Spring Season, The Squeeze is on!

[RAD-GHOST]

Something tells me, " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"!  This is going to be one of the larger staffing seasons and Able Bodies, is probably going to convert to, " whoever is able to show up "!  The able body situation is actually generating an unanticipated problem on the side lines.  Many of the old timers, I've been talking to, have conceeded to the fact, that experience seems to be optional today and basicly worthless!  Anybody with the required time, at whatever, and the ability to meet the academic criteria, makes the same pay, for the same stay!  Three years, or thirty years, No Difference!  Besides self pride, there isn't a whole lot of incentive to perform above the environment they've been submerged in.

[radman5030]

Rad Ghost, my hat goes off to ya Brother. 

20+ years ago Jr's were the bottom of the food chain, what the Sr told you went, and if you were hooked up with a good one you LEARNED, and when you weren't working with you Sr. you ran the control points ect. But some of the new bees and I said SOME. either don't have the option or desire to learn. many sit on a control point for the required ammt. of time, and puff...they are a Sr.

The industry over the past years since the great idea of De- Regulation of the industry has shifted from Radiation Protection to Radiation PRODUCTION. Long are the days when HP's have some control, if you out there in nukeworker land don't believe me, use the authority that the plants preach "everyone has job stop authority" and stop a job, and see what happens if you put the outage  behind 1 hour of the 12 day 6hour 35min. goal.

I could go on but what's the use, probably 80% of the nukeworker don't have a clue what I am talking about, even the site censors you if you use the term we were proud to be called..Road W.ore might make it by  We knew where we stood we were the W--res, and they were the Pim-s.  Now Eric you may smite me.     Because I am sure you don't have a clue what I am saying during your quest for "able bodied" techs. I know you have a tough job to do be glad you don't see what we do with some of your finds, I'm sure you would want to update their resume to match their abilities.  That might make a pretty good game at the end of the outage, match the nameless resume with the tech.  You could call it "To tell the Truth".. oh there already was a game show like that..I regress, Sorry....

[Eric_Bartlett]

...Now Eric you may smite me.     Because I am sure you don't have a clue what I am saying during your quest for "able bodied" techs. I know you have a tough job to do be glad you don't see what we do with some of your finds, I'm sure you would want to update their resume to match their abilities.  That might make a pretty good game at the end of the outage, match the nameless resume with the tech.  You could call it "To tell the Truth".. oh there already was a game show like that..I regress, Sorry....

I am more aware of what your saying than you'll ever know or want to admit to.  All I can do is keep an ear open to what field supervision and other technicians tell me about individuals, whether or not someone is in over thier heads or out of thier enviroment, or physically/mentally unable to do the job,or unable to work in a "team" enviroment, etc... - with that input I can better place an individual in a slot more suited to thier capabilities.  If I'm not made aware of someones shortcomings or strengths in the field then theres not much I can do pro-activley place them in the position most suited to them.  The other side of this is that in all the years of recruiting and placing people I've only had a dozen at most tell me that they weren't capable of doing certain things(not counting physical imediments) - until an individual can own up to his or her shortcommings or weaknesses in the field they will find a way to finagle themselves or be placed into jobs that they can't or will have a hard time handling.  Once again just my observations and opinions, you may feel I'm way off base, or you might agree with me, either way - hope you have a good Holiday Season.

Eric

[radman5030]

Thank you Eric for the kind words, I am sure that once you hire the techs your job is complete. I am also sure that the plant doesn't ask your opinion on where to place your techs in the field, and what they are able or not able to do.  Because of the shortage out there. unqualified techs are thrown many time way over their head, and if they state they can't handle the job they will be on the first layoff well befoer the outage is completed. So it is kinda a catch 22 situation on both your part and theirs.

