Rock the Boat

[Rennhack]

Why don't you guys pick a plant the pays the least. Tell everyone that plant is off limits till it raises it pay. Do this one by one to each of the low ball plants intill they raise there pay. You should get some results. Sure you'll get local people going to a plant that you pick. But would you really go to a plant knowing that it might only be staffed at 50% for an outage. So Someone pick a low paying plant. Then get the word out. This site is the perfect for getting the word out. JMHO DJ

Your solution is there, you just have to find it.

[Dustball]

Us old road techs ~ gone house here at Monti have tried preaching the pay them more concept to our management.  If you want the pick of the litter, you have to pay.  But I have to apologize to you roadies.... it goes in one ear and out the other. Our last outage we had some "interesting" contractors to say the very least!  Even hired some mexican RP's.  Awesome workers, could speak a little more than a lick of english.  We've even brought up the fact that ok...if you're not willing to pay the top wages, then treat these people like professionals and make them part of our team.  Let them know we need them, because we do!  This is business right?   I remember when I was treated as one of the "bunch" at some plants.  Typically I had no problem saying yes to them to return.  We told management to contact contractors and let them know you apreciated their help, send them a shirt, send them a thank you gift certificate, send a christmas card (just thinking of you during the holidays), I can go on.  Simple, cheap, thoughtful.  If you're close in the pay range maybe a simple thank you will get a contractor to sway their decision enough to come help you out vs. the plant down the river.  The shortages are for real.  They talk about them here.  They just never have an answer except we made it through last time....we'll do it again.  Last outage we were short and we took the blunt of it.  Worked our butts off, the flu started going around, people calling in sick put the work load higher causing more people to be worn out in which they then got sick.... It was fun!  I can hardly wait until 2007.  Good thing we're on a 2yr cycle!

[LaFeet]

The industry will most likely raise our pay in the near future.  Every outage is being ran with fewer techs. Also, more techs are either working long term DOE sites or getting out of the business.  I ahve seen a slight increase within the past year.

As for holding out.. I can allways live off my unemplotment and retirement.

[Gonzo]

you know, i worked palo verde's outage fall of 2oo3...   a senior hp tech...   and my pay was twenty something an hour, per diem 85 i think....    i know it's an old entry and who ever started this probably doesn't read this anymore but i'm thinking we misunderstood...

as for wages high or low..  the whole beauty of this business is our control over when and where we work...   

[illegalsmile]

Why don't you guys pick a plant the pays the least. Tell everyone that plant is off limits till it raises it pay. Do this one by one to each of the low ball plants intill they raise there pay. You should get some results. Sure you'll get local people going to a plant that you pick. But would you really go to a plant knowing that it might only be staffed at 50% for an outage. So Someone pick a low paying plant. Then get the word out. This site is the perfect for getting the word out. JMHO DJ

OK, so who should we stay away from this fall?

[SuckPump]

I work at Hanford for Fluor.    They pay Sr. RCT's $30.58/hr.    The benefits are not that great but at least we have something.     There are going to be layoffs in the next few years and the clean up and D and D start winding down.  I believe Washington Closure Group is hiring.  Fluor is not hiring.  CH2M Hill is not hiring at the moment.  That is all I know. 

[Content1]

Look at a DOE site in INEEL, with per diem for only 2 month.   In order to qualify for per diem, you must prove you are maintaining another household back in your home state, so they know you have additional costs.  Then to pull it away after 2 month on the excuse it is "Long Term."  Long term is in the eye of the beholder.  If they are unwilling to pay per diem, they should not be surprised that no body goes, regardless if the pay is $30/hr, or $1200 a week before taxes.  My daughter, the jr. deconner makes over $1300/week with per diem at an outage, based on a $9.50 hour based rate, $85/day per diem, and 11.5 hour days/6 days a week.  I could not understand why a senior would take such a pay cut.  They claim they are "benefits" such as vacation and medical; however, if you were really ill you would not get the job in the first place to use the benefits.  As for the vacation, you get your 2 weeks a year. A road traveler get 5 months of vacation time  a year, especially if you file in a State like MA or WA getting around $550/wk unemployment.   Maybe when the new nuke plants come online, and with a 5 year pipeline to go from deconner to senior, they may get desperate and raise some of the wages.

[Mike McFarlin]

If its that bad, go home and wait for better wages.

[let-it-ride]

Not only at INL is per diem stopped after 30 days, but the class that just had their per diem stopped, were told by BARTLETT, that they would get a 3% raise after the diem stopped. Guess what, NO ONE GOT THE RAISE!!. It is one thing for Bartlett to hold you to a commitment, but why do they not honor their promise.
INL is a well kept secret for doing easy work. There is none better. The problem is that the contract companies are taking advantage of the workers again. BARTLETT   HONOR YOUR PROMISE!!! 

[Eric_Bartlett]

Not only at INL is per diem stopped after 30 days, but the class that just had their per diem stopped, were told by BARTLETT, that they would get a 3% raise after the diem stopped. Guess what, NO ONE GOT THE RAISE!!. It is one thing for Bartlett to hold you to a commitment, but why do they not honor their promise.
INL is a well kept secret for doing easy work. There is none better. The problem is that the contract companies are taking advantage of the workers again. BARTLETT   HONOR YOUR PROMISE!!! 

