Who here has ever performed work for a union outfit??

innovativewash

innovativewash

New member
I need some advice. Potentially a huge contract. Union contractor wants to hire our company. They want our equipment and only our supervisor per rig (2men, two machines) to train and manage thier union laborors to run flat surface cleaners per day.
What kind of benifits or problems have you ever ran into? We will give them a day rate price so I dont really care how much work the laborors get done. Anything I should be aware of?
 
You can also PM me your thoughts if you dont want to post. Need to make a quick decision to work with this company.
 
Number of items come to mind, firstly jurisdiction- who's work is it ie; In my area Painters have this work unless it's flat work then sometimes labors will scab it. Is it a General Contractor? It sounds like this is the case and probably have lots of new concrete that is needs a CCU which I would say if you don't wan't to become a signatory then go ahead as planned.
You could become a signatory with one of the trades and just sub the work from him and make even more and keep the gig in house. After training his Laborers they will buy the equipment the next time and do it all in house.
 
innovativewash said:
I need some advice. Potentially a huge contract. Union contractor wants to hire our company. They want our equipment and only our supervisor per rig (2men, two machines) to train and manage thier union laborors to run flat surface cleaners per day.
What kind of benifits or problems have you ever ran into? We will give them a day rate price so I dont really care how much work the laborors get done. Anything I should be aware of?
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Hey Jim definitely look into it. We cleaned the new Costco parking garage in manhattan that was all Union work. We had to get out union card that wasn't cheap which this union company took care of for us and also paid it since we were pretty much subbed for this job. We also had to comply with union rules such as pay Union wages(I pay my guys above that) and wear hard hats, steel tip work boots etc. The money was great. If your ever in Harlem for any reason and you see that Costco on the water.. Well that giant cash cow of a parking garage... Yup we Powerwashed it and our daily rate was over $5000/day between 3 guys. Of course a few years later they wanted us to clean it on a contract bases but the new boss there like alot of these prop management types wanted a lowballed hack in there to clean over 700,000 square feet for under $15,000 once a year for 3 yrs.. We got just about $30,000 for 5 days worth of work then and it was for 500,000 sq'. And it was thru ownership..

But check it out before you rule it as William says "Evil Empire" lol.
Good luck.
 
Clean County PW said:
Hey Jim definitely look into it. We cleaned the new Costco parking garage in manhattan that was all Union work. We had to get out union card that wasn't cheap which this union company took care of for us and also paid it since we were pretty much subbed for this job. We also had to comply with union rules such as pay Union wages(I pay my guys above that) and wear hard hats, steel tip work boots etc. The money was great. If your ever in Harlem for any reason and you see that Costco on the water.. Well that giant cash cow of a parking garage... Yup we Powerwashed it and our daily rate was over $5000/day between 3 guys. Of course a few years later they wanted us to clean it on a contract bases but the new boss there like alot of these prop management types wanted a lowballed hack in there to clean over 700,000 square feet for under $15,000 once a year for 3 yrs.. We got just about $30,000 for 5 days worth of work then and it was for 500,000 sq'. And it was thru ownership..

But check it out before you rule it as William says "Evil Empire" lol.
Good luck.
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Hey John, what's up bro?

We sub union work too. We don't have to have a filter service union card because there is no filter cleaning union. How did you get a union card for pressure washing?

I was just asked to double my price because it was a "union" job. I told them to find somebody else who's value varies depending on who's paying the bill.

I'd like you to take a look at what you said above and realize why unions are on their last dying breath in this country:

1) "rules such as pay Union Wages" - At one time Chris built paint booths. He made about $12/hr. For a few weeks he worked on a "union" project where he was paid $32.50/hr and spent most of his time standing around because they couldn't work because it was raining, or it was time for a break, or other such nonsense. It's standard union practice. That is why it takes years to get something built these days. It was great for him till now. Now he realizes that he pays for that type of corruption with his own tax money.

2) "wear hard hats" Why? Were they constructing the garage around you? What kind of nonsense is that?

3) "steel tip work boots" - Flat out dangerous in some cases. Caustic will eventually eat right through a leather boot. Hope you didn't have to use any.

Unions have reached the end of their usefulness.

They have our firefighters making $150k per year and $200 more in overtime they have traded with their co-workers.
They have our police officers murdering indiscriminately and without penalty on our streets.
They have our construction industry moving at a snails pace.

There was a time when unions served a very good purpose, just like there was a time when every town needed a blacksmith.

That time has passed.
 
Tony i think your exaggerating what firemen and police officers make. Besides when they go to work they put thier life on the line to help or save you from dangers. Maybe you have a couple of bad apples in your town but that dosent make them all bad guys.
 
Did you take 227 hours of sick leave last year? What kind of job allows 6 weeks of sick leave annually? And then allows them to coordinate with each other so that the ones who aren't on sick leave maximize overtime?

Source: http://www.lvrj.com/news/report-county-fire-employees-reduce-sick-leave-141129543.html

And what kind of sickness did the battalion chiefs have that caused their sick leave to decrease by 90% when they began to be scrutinized and made to bring a doctor's note?