As I state I do believe you have a hard job, because you need the numbers, and the numbers just aren't out there with the quality of techs needed to staff outages.  The beef that I have is you take these not so "able bodied" techs. with no or very limited experence, and reward them the same pay as the ones who have been in the game 20+ years, and who have paid their dues.  What would you think if your Uncle Bruce brought in a unqualified recruiter and because he had a pretty resume (maybe false) and paid him the same as you are making after playing the game for 20 years? I bet you wouldn't like it.  Well neither do some of us.

My family and I (who I get to see about 2 months per year) Sincerely Wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and a Safe and Healthy New Year.

I wish you were going to attend the job fair in Oak Ridge, for I would have liked to meet you and have a chat.  Maybe down the road some day. 

[Already Gone]

This is all too common a complaint among HP/RP techs. Eventually, somebody's going to listen.  Here's where I think the root of the problem is:  The people who have the power to fix things are not willing to pay the price.
In the end, it is the "customer" who suffers when techs are not up to the task.  It's also the customer who pays the bill.  If they would loosen up the purse strings a little, Bartlett could afford to train their workforce.  They can either do that by beefing up the staffing so that juniors have some time away from their work to learn the jobs they are going to inherit, or they could tack on a training surcharge to every contract to pay for offsite training (like HP High School).  The best would be a combination of both.  This would solve BOTH the quality AND the quantity problems.

If money were no object, every new Junior would complete a training course (on the payroll), then serve an apprenticeship until they are ANSI qualified.  Part (less than half) of this time would be spent on independent minor stuff like frisking scaffold parts and routine surveys.

Not only would this result in better trained techs, it would give an incentiive to get into the pipeline for new juniors.  We all know that, with shorter outages and leaner budgets, it takes a Jr. HP almost SIX YEARS to accumulate enough hours to reach ANSI 3.1, and they are barely qualified (if at all) when they do.
In the meantime, they have to live on 20 weeks/year of Junior wages and unemployment.  Better offers come along and take the good workers right out of the business.

Eric, I'd love to come back and work for you, but I can't afford it right now.  Sometimes a better offer comes even to a slug like me.  So, as long as I can keep from getting fired, (which happens to me quite a lot) I'm just another one on the "used to be" list.

[Nuclear NASCAR]

.....even the site censors you if you use the term we were proud to be called..Road W.ore might make it by  We knew where we stood we were the W--res, and they were the Pim-s.

Just so you know Radman.  The censoring of the Road..... name has nothing to do with political correctness.  It's to avoid threatened litigation from the owner of that other site that used to go by that name.  Stepping back into the shadows now. 

[Eric_Bartlett]

Thank you Eric for the kind words, I am sure that once you hire the techs your job is complete. I am also sure that the plant doesn't ask your opinion on where to place your techs in the field, and what they are able or not able to do....

Kinda, sorta, not really - I sometimes wish my job was over when I've hired the techs, but it doesnt end until the outage is over or until the individual is laid off.   As faras my opinion goes most sites and coordinators will ask me what i know and what I've heard about individuals techs, and normally if the don't I wont hesitate to tell them what I know, have heard or suspect -afterall the individuals I place on a job are ultimatley a direct reflection upon my performance.  If I continuously placed "sub-par" individuals to jobs I would eventually lose all credibility with those clients, and believe you me there is nothing harder to gain in this buisness(from my end) than trust between site supervision and a recruiter.

... The beef that I have is you take these not so "able bodied" techs. with no or very limited experence, and reward them the same pay as the ones who have been in the game 20+ years, and who have paid their dues.  What would you think if your Uncle Bruce brought in a unqualified recruiter and because he had a pretty resume (maybe false) and paid him the same as you are making after playing the game for 20 years? I bet you wouldn't like it.  Well neither do some of us.

