Are pay rates slowly dropping?

[HydroDave63]

I guess I will make a secret spread sheet with info about all the sites for comparison, done slowly enough so nobody suspects, and only share the data with those willing to do some of the work.

Using the password of "malContent1" ?!? 

[Content1]

Using the password of "malContent1" ?!?  

Only in the dictionary does success come before work.   If I do the labor, I am entitled to benefit from the fruits of that labor.  If anyone works with me I will share with them.  I hope this spreadsheet will help in future decisions on which outage to go to.

Modified to remove REALLY off-topic political comment.

[RDTroja]

Only in the dictionary does success come before work.   If I do the labor, I am entitled to benefit from the fruits of that labor.    If anyone works with me I will share with them.  I hope this spreadsheet will help in future decisions on which outage to go to.

That's the spirit of Nukeworker. Nobody here ever did any work to help other people without expecting something in return.  

Go away and take your spreadsheet with you.

[Chimera]

Wow.  Just wow.  Let me see.  How much does the job board cost you?  The forum?  The study guides or online practice tests here?  Some people are givers, and some are takers.  You, sir, are a taker.

Yeah . . . what Mike said.

[Content1]

Yeah . . . what Mike said.

I can see why nobody does anything or talks about it if they did.  If you ask, it is like you are wasting everyones time.  If you do something, and do all the work yourself, and no one helps, it either "all about you" or you are a "taker."  I can see why nothing is done, and if it is done, nobody says anything.

[RDTroja]

I can see why nobody does anything or talks about it if they did.  If you ask, it is like you are wasting everyones time.  If you do something, and do all the work yourself, and no one helps, it either "all about you" or you are a "taker."  I can see why nothing is done, and if it is done, nobody says anything.

People that want to help just do it. People that are out for their own gain don't. Pretty simple, really.

[Content1]

You still don't get it.

Like in the movie "War Games" the only correct move is not to play.  I am sorry I said anything, I withdraw anything said in this thread, so I do not get it and never will, and will go on to other things.  I can see, it is better to be a silent montior than a contributor as people seem to gang up no matter what I say.

[SloGlo]

dang, dood!  all yinz gotta due is start a fricken thread with a dang sheet for dee tales.  yew will have plenty of info posted in the next 30 daze. 

secret spread sheet.
dobble secret probation.

two many secrets.

[BetaAnt]

  OFF TOPIC!!! 

THIS IS NOT ABOUT CONTENT1'S SECRET FILES OR PROJECT. 

THE CORPORATE CORNHOLES DO NOT VALUE HEALTH PHYSICS SERVICES. 
THEY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO UNTIL THE NRC TAKES AWAY THE KEYS. 
WE (HP techs) ARE A Pain In The A TO THE CORPORATE TYPES (like a festering boil).   

Nothing can be or will be done until half the outage crew is sent home in paper suits or crap loads of rad get offsite for the news media to find. 
It would be a bad day for the utility HP staff (like FitzPatrick bad). 
The Corporate cornholes would still hang the RPM and RP staff but the next outage would be well staffed and compensated. 

I would not suggest or condone any action by a rent-a-tech to propagate such an incident but, it will occur naturally (like coal mine dust explosions; the miners didn't blow themselves up, the corporate cornholes cut back on protective measures).

Have a Nice Day 

BA 

[Old HP]

In an attempt to get back on topic. NO the pay rates are not dropping. However there have been very few utilities actually raise their pay rates in the last 3-4 years. While the cost of housing (motels & rentals), fuel  and health insurance have increased substantially during that same time span. Which has forced me to not return to the plants that feel it is not important to look out for the techs that have been looking out for them in the past. It has become a challenge to keep a straight face when we are told how much we are appreciated. Yet we are expected to enforce their procedures,be familiar with the plant, know where all the supplies are located, cover jobs that are scheduled too agressively to be completed as planned and not be surprised to hear about  staff reductions 2 weeks into a 6 week outage due to poor budget planning.
It is great living "the dream" in the nuclear world.