You're right about the salary, there were only a few who made that much. The average firefighter compensation package with overtime was $172k in 2009.

Source: http://nevadanewsandviews.com/archives/5287

Here's an interesting quote from the article:​


Two firefighters who were terminated last year for misusing sick leave received a total of $120,000 in severance pay and qualified for sizable pensions, the same money and perks they would have received if they had retired on good terms.​
Thanks Union.


 
Hey Tony I just lost my post to you in here but in a nutshell I had my last official police function last night which was my retirment party and it was good to see the brass and the union guys together for my last official time.

I had alot to tell you in here but I have to run and my I-pad ate the post. All I can say is that I don't disagree with some of the things you say about Unions. I'll never generalize and say most cops and fireman are bad guys because there not. To me there special minus the usual % of the bad apples that every job has. It's like saying there are more gays here then in Iran where there leader says there's none. The checks and balances prove percentages to be somewhat accurate and I believe in that. So if 10% of the typical human is gay then same goes with the other side of the planet..

Where I worked you had no commercial establishments...not allowed. You had at least 7 hedge fund owners, corporate chairs etc. Jist to give you a better idea Billy Joel and Ruport Murdock live q couple of turns away from my village but where they live is a step down(of course they could afford to buy into my village).

These type people bought Facebook shares oversees because it was cheaper to do so and you just couldn't get it here yet. Another thing is I just came back from the Dominican Republic where if I still smoked my American grown Marboro red pack was $4 there and it's $10 here and I'm American so yup I get screwed.

The reason why the Union worked in my job is because these type people can fire anyone at anytime. There is a reason why my mayor gets a salary of $1 a year. She has the power to run the Dep't as she see's fit... But she can't fire or take away from us because she wants to just do it like they do within there companies and NY is a fire at will state. In the history of my village policing which is 90yrs + not one cop ever filed legally to make them open there books until I became the Union head.

Don't be fooled that everything would be fair and balanced if all "civil servant Unions" are busted up. I seen stuff on the other side and you best take a real good look around you. Cops and Fireman are far from rich. What your missing and the Very rich love why you stand for is this... There getting richer and the cops, fireman, factory workers, contractors of small companies are getting poorer... Today my village has double the billionaires they had just a few short years ago..

And they sell our cigs less then half price over sea's. Who's getting played now??

I'd post pics here of last night because I had both sides there.... And it was harmony for a night... But the future is bleak for us workers as they get richer.. And the last thing I would do is put the cops in a pic here to get clobbered as being the bad guys when they...like you are getting clobbered thru taxation and everything else and yet guys like you blame them... Your are mislead.. And when you always bring up the bad cop video's and it's fair to do that... Behind your back.. The extreme rich with there rules are crushing all of us....
Don't believe me.. Then go out of the country and buy a pack of American made smokes for less then half price.. And yea your going to say because 90% here goes to pay taxes for our overpaid civil servants.... Then why is the rich getting richer and they pay a ton less % on there money then we do??

Ok I wasted to much time already retyping this post. Got a generator that has to be fixed.. Later.
 
Boy, I am confused. I don't think that every person that works in a union is corrupt, but, I know some are. Abuses happen everywhere, even in my little podunk company. The difference is, when they happen, we do things to check and make sure they don't happen again. It is part of doing business, in my opinion. I live with it. The city needs to be more diligent about making sure that they are about the business of being in business.
 
John, there are a lot of things you say that I am in agreement with also.

We MUST hold the entire group responsible for the actions of a few. The few do not operate in a vacuum. Without the cooperation of the "good" apples the bad apples could not abuse the system like they do.

That is why in the Old Testament the "bad" apples were to be thrown out if the camp and in the New Testament the same remedy was commanded to the church.

But, just like back in those days we think we are smarter than God and try to find ways to make it work without such "drastic" measures.

The result is always the same. The "bad"apples eventually corrupt the good when allowed to remain in the "camp".

The only way to reverse this course is for the good to stand up in every instance.

That will not happen till we quit making excuses for their non-action.

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Ok, Im not getting much good advice here. You guys went WAY off what I was getting at. Has anyone done work for a union company?
 
Timothy said:
You must not have read Tonys post then. Did you see the part where he wants to do away with blacksmiths? An honorable profession if ever there was one.
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Hey, I have nothing against blacksmiths. And for the record I am opposed to the mandate that they call themselves "multiculturesmiths"

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Construction Unions are not ANYTHING like Public Service Unions. And you don't just stand around waiting to work example.
Today while drywall finishing on a Union job at a State college remodel I basically walked a half mile stopping every 20 feet climbing to the top of a 6' ladder finishing the bottom of a 8' soffit which requires one ladder move of 4'. The getting down and moving the ladder back to run one 10' horizontal joint. And repeat for a half mile and do that in 8 1/2 hours with one 10 minute break and a 30 minute lunch.
But James I recommend you do it and after this job approach this general contractor with the proposal of subcontracting this work in the future.
 
James, I've never had a problem getting paid from a union company. What you described sounds kindof unusual and I've never been asked to perform work under those circumstances.

I guess it won't cost you that much to take a chance and see how it goes. Let us know.
 
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