I firmly agree with you on this matter - for years I have been a strong advocate of a "tiered" payrate situation, a 3yr Sr should make more than an 18.1, a 5yr should make more than a 3 yr, a 7yr should be more than a 5 yr, etc, etc, etc...
and to answer your question, yes it has t'd me off when this company has brought in someone to recruit that is making close or maybe even more than what I make and eventhough they may have experience in other areas they have a fraction of the "staffing" experience.   On this point you'll get no argument from me.  The only exeption is I've also seen "experienced" individuals that aint worth a dam, and "in-experienced" individuals that will work circles around most.  With all that aside I do believe in a tiered pay structure with incentives for performance.

My family and I (who I get to see about 2 months per year) Sincerely Wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and a Safe and Healthy New Year.

I wish you were going to attend the job fair in Oak Ridge, for I would have liked to meet you and have a chat.  Maybe down the road some day. 

One of these days if they ever unshakle me from my desk I'd like to make the rounds, untilthen if you ever find yourself in the Northeast feel free to swing by and say hey

Have a safe and happy holiday season

Eric

[radman5030]

Thanks Nascar, I didn't think of the litigation part, we don't want to get ole Mike in trouble for sure so in the future I will just drop the road part, will that be OK?

As for beer court, hats off to ya.

And by the way Nascar I bet you would make dorsey smith happy if you got a hair cut...LOL

[Rennhack]

Beer Court,

I think that is a great idea, lets send that to Jerry Hiatt to push at the Sites.

[exocom]

Excuse my ignorance, I have been out with an injury for the past 2 years. In 2002 some of the utilities I worked at seemed to be waking up to the problem of control point seniors. I was told even the NRC and INPO had expressed concerns over the magically fully time qualified Srs covering jobs. At 1 utility I was encouraged to take Jrs with me on job coverage to give them some OJT.  Jrs being exposed to actual job coverage helps everybody; the Jrs learn, the plants get someone with more than control point experience, the contract company gets a more marketable commodity and we Srs hopefully get a more capable person to work with when the Jrs finally become Srs. I must say I learned the most about HP work being a junior when ALARA was time, shielding and distance for the senior with me doing the work at the senior's instructions. I have a degree in nuclear tech and had some HP experience at a research Rx before this, but nothing beat that hello to the commercial world. From the posts I have read here it seems the utilities and regulators have given up on giving meaningful experience to juniors.

[radman5030]

Sorry about your injury, hope all is well now.

Think about it 12day, 18day ect. outages, shortage of qualified techs...

2 year fuel cycles.. who do they have to sit control point? The poor Jrs. Think about how long it would take a Jr to become a Sr with these short outages??
And the plants use the experenced techs in the high profile jobs.  So after severial years sitting control points you have a "qualified" Sr with no experence.

But inspite of the lack of techs, qualified or not, experenced or not the outages get done when the utilities say, and world records are being broken each outage season.  Rad Protection or is it Rad Production??

For you out there that have their heads in the sand, smite away.

[nowhereman]

When will Bartlett start paying  and training HP's more a little more sensibly?.......How about a graduated pay scale for juniors,  say  for every 1000 hrs worked a  work  review and a pay raise. (but why stop at jr's? i've been doing this for 17 years and the pay rate is the same for a Sr. HP straight  off the PCM's as for someone who has 15 years of refuel floor exp. sounds fair?)  How hard is it to implent this? Now that Bartlett has a board of directors you would think they would worry about the liability of self study HP's. A formalized training plan would cost Bartlett, but a lawsuit from a experienced tort lawyer will cost more, and open the door for more to come in. Bartlett has gotten away with letting it ride for so long. Only because once we are laid off we basicly don't exist in their minds(oh, the double secret probation days).
Well Eric if you want jr HP's maybe a formalized traing plan(contracted out to any utilities training dept. after how much work does the training dept have anyway?)

[Already Gone]

That would be a great idea if the review includes progress toward task qualification.  You could assign Jr. techs sets of JPM's which must be completed before they can advance to the next pay grade.

