End of outages as we know has begun . . .

[Content1]

I worked North anna followed by Surry, who seemed to be in a contest on who can have the shortest outage and drive off the most Seniors for the Fall.  I think it was a tie.  It was a good outage, just deceptively short.  I am sure they knew how long of an outage they desired.  I would never have applied had they made their intentions known.  I am sure the management gave the fist-punch to each other and said, "Boy, did we save money!  Can we make the next one shorter?"

[BetaAnt]

DOE is hiring long term. Let the plants do without coverage for a year or two. Times WILL change.

Good luck,


BA

[Dave Warren]

So, you either scared 'em off the road so they wouldn't end up like you,....

scared 'em out of the business or off the deckplates so they wouldn't be around you,....

scared 'em to death,....

or,....

scared 'em into a coma,....

you're a scary man,....

heheheheheheheheheh,.....    

It's called "Only the strong survive"
Or "Survival of the fittest"
Or "That Dave Warren has a line of Bullshit this long"
Either way, Brother Marssim, you and I are both full of shit, still gainfully employed and our teams are in 1st place!
Cubs / Yankees 2009 World Series.....

[Brett LaVigne]

It's great that you feel that way, but it shows that your time in the business has been short compared to some on this forum. Step into the way-back machine and it was a time of unlimited outage length and unlimited options on where to work. You could take time off and go right back to the same plant. Many stations had 30-40 contractors all the time even when operating. You could get tired of a place, leave and be somewhere new on Monday. In the words of the famous Benny Kiman, "I don't need this job, I have $3 in the bank and I can start anywhere tomorrow and get a per diem check just for showing up."  The jobs were not about the money, because the money was always there.

Keep in mind, I said the best time to be a tech that "I" can remember. This is based on my experiences. I've been on and off the road since 1990. I have never had my phone ring with job opportunities more than in the past 2 years. I was making a broad statement about the job in general. Outages being short have not hurt me as of yet and I have worked more than I ever have as a RP tech in the last 3 years. I am now at a long term project, maybe I just had a run of good luck.

Or maybe I just have different expectations of the job. I like long summers off (so long to those for a while), I like that outages are only 5 weeks long if I can get 2 or 3 lined up (usually can). If I work 24 weeks/year as a contractor, it's perfect for me and that has been the norm for the last 3 years. I was offered a great looking long term job and decided it was time to try that. I know plenty of other techs that feel the same. I can't compare it to 1982, I was 13. I think there is a lot of good things about the road tech job, if it fits your life and expectations.

[Brett LaVigne]

In the words of the famous Benny Kiman, "I don't need this job, I have $3 in the bank and I can start anywhere tomorrow and get a per diem check just for showing up." 

I remember Benny. I only met him once nearly 20 years ago and have never forgot him. Won't tell the story here, but I liked Benny right away.

[IPREGEN]

Benny was a good guy. I worked with him at Peach from about 85 to maybe 89 or so. Always in a good mood, even when he was complaining. Good to have beer, lot's of beer with.

[Marlin]

Benny was a good guy. I worked with him at Peach from about 85 to maybe 89 or so. Always in a good mood, even when he was complaining. Good to have beer, lot's of beer with.

He sings a mean "Benny and the Jets" at Karaoke (well.... after you've had a few beers  ).

[Content1]

I don't know this guy Benny, but someone should warn him never to shave, or he might turn into a receptical for human remain ashes, like the old saying, "A Benny shaved is a Benny 'urned.'"

[Dave Warren]

Actually, he opened a line of Hibachi style restaurants....

ready for it?.....




wait for it.....



know the answer?......







Yep, you got it...Bennyhana's

[stownsend]

I remember Benny. I only met him once nearly 20 years ago and have never forgot him. Won't tell the story here, but I liked Benny right away.

I guess you don't know his brother Joe. Many funny stories to tell.

[Dave Warren]

Joe actually made Dunkin Donuts stock rise when we was ALARA at Dresden

[Mike McFarlin]

I guess you don't know his brother Joe. Many funny stories to tell.

Some of the best I have ever heard!

[HenryBlack]

Actually Joe and Bill Mahoney back in the mid 80's taught me a lot. They made me what I am today; good or bad. Oh the days at the Cedar Knoll Convalescent Home. That should prove that outages aren't what they used to be. Take care everyone

[UncaBuffalo]

Just received confirmation of another way outages are changing...they want to revise the contract to allow us to be 'shared resources' at non-Entergy plants...

(Currently our union personnel only work the outages at other plants owned or operated by Entergy...)

[Content1]

I got an email from Bartlett asking me how I felt I was treated in the Fall recruiting process.  I was not called nor emailed, but since I was a house tech now, that was a moot point.   Only in the comment box could I express what is wrong.   All the recruiters seem to try to do their best, no complaints.   The problems is the short outage product they are trying to sell.  Outages are short, not back to back and you report to outages and get per diem only while you wait for your badge.  I am a 3.1 and only earned 13k  in the spring, after a solo outage last fall 08.  Don't blame the messenger and say to me "How did you screw up?"  I was fine, just I served utilities saving money at my expense.  So I voted with my feet to a house job that pays enough to survive and then some.  It has not changed in the Fall 09.   I heard most places wanted returnees.  If the utilities can pay next to nothing and get all the returnees they need, there is no RP shortage.   But Bartlett should not be surprised if less Sr. HP's are applying with the DOE recruiting heavily and paying well.   Their recruiters are miracle workers in my Book to staff as well as they do.

