Letters to the Editor
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climbing the utility pole is 'old hat'
most of the utility comapnies in America prefer to use so-called 'cherry picker' trucks: the linesman no longer needs to climb up the pole (which is an art form in itself), the linesman has a steady work platform with tools ready at hand and, on the whole, it is safer
utility linesmen (and lineswomen) have to work in all kind of weather (heat, cold, windstorms, icestorms, tornadoes....and in central Illinois, we get too much of almost every kind of weather; we have not yet gotten a hurricane, but if Louisiana ever sinks below the waves, then we just might get one of those also)
properly buried utility lines are usually safe from icestorms, tornadoes, blizzards and drunk drivers; properly buried utility lines have special 'heat sinks' installed so