For Seniors, it would be simple.  You graduate the payscale depending on the job and the experience they have at it.  For example; Refuel, S/G, under-vessel work would pay higher than Turbine Floor.  That way, everyone would be trying to get onto those jobs instead of trying to get away with as little as possible.  Techs who have worked those jobs more would get paid more than someone just moving into them.  If you can't hack it there, you will get replaced.  That assures that people are assigned at the level of their ability rather than just putting a bunch of names in a hat.

We all know how it works now.  You worked BOP at Plant Z last year, so you'll work BOP there until you die.  At plant X, they looked at your resume and decided that all those years of covering refuel would make you perfect for radwaste.  etc., etc., etc.........  You just go where you are told as long as it isn't too annoying because it all pays the same.  There is no incentive to get on the leading-edge jobs because they are harder, hotter, and riskier for the same money as you get for working the SAM-9 all day.

Another huge advantage to this would be the ability to staff outages with the right level of ability instead of the right number of air-breathers.  Once an outage has all the heavy hitters it needs, you hold the rest for another plant.  Likewise, you wouldn't overload one plant with slugs because they can't do the jobs adequately.  Instead, you send them to that other plant where you already met the quota of heavy hitters.

It's all about balance and incentive.

[Old HP]

Beer Court come on do you really believe that the company or the utility is really going to say we have enough (heavy hitters) send us some warm bodies to complete staffing.
Then if you want to open another can of worms, lets throw in a physical ability test for an additional criteria for incentive pay.
I have spent a lot of time training Jr techs over the last 25+ years. But in todays environment of short outages there is seldom time to document all the surveys we are asked to do along with job coverage, yet alone try to provide a real training experience for the next generation of techs.

                                         Just another Old HP

[Already Gone]

Of course not.  What I'm saying is that they should do like all the other contractors on site.  Either:

1. The contractor decides who comes to the job, and the house gets whomever the company sends.  This way the contract house can ensure a mix of experience techs and those who can learn from them.

OR

2. The house gets to specify a percentage (say maybe half) of the techs by name.  The rest are filled by the contractor.

OR

3.  The house has to pay a premium rate for any tech specified by name.  The others are cheaper, but also an unknown quantity.

AND

The pay rate for the same job is the same at every plant.  The employer - not the customer - determines the rate of pay.  This keeps techs from piling into higher paying outages and neglecting the others.

In no case does a tech get to choose what job he works unless the company gives him the choice.  (ex. two or more plants ask for the same tech at the same time)  Refusal of an assignment can lead to disciplinary action just like it does for the rest of the working world.

The "Keyman" concept is fair to everyone.  The best and brightest always get to work, and their pay rate is higher.  The companies get to spread the talent evenly so as to satisfy more customers.  And the utilities retain some control over the people who do the important jobs, as well as getting the assurance that their job will get staffed.

[RAD-GHOST]

BC, you offer some good points for the future of the business, but the company doesn't exist who will support it!  You mentioned Bartlett in specific.  That company has been around since 1979.  If they ever offered anything besides a few bucks for the NRRPT test, I've never heard, or seen it!  The last time I was employed with them, they refused to pay for my Hazmat Requal, ( $90.00 ), after working for them, 10 out of 12 months, and still employed with them at the time!  In todays world they want fully qualified techs, at the techs expense.  I'm not running of track with your last few posting, I'm simply stating that your idea will not be supported by the major share holder of contracts.

What you propose, is something that should never be supplied by the company who signs your check.  I'll remind you of the days of IRM and the friary.  They brought the techs in, housed then, trained them, then held them at bay with the costs of their contract!  Any classroom training has to be handled by a third party, never a contract company.

Graduated pay scale, based on Experience, Knowledge, Willingness and Ability to perform!  Now there's a Concept!  If the Utilities and Contract company could figure it out, things would be better.  To date, neither wants to spend the time or a dime! 