[jjack50]

Just received confirmation of another way outages are changing...they want to revise the contract to allow us to be 'shared resources' at non-Entergy plants...

(Currently our union personnel only work the outages at other plants owned or operated by Entergy...)

That's a kind of a "Back to the Future". We used to have shared resources from other fleets show up ay VY even after Entergy purchased us. Then it stopped. Wasn't sure why exactly. Might be that our techs weren't allowed to go out of fleet any more.

[30rem]

I read something this week that stated a prediction of 20 - 30% shortage of techs this fall, but also said that number could go higher depending on what really happens with the stimulus jobs.

The thing that kind of got me, was some of the talk about reassessing the need for Seniors on some jobs, more remote coverage, minimizing training (inprocessing)and not holding techs from breaker to breaker but when the work is done...ship you out to the next desperate plant.

Lastly, there was an admonition to not enter into a bidding war with wages.

If these predictions are correct, it is going to be a very busy fall for RP techs.

[Content1]

Like the 50's song with a change . . Where have all the HP's Gone?

The 3 D's: Death, disablement and Doe.   It is an aging, yet still wisely greedy bunch who remain.

And if you don't hire Jr.s or train them, it will get worse.   It will be interesting to watch from the sidelines and see the posts this fall.   

They will scrimp on HP's until the enevitable big mistake occurs during an outage and the NRC reacts.   It has happened before.

A moral here? No.   Those who do not learned from history are doomed to repeated it. . . in summer school.

[Content1]

I think my Karma finally ran over someone's Dogma . . I was the one who started this strand because of the insulting low money I made this last Spring. . . and in 2 months (June-July 2009) at a DOE site, I made a similar 13K, but with 40 hour weeks and no traveling.    Will I go back someday, who knows.   I do think the traveling techs should get at least get $30/Hr for the hours they are not getting, but with the same hassle of a traveling life.

[Content1]

The next phase seems to be happening, a lot of juniors are not finding positions this Spring, or only one outage.   You can't live on a single short outage.  If you do not train juniors, you will not get seniors.   Shorter outages, few juniors, I begin to wonder if someone is trying to shut the the traveling tech?   Is there more going on here then seasonal changes in demand?  Are they trying to push traveling techs to be the underpaid no per diemed "Core" techs?  Are they pushing regional locals verses nationwide travelers to avoid per diem?  It is good to know the truth, as there are others things techs can do if this industry is slowly dying

[UncaBuffalo]

The next phase seems to be happening, a lot of juniors are not finding positions this Spring, or only one outage.   You can't live on a single short outage.  If you do not train juniors, you will not get seniors.   Shorter outages, few juniors, I begin to wonder if someone is trying to shut the the traveling tech?   Is there more going on here then seasonal changes in demand?  Are they trying to push traveling techs to be the underpaid no per diemed "Core" techs?  Are they pushing regional locals verses nationwide travelers to avoid per diem?  It is good to know the truth, as there are others things techs can do if this industry is slowly dying

I wouldn't worry about where we are going to get more seniors.  The stimulus money is causing new techs to be created daily....  I'd be more worried about the glut of techs that is going to flood the market when they stop dumping all that money into DOE-land.

[Content1]

I heard in the news today the 3.83 trillion budget with its associated 1.6 trillion deficit will raise our debt to 15 trillion.   What is significant about this is the federal budget is close to the gross national product.   It is like making as many bills each year as you earn each year.   How long can we sustain this irresponsible spending.   The money for the DOE may end sooner than we would like to think.    Someone tell me why I am wrong when I look at the tea leaves about the managing of our country by the liberals.   Don't counter with Bush was bad too, I don't care how we got here, but I do care to know what we are going to do to keep the country from going under!  We may need a new thread on how to survive if our nations starts to go under from debt.

[SloGlo]

We may need a new thread on how to survive if our nations starts to go under from debt.

plentea of threds on dis in poli sci four au-197 members.

[Dwayne]

OK...short outage here...only 27 days...BUT unit #2 will be going into outage staring on 4/7/2010...giving me almost 3 months of work....folks it's started...these older plants are starting to see their age and reacting to the pressure that is being put on their systems.
And Southern Company has seen the lite I hope...holding 20 of over for 2 weeks at 40/50 hour work week till the out starts. They know that if they let us go, we will not come back for their 19+ days outage. Plus they have increased the bonus pay to match all their other outage's.

Yes, I'm from the old school of HP's..where you could work year around on 72's/84's if you wanted to. Now with these shorter outage's the pay MUST go up to keep us old times in the HP game. We have 8 Jr's here and from listening to them, it will take most of them over 4 years to be Sr's because they are only credited for 40 hours a week.

[Already Gone]

They can count up to 50 hrs per week.  It should take them 3 or 4 years to become Sr.'s.  Any faster than that, and they won't have a chance to learn anything on the way.

If you do not train juniors, you will not get seniors.   

Content1 makes a good point, but the most important word in the sentence is "train".