants.  my car usta brake alot.   

[RAD-GHOST]

Excellent Point RB, I believe it's called "Home Plant Disadvantage"! 

The really bad part is that even if we did try to unite, you know the companies would first try to brake us. The easiest thing for them to do is call unemployment and tell them that we turned down work. See how many techs would go running back then. 

I've hear rumors of the UCI tactic, but never experienced it.  If your buying into that intimidation tactics, you need to educate yourself.  A contract company phone call is nothing more then an advertizement venue of opportunities, similiar to a Web posting, or that 18:00 phone solicitation from a cold caller!  WORTHLESS at face value!  If they want to make a real offer, mail a writting offer/contract to my residence for review, (standard 10 business days for a reply)!  If you manage to ever get one of those, send them back a counter offer in writting, with a return receipt request!

When the company stated that they don't do business that way, tell them you do!

Have a Great Day..........RG!   

[nowhereman]

Increase in your per diem? that has to be the least of your worries.......contract HP work is a part time job now, that bartlett has trouble staffing........bartlett's HP development plan is hinged more on going to different countries to get senior HP's....and as long as you keep signing that page in the bartlett handbook that say's you will be a  good little At Will Employee, things will stay the same.....

[LaFeet]

Diesel costs more lafeet are you crazy? Diem must come up with these gas prices.

As for the first part... not if Im making it from veggie oil


And I agree with you on the second part..... gotta pay us more to compensate for the road expenses.

[wombat]

Per diem?

Per diem  is  good.....so  what   is  the  going  rate in  the  private  sector?  Does it vary by location  and  company  much? How  does  it  compare  to  the  Federal government  rate?
For  example  the  current federal rate  for  San  Diego  is:
$139 for  lodging
$64 for Meals and incidentals
Best wishes,
Wombat

[walstib]

Various rates for different areas?  We need that.

Not too long ago I was offered 107/day, and what for the East coast would be a low but workable rate considering the position (ALARA Eng.).  Onliest thing is this position was out west and this company (figure most everyone knows who has what jobs) was offering 50$ per day less than what the utility was paying for contract techs.  The pay rate was a dollar more (or less if nights) than what the utility was paying a Sr. tech.  The surprising thing is they were offended that I turned them down.

Again, Various rates for different areas?  Yeah, for a job at Watts Bar that isn't a bad rate and I would probably have taken it, but for living in the San Obismo area where you pay upwards of 2500/month for rent.  Make your own choices, I made mine and still feel it was the right one to make.

[RRhoads]

with prices screaming upwards, this would be the perfect time to demand more per diem.  everyone knows it costs more to operate today that before.  demand the fed rate for the area to be worked.  this is the time to make it work.

Are you not feeling well?...because suddenly your mastery of the written language is astounding!
i was expecting more along the lines of;

"Wit pryces skream'n utpwrds, tis wood bedah purfekt tym-ta deman moe puhr deem. Evarwon noad-it kahust moe to auperate tud'hay den b'fur. deman da fedder rate fuhr da a'reah ta'b wurkd.
tis eh'da tym-ta meek eth wurk!"

[Already Gone]

The GSA has just published the FY 2009 per diem rates.  The CONUS rate has remained at $109.  Some areas have increased and some have decreased.

The problem with the GSA per diem calculations is that they don't account for the fact that most people who rely on them do not work for the US Government.  We can only justify the GSA rates for our employees.  If we pay them more, they have to account for it.  That isn't going to happen.

But GSA calculated per diem rates based on weekday business travel only, and no adjustment is made for the fact that most hotels raise their rates on weekends.  They also don't account for the fact that private sector employees do not get the government discount and must pay all taxes that gov't. employees don't have to pay.

Still, I think we're doing better than most companies by paying GSA per diem.  It is highly doubtful that anyone needs to go into his own pocket to cover meals and lodging with per diem at $109 or higher.

The new mileage rate is $0.585  Anyone getting that?  That is where the big price increases are.

[vikingfan]

as for the new mileage rate, the latest info i heard was that was to in effect until 12-31-08. not sure if the rate will stay the same there or revert back to the 50.5 cent per business mieage rate or not. but yes my employer now pays us the full federal rate of 58.5 cents per business mile.

[SloGlo]

Are you not feeling well?...because suddenly your mastery of the written language is astounding!
i was expecting more along the lines of;

"Wit pryces skream'n utpwrds, tis wood bedah purfekt tym-ta deman moe puhr deem. Evarwon noad-it kahust moe to auperate tud'hay den b'fur. deman da fedder rate fuhr da a'reah ta'b wurkd.
tis eh'da tym-ta meek eth wurk!"

sum times aye laps in two dat skool type tawk.  itsa bad habit, 'n eye tri rilly hard knot two.  sum times itt jist slips aught.  aisle due batter, aye reely will.

[SloGlo]

right yer con gresspeople 'n deman dat per diem git raist.  'n refuz jobs knot paying max diem four da area.  now iz da time.

[illegalsmile]

The GSA has just published the FY 2009 per diem rates.  The CONUS rate has remained at $109.  Some areas have increased and some have decreased.

The problem with the GSA per diem calculations is that they don't account for the fact that most people who rely on them do not work for the US Government.  We can only justify the GSA rates for our employees.  If we pay them more, they have to account for it.  That isn't going to happen.

But GSA calculated per diem rates based on weekday business travel only, and no adjustment is made for the fact that most hotels raise their rates on weekends.  They also don't account for the fact that private sector employees do not get the government discount and must pay all taxes that gov't. employees don't have to pay.

Still, I think we're doing better than most companies by paying GSA per diem.  It is highly doubtful that anyone needs to go into his own pocket to cover meals and lodging with per diem at $109 or higher.

The new mileage rate is $0.585  Anyone getting that?  That is where the big price increases are.

When we gvt employees travel, we have a statement of tax waiver for the hotel that, if they accept it, exempts them from the room tax, sales tax, whatever. This is legal since states can't tax the federal gvt. If they don't and choose to assess us the tax (which they then pass on to the states) then the federal gvt reimburses us the tax in addition to the room cost. Also, as Troy points out, many hotels will adjust their rates to the GSA per diem rate (which is generally less than the full price) for people traveling on fed business. If there is a downside, it's that we get reimbursed only for the cost of the room (up to the GSA max) and can never 'pocket' any money out of it....then again, we never have to reach into our pocket to pay.

[stownsend]

Still, I think we're doing better than most companies by paying GSA per diem.  It is highly doubtful that anyone needs to go into his own pocket to cover meals and lodging with per diem at $109 or higher.

The new mileage rate is $0.585  Anyone getting that?  That is where the big price increases are.

Stays in NYC can be tough on the allowable diem.I was going into the city three nights a week for several weeks and eating on $38 sometimes was challenging if you refuse to eat at street vendors. What was the mileage rate allowable before we quadrupled the price of gas? Anybody know and has it adjusted fairly? If you can't get the mileage reimbusment can you also claim oil changes/ repairs within reason on your taxes?
I don't think it is unreasonable to ask the big players in the contract world to address the caps on travel in/out or per diem.We haven't heard from Eric in a while.Any utility people willing to address this?