Many blame the decline in the Industry to De-Regulation, but it started long before that!  It started with the Co-Employment Issue!  The contract companies took the concept to the max level.  During the eighties, I placed my calls to the plants I wanted to work, directly.  They called the contract companies an told them to put me on the list.  Try that today!  All of the contracts have specifiics addressing the practice!  Today the contract companies supply a list of Qualified Techs to the utilities, take them or leave them!  It's part of the game and allows an out for the contract company, for not supplying Techs.  Claims of not meeting contract obligations fall back on the customer!  We sent you 100 resumes of qualified techs, you chose to turn some down....To Bad!  The Utilities just pick what they can, a tech is a tech!  That's the present concept that keeps techs on the bottom of the food chain!  That's also answers the question, why the tech keeps coming back, even after the past bad performance!  If a contract company can keep selling the same old product, no matter how good, or how bad it is, things will never change!

RG!

[Chimera]

There are some good ideas in this thread.  I'd like to pick on two of'em for discussion's sake.

1.  Graduated Pay Scales:  In the contract world, this idea has some drawbacks.  If you keep adding pay for time spent on the job (i.e., experience), you will price your most experienced people right out of work.  Or, to keep from doing that, you will have to start the more junior people off at wages they probably wouldn't want to accept.  Or, as an after-thought, the division between the "pay scales" would have to be small enough to not be all that noticeable on pay day (I once had a "pay raise" like that).

2.  "Cutting edge jobs" paying more:  As I look back over the past 30+ years of nculear work, I think I've done enough S/G's, refueling floor, and drywell jobs to have earned a little respite in radwaste or on the turbine floor without being punished on pay day as a slacker.  Some of those non-cutting edge jobs require more head work, by the way.

While I'm all for more pay, we must realize the environment we have chosen to work in - that of the contractor tech.  We hire ourselves out to the lowest bidder (the usual criteria for winning a contract).  We usually know before we accept the job what the payscale is and what benefits may (or may not) be associated with the position we've chosen to accept.  If you don't like the working conditions, the payscale, the hours, or the time away from home, perhaps you start looking for more lucrative employment in another field.  I love traveling from plant to plant listening to the house techs complain about all the things they have to put up with (reminds of the days I was a house tech).  They all think we have it made.  We all think they have it made.  Some in this thread seem to be clamoring for the same conditions that the house techs would love to get out from under.

I like my chosen profession.  I like being assigned to different tasks at different plants.  I like helping Junior Techs and Senior Techs learn their jobs and prepping them for the Fundamentals and/or Core exams.  I like spending a lot of time with my grandchildren.  It don't get no better than this - enough money to live (and retire, someday) comfortably, enough work to keep me busy, enough of a challenge to keep my brain from atrophying (did I spell that right?), and enough time off to stay human. 

Will our jobs improve?  Most assuredly.  It will take time, but it will happen (and has already).  Could it get worse?  I certainly hope not, although that, too, could happen (and has happened in the past).  I applaud all the techs who have contributed to this thread - there are some very good ideas in here.  Just be careful what you wish for (like all those techs years ago who thought unionizing would be such a wonderful idea) because, someday, you may have to live with it.

[VooDoo]

I often read this forum but have never posted, but I just couldn't take it anymore.  I think some of you post just so you can pat yourself on the back.  Most of these ideas are crazy and far-fetched.  Go ahead and ask anyone that is working around you and they will tell you they are the best worker at the outage.  BeerCourt, I suppose when Bartlett finally adopts a system like this and tells you that you have been designated as one of the poor performers that you will accept that?  Measuring performance is too subjective and the way people in this business complain, Eric would need a seperate telephone just too handle the calls! 

Lets face it, Bartlett is a job shop that has done alot of techs good.  Considering most of the people in this business do not have an education, without Bartlett they would be flipping burgers. 

[Already Gone]

Y'know what?  You guys have been isolated from the real world for too long.  All the other jobs are staffed the way I described.  It was not an original idea.  It works, and it has worked for decades.  At least my ideas, premature (or forward-looking if you prefer) that they may be, are addressing the problem instead of bitching about it.  Got a better idea?  Let's hear it.  Just don't make me laugh by saying that things should continue as they are.