First off its 60 days that an individual will recieve reimbursements for lodging, meals, and incidentals not 30.   Secondly all of the Bartlett techs that were and are working on this individual contract that were on site prior to the diem change recieved a pay increase prior to the change in August '06 and then come October 1st y'all rec'd an additional increase - if for some reason you did not get either increase you should give either myself or Marie a shout so we can look into and rectify the situation, if it needs rectifying.  HELP US TO HELP YOU!

[OldHP]

Some folks just like to "b", those are the folks that would yell if you gave them a "cool million" in USD that they would have prefered it in Krugerrands.

No matter who you are working for "help the office to help you".  If you have or had a problem, try the office first (or maybe look at the rate on your pay stub - did you forget you missed an hour last pay period?).

[snowman]

I work at Hanford for Fluor.    They pay Sr. RCT's $30.58/hr.    The benefits are not that great but at least we have something.     There are going to be layoffs in the next few years and the clean up and D and D start winding down.  I believe Washington Closure Group is hiring.  Fluor is not hiring.  CH2M Hill is not hiring at the moment.  That is all I know. 

Actually SuckPump, the bennies here aren't that bad. Not what they were, but still not bad. Think Bartlett's going to charge their single technicians 10 bucks a week for medical? Try 10 times that amigo! Got a family and want medical? 800/month and up. Most rent-a-techs don't get bennies because they're considered temporary employees. I never once was offered benefits when I did outages between '83-'92. Not once.

As for the entry about Monticello bringing in temporary outage workers (I'm guessing you were referring to HP's) who can barely speak a word of English...Not a good sign if you're a rental tech trying to squeeze a few more bucks out of the client.

[nukems]

I know this is a old thread but let's reiterate the same thing again

Bartlett's very long 2011 spring outage listAttention all SR, JR RP, Decon and Alara Techs
For your financial future jump on the Band Wagon and do not commit early to
Spring outages.
Hold Out for union back-up contracts. We all know there is no way Bartlett can Staff
All of the outages next spring. Actually no one can 
We all NEED to let the Staffing Companies know we Deserve more wages. We are the Lowest Paid group in the nuclear industry.  Hold out, hold out!!!
Please do not Commit early.

[johnnyreb]

  certainly everyone in plymouth is well paid and endowed with benefits. to them we are cash cows. to us they are a pain in the teat

[Content1]

I know this is a old thread but let's reiterate the same thing again

Bartlett's very long 2011 spring outage listAttention all SR, JR RP, Decon and Alara Techs
For your financial future jump on the Band Wagon and do not commit early to
Spring outages.
Hold Out for union back-up contracts. We all know there is no way Bartlett can Staff
All of the outages next spring. Actually no one can 
We all NEED to let the Staffing Companies know we Deserve more wages. We are the Lowest Paid group in the nuclear industry.  Hold out, hold out!!!
Please do not Commit early.

Are you serious?  They seem to have no trouble in staffing, as I notice right before an outage season most of the sites say taking back up names only.  Wages are not set by anyone, we live in a free market and Bartlett is a player.   Wages are not striclyly a supply and demand thing, as if one worker is as good as another.  What happens is if one pays too low, they get the uniformed and the dregs, when they pay high, the best compete to get it.   So if you want higher wages, the better stategy is don't be a slug and strive to be the best in the industry.  How to get to be the best? That is for another post.   Withholding acceptance just makes you miss out.

[techtoolong]

There are about 44 outages in the Spring.  I think it would be hard to miss out.  I talked to someone at Oconee today and they are 20 techs short for there 10/24/10 shutdown. It is no secret there is a shortage of Senior Techs including the ones at the bottom and under the barrel

[UncaBuffalo]

Are you serious?  They seem to have no trouble in staffing, as I notice right before an outage season most of the sites say taking back up names only.  Wages are not set by anyone, we live in a free market and Bartlett is a player.   Wages are not striclyly a supply and demand thing, as if one worker is as good as another.  What happens is if one pays too low, they get the uniformed and the dregs, when they pay high, the best compete to get it.   So if you want higher wages, the better stategy is don't be a slug and strive to be the best in the industry.  How to get to be the best? That is for another post.   Withholding acceptance just makes you miss out.

If you have your heart set on a particular site, then, Yes, you need to confirm early, or you might miss out.

For those of us who have the luxury of not needing to be at a particular site, I think waiting is a good plan.  There always seems to be a couple of outages that bump their wages up at the last minute.  I like being available to accept those dollars.

jmo

[techtoolong]

I think that was the point.  I am not to sure why anyone would jump on anything this spring

[hamsamich]

buffalo is right on the $$$ as usual.

[Content1]

We have the same problems as house techs.  At DOE sites, there has been shortages and they pay the new untrained $3 more per hour because they have had trouble getting people.   They do not bump up the pay of the more qualified existing people.   It really sucks.  Your only recourse is to quit when the pay differential becomes so insulting that you can't take it.    I work at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and apparently it is the same way at the Nevada Test site and other DOE sites, and management doesn't seem to care..

[roadhp]

Not that way at Hanford.  Everyone on site, no matter what the company, gets union scale.  The only problem is if you are house they have a bump and roll policy.  If one company lays people off, then they can come in and take other people's jobs in another company who have lower seniority, even if they are slugs and the more junior people can single handedly take on the world.  That is my problem with some unions...you are only worth you're sign up date, not your job ethic or abilities.