[HydroDave63]

I can see why nobody does anything or talks about it if they did.  If you ask, it is like you are wasting everyones time.  If you do something, and do all the work yourself, and no one helps, it either "all about you" or you are a "taker."  I can see why nothing is done, and if it is done, nobody says anything.

Yet the lights stay on and the transmission lines still buzz. Where will you fly now, Jonathan Livingston Seagull?

[atomicarcheologist]

While I see this is under the Outage file, I thought I'd toss in my two cents from a non-outage perspective.  My pay goes up about 3% a year, accompanied by all the machinations of management to maintain that rate.   

[BetaAnt]

Posted by: Atomic Archeologist
While I see this is under the Outage file, I thought I'd toss in my two cents from a non-outage perspective.  My pay goes up about 3% a year, accompanied by all the machinations of management to maintain that rate. 

That's fine for a union protected house-mouse. For the non-union RATs we get screwed and squeezed by the short outages (some <17 days). 

Some say go house and sell your soul. The problem is all the older RATs will never be accepted by the younger RPMs and HR managers looking for fresh (and stupid) new blood. 
Your are too independent and would ask too many embarrassing questions. The RPMs and management DO NOT want lessons learned from another useta' plant. 
And they sure as hell don't want to hear, "I told you so..." when the fecal matter impacts the oscillating air mover. 

On my way to a North Dakota McDonald's to make $17/hr ("You want fries with that..." or "Do you want to supersize that..."). 

BA 

[SloGlo]

when you factor inflation to the take home equation, rates are no longer slowly dropping...   

[Content1]

One factor not mentioned here, the company that pays more expects higher quality techs.  I heard a couple of people who were caught sleeping only once were sent home and subsequent outages cancelled.  Kind of strict for a first offense for people on 12's plus 2 hour daily drive times.  Another I heard severe punishment is a medium respirator issued when the quals called for a small.  They expect quality for the higher pay, something to keep in mind.  It may be less stressful at a lower-paying site it is harder to get people to go to.

[surf50]

people who were caught sleeping only once

I have no sympathy for anyone caught sleeping on the job. They deserve to be fired. I don't buy the '12 hr shift plus drive time' excuse, either. That's why you go home and sleep, and not party, in between shifts.

I've had to pick up the slack for a lot of 'resting' techs over the years, and it's a personal peeve.

[GLW]

I have no sympathy for anyone caught sleeping on the job. They deserve to be fired. I don't buy the '12 hr shift plus drive time' excuse, either. That's why you go home and sleep, and not party, in between shifts.

I've had to pick up the slack for a lot of 'resting' techs over the years, and it's a personal peeve.

well, hot dam!, don't candy coat it brother!!!!

or, if the shoe fits, sing it sister!!!!

[Content1]

I have no sympathy for anyone caught sleeping on the job. They deserve to be fired. I don't buy the '12 hr shift plus drive time' excuse, either. That's why you go home and sleep, and not party, in between shifts.

I've had to pick up the slack for a lot of 'resting' techs over the years, and it's a personal peeve.

I hope you are never drowsy even when in your 60's when doing 84's.  He didn't party between shifts in the time to eat, shower and sleep.  When you are working 84's is starts to catch up on you after 2 weeks and no breaks.  People are only human.

Ok, how about this.  You issue 300 respirators during a week and made 2 errors (from an audit) of marking medium verses small because the customer asked for medium by mistake, then you go down the road for it.  Yes the information was on a computer screen but that is so easy to do.   Fair treatment?  You have a rush with 20 in line at any time waiting on you and you have other duties like assembling them and frisking old ones.  Is that fair on the tech? Is perfection the new rule?  Or do you also have a pet peeve on respirator issuance?

[GLW]

I hope you are never drowsy even when in your 60's when doing 84's.  He didn't party between shifts in the time to eat, shower and sleep.  When you are working 84's is starts to catch up on you after 2 weeks and no breaks.  People are only human.