Instead of "earning" your way into a soft job by doing a lot of hard ones, you earn your way up the ladder to a position of more responsibility.  Look around, the house does not supply the lead persons for any other craft.  All the trades provide their own leadership from among the most experienced.  That way, the lesser qualified people get to work under their guidance and learn more.  So, Chimera and other techs at his level would supervise, train, and lead the newer techs instead of always getting stuck on the hot jobs in their place.

We talk a lot about giving juniors and new seniors the opportunity to learn jobs by "tagging along".  But nobody ever learned a job that way.  You learn by doing.  When we put a 20 year SR. HP on the refuel floor we take away the opportunity for someone else to learn that job.  So, we are stuck with no choice but to put him in that job.  Then, he covers one area the whole outage and doesn't get to spread his knowledge around.  The more senior people are being wasted by underusing their abilities.

If VooDoo gets his/her way, Bartlett would employ the uneducated when it is more appropriate to educate the unemployed.  The time of the free lunch (i.e. hiring under-qualified people) has to come to an end because there are no longer enough qualified people to cover for them.  If you have a problem with performance evaluation, it isn't because you are afraid that I will get put on the bottom of the pile.  I think maybe you are a little worried about where you will be.

It doesn't mater if Bartlett or any company gives the training or contracts it out.  The point is that they have to start consider adding a training surcharge to their contracts so that the customers can be assured of getting trained people in the future.  There are plenty of people out there who are capable of learning this job.  But someone has to teach them.  It is just plain stupid and dangerously irresponsible to hire a "burger flipper" and just hope that he gains enough ability in the next few years before he starts covering CRD exchanges.  The shortage is not because of a "brain-drain", it's because of the unwillingness of employers to pay for the training that they require.

[VooDoo]

Hey BeerCourt, I'm with ya, only I think you are dreaming.  Noone said to hire burger flippers, but you have been in this industry long enough to realize that at least half (if not more) of the people in this business are slugs.  Maybe the system created that over the years and maybe it can be fixed, but that costs money.  Who pays for it?  You said the contract companies should pass it along to the customer?  Good luck, that's where you are dreaming.  Do you even understand the industry you work in (beyond RP)?  The energy industry is in turmoil, deregulation is creeping in and power prices are at an all time low. 

In theory, your idea is great.  When you arrive in the real world you will realize it's not going to happen.

[Already Gone]

First, I am in the real world - the one where RP contractors are the cheapest skilled labor in the business.  In fact, unskilled laborers make more in some parts of the US.  So, there is plenty of room for raising the rate.  But there is no justification for it at this time.  I agree that utilities are paying about as much as they ever will for what they are getting.
My radical idea is to offer them something that is worth a lot more - a workforce that is better trained and has a better work ethic.

Why are half of the people in the business  slugs?  I don't think they really intended to be slugs.  I think they are just discouraged.  Some of the laziest techs I know will bust their asses working on their houses or pursuing some hobby.  So, they are not naturally lazy people; they just put their energy into something that gives them something in return.

Do you remember being in school, rushing from one class to another way across the building?  Do you remember how you hauled ass right up until the late bell rang?  Do you also remember how you slowed right down as soon as it rang?  You were already late.  Five minutes late got you the same thing that one minute late got you.  So why bother to hurry when it would do you no good?

I see that same attitude at work among techs.  They know that working hard will not pay them any more.  It will not put them at the top of the hire list.  It just identifies them as hard workers so they will forever be called for the hard work.  No, it's better to be thought of a useless.  It's better that they don't trust you to get it done.  That way they'll leave you alone and go pick on that guy with the sweaty scrubs.  Then you get the same check on Thursday that he gets.

I really think that a graduated pay scale, one that doesn't put you at a dead end after only seven years, will give some people incentive to produce.