Ok, how about this.  You issue 300 respirators during a week and made 2 errors (from an audit) of marking medium verses small because the customer asked for medium by mistake, then you go down the road for it.  Yes the information was on a computer screen but that is so easy to do.   Fair treatment?  You have a rush with 20 in line at any time waiting on you and you have other duties like assembling them and frisking old ones.  Is that fair on the tech? Is perfection the new rule?  Or do you also have a pet peeve on respirator issuance?

You already cautioned this was on a contract where the techs were paid more and higher quality was expected,...

One factor not mentioned here, the company that pays more expects higher quality techs.  I heard a couple of people who were caught sleeping only once were sent home and subsequent outages cancelled.  Kind of strict for a first offense for people on 12's plus 2 hour daily drive times.  Another I heard severe punishment is a medium respirator issued when the quals called for a small.  They expect quality for the higher pay, something to keep in mind.  It may be less stressful at a lower-paying site it is harder to get people to go to.

So I guess the answer is yes: if you are getting paid more it is fair to expect more,...

If you need to perform under a lower standard to be able to succeed then go where the pay is less and, so is the expectation,...

everybody wins,...

the top performers get top pay,...

the lower performers get lower pay,...

but everybody is getting paid something,...

seems fair,...

[Content1]

I find no fault in your logic.  I guess the free market does work.

[RADBASTARD]

Maybe if they stopped hiring loads and slugs constantly they wouldn't have this problem

[Content1]

Bingo!

I get damned tired of taking up the slack of the no loads, slackers, slugs, know-it-alls, etc.

How is there any slack you are taking up if are hired to work 12 hours minus a lunch and restroom breaks.  Do you have extra sit around time doing nothing like the other no-loads they now make you work were it not for them?  Do you define a slacker as someone with a disability if that disability prevents them from doing what you can do?  You want to fire all of them too?  Ignore the American with Disabilities Act laws?  If you don't like the law, talk to your congressman/woman and try to change the law, so you can put all the otherwise highly qualified and experienced on disability when they can still perform the core functions of their jobs?

I don't know what site you go to but I don't know leads who let anyone sit around except their friends who talk with them.  I find they have exact work loads with everyone carefully planned for a task and with expectation of accomplishment, or they go down the road.  What some try to do is to hide, drag their feet on jobs and a good boss must audit what their people do.  It is not so easy anymore, I find most walking around with to do lists checking on the progress of work and by who.

[SloGlo]

this thread is starting to sound like "were awl making grate money, butt those slugs are making moor per erg expended than eye (the gratest tek two ever swing a meater" witch is a winey kind of rant.  

[Ksheed]

I believe we are getting a little carried away with the claims of being all a$$holes & elbows during outage. With all the time spent in morning meetings, pre-job briefs, clearance order briefs, package review, waiting on predecessors, RWP review, rad briefs, dress out, undressing, clearing monitors, post job briefs, etc. the work load is more 80/20. 80% talking/reading and 20% actual work, and that's on a good shift when all the stars align and everything goes perfect.

You can go home and tell the wife/hubby how hard you worked if you want but don't tell me. And, no I don't bs my wife on it, she knows better. Her dad has worked in the industry for 30 years.

Oh yeah I forgot waiting on Ops, QC, RPs/HPs, Security, Firewatch, or Maintenance depending on what your job is.

While I'm at it, if you fall asleep on duty you should be out the gate. It is a FFD/Fatigue issue. No exceptions. You are paid very well for very little output the least you could do is come to work well rested and stay awake. If that means you have to get up and walk laps then do it.

[SpringChinook]

Having worked with and Supervised many of these guys, I must say I am impressed with their work ethic and professionalism.  I see these traits rubbing off on some of the American workers (not all sadly).  I look forward to
having them work for and with me again soon. 
The only technicians that should feel their opportunities are fewer because of these few guys are the ones who usually are not welcomed back to sites anyway. 

signed:  El Jeffe (inside joke)

Working with the "Mexican Mafia", for a few outages now (they know who they are)...I have learned a great deal from them. They are nothing short of geniuses when it comes to our survey data base and their work ethics are second to no one. Never have I heard them complain about having to cover a job...Can't wait until R-23...