[Old HP]

Okay, I think we have a good idea of what planet Beer Court is living on, so lets get back on track with the original topic.
Will the next outage season be the one when the utilities.
    (A) notice that ALL the radworkers are getting older
    (B) realize that HPs are real people with families and lives of their own
    (C) figure out that it might not be that important to have an outage
         completed in 12 hours less than the last one
    (D) all of the above
   
   
                                        Old HP
                                     

[exocom]

IRM used to have a payscale supposedly based on performance. Reality was who got the most pay was the biggest butt kissers on site or the biggest whiners to the home office prior to the job. Normally the higher paid people were the biggest slugs. There were exceptions, some of the best techs I ever worked with worked for IRM and were payed well by them. Just an observation that pay for performance does not always work the way it should. As an aside what is the current rate for >7yr 3.1 Sr HPs? Most job postings I see on this site say unspecified with a few stating 20-21/hr and 85/day, is this normal? Seems the same pay and a little higher PD as 2 years ago. Thanks for the thought radman, hoping to be back to work this spring, up to Drs, body, company and utilities.

[RAD-GHOST]

BC,

Like you once said, we've been on opposite sides of the table on some topics, but not this one!  I'd have to say, you are Dead On Balls Accurate! 

Rates:  Of all the Trades in the Nuclear Business, the average journeyman wage is about $7 to $10, per hour higher, than a Senior Health Physics Technician of twenty years, Not Counting Annuities and Insurance!  Their Union, we're not....Another thread in it's own!  I have also been to sites, where the entry level laborer made more then the Senior Techs, with twenty years experience!  Apparently our trade just isn't worthy of being Recognized!  There is a lot of room for wages to grow, but until that venue is pushed, seriously pushed by the Techs, nothing is going to change!

I also see the conflict created by the pecking order associated with a variable pay scale, based on Time, Experience and Performance.  Each Tech needs to make their own decision on where they stand on such an issue.  At the present time an entry level, three year senior makes the same as a twenty year senior!  That's nice bucks for a Newbie!  Five years from now, when that same Senior gains more experience and seasons, he will be making the same money as the entry level Senior!  Now there's an incentive if I ever seen one!  To the Juniors in the equation, you have to figure yourself on a limited run.  After you make it to the big 3.1 Senior, your as high as your ever going to go, under the present standards!

Over the last decade, not much has improved in the overall picture for our trade.  Most benefits are high in cost, low in quality and have strings attached! Wages that grow at a mear percentage of the annual cost of living!  Avenues for education that don't exist.  Techs required to maintain Qualifications, at their Own Expense!  The one thing that nobody can deny, the Utilities and Contract Companies have been voicing their care and concerns for our trade, for well over ten years!  Both sit in the bleachers and offer lots of advice on the declining population of Techs and the quality or our Trade!  Neither has done a damn thing about it!  Any Tech waiting for them to respond, without personally pushing the venue, better be satisfied with what they have today, it isn't going to change much tomorrow!

Education:  VooDoo, the Business is an Education!  I'll probably stand alone on this one, but when I see a past burger flipper, sitting next to me, studying a Tech Manuel, HP Study Guide, or other Trade Related Text Book, that person is Golden!  That's the Tech I want working with me in the field!  Anybody willing to get their hands dirty and expand their knowledge, in the business, has my total respect!   I've seen a lot of four year degreed whiz kids, come and go.  All heading to that upper tier in management.  A small percentage seem to do well, most are confussed with the mechanics of the business.  Yes, they can tell you the dose rate, at one foot, from an X-ray machine, but since there aren't a lot of X-ray machines in Nuke Plants, the knowledge has no value!  In the mid 80's I worked with one meter swinging contractor, who was a Certifed Health Physist, with a PHD!  My first question, " What in the Hell are you doing here "?  His reply, " I don't know a thing about Commercial Power, figured I'd see what it's all about "!  I ran across the same guy three years later and asked him what he thought of the business?  He stated that he actually liked the daily challenges associated with the job, it kept things interesting.  He also stated that there wasn't a book, class, or degree in the world, that could offered the same education!

Incentives:  I guess it's no secret that the healthiest horse, does the most work!  In most plants, do a good job and you get the next job!  Let's check this concept out a little further.  Lets say all techs make the same money, like today world.  One tech keeps a low profile in the breakroom and sits with his home business sale book, open in front of him, looking busy.  Another tech is buzzing around containment, trying to support a dozen jobs.  After a few hours, the containment tech enters the breakroom.  After five minutes, the window opens and the supervisor ask's the containment tech, to do a job normally assigned to the tech reading his sales book.  After the job is completed, the containment tech ask's why he was requested to do the other techs job?  The answer, Every time I ask the guy to do something, it either gets done wrong, or a half hour explanation is required for a five minute job!  He didn't want to bother asking him to do anything, anymore!  The result of the scenerio was an early layoff for the containment tech!  Since the tech wasn't a contract company manager, the brief lecture stating the other techs lazy habits, was considered a personality conflict! 

As with most outages, everybody is a Techs!  In other words, managers are very few and normally invisible!  This leads me to believe that poor performance is actually promoted and obviously condoned, by the Utilities and Contract Companies!  Most sites don't allow for a contract managment team, just a coordinator, one per shift.  Funny thing, the utility usually has a ratio of one supervisor to five, or six techs.  Based on the fact, that very little managemnt is allowed and the co-employment issue is always rolling around, it seems fair to assume my theory is correct.  After all, the problem seem's to be industry wide, constant and accepted as a normal way of doing business!  Even prior postings on this thread offers the same information.  So many heavy hitters to so many slugs!  It's sad when you realize that the sites not only recognize the problem, but they also make concession for it!

Where are the Heavy Hitters?  They're adjusting to the game!  Why do more?  I know quite a few Techs who are 110%!  Give them an assignment, put a meter in their hand and let them run!  These Techs probably know the jobs, better than the workers!  Besides completing the tasks based on self pride, what other incentive do they have?  More Dose, More Running, More Responsibility and the list goes on!  Lets see, if I had my choice of sitting in the breakroom, sipping on coffee, or suited up under vessel, pulling drives, I must admit it would be a tuff choice!  Especially for the same money!  Here's another reason why the heavy hitters list is getting shorter.  Believe it or not, some managers have asked the more experienced Techs, to keep an eye on the Green Seniors!  Lets look at that one!  We both make the same money and you want me to take responsibility for someone else, while trying to do my own job?  Sorry, that's called a manager, ask somebody else!

To all the techs who take assignments based on the buddy system, they really aren't your buddies!  I've heard it a hundred times in the past, I've been there five outages in a row, they treat me good, they give me a special job, it's close to home, their my buddies!  When the outage is over, your buddies ask you to go away and probably have nothing to do with you, until your services are needed next year!  Anybody asking you to show up for the present anti-quated wages, are the ones I would put on the other list!  You are actually doing them a favor, it's not the other way around.  The returnee status is a good thing, but a raise should accompany every assignment, not just the second!

Sorry, I've been a little long winded today, RG! 

[VooDoo]

Fair enough BC.  I don't disagree that doing what you state would be wonderful for the industry, but there are many mountains to climb to get there.  I think the comparison to other trades is interesting and the key question is this.  Why are they paid better?  Truthfully, the reason may be because they are unionized.  I do not support unions but, effectively having a voice is very powerful when doing negotiations.  Like they say, divide and conquer...and the RP's of the world are certainly divided.

I like what your saying but something I strongly disagree with is the belief that Bartlett is the problem.  BC, I'm not saying that you believe that, but many, many people in this business do, and they couldn't be more wrong.  I used to work for Bartlett and they are just a player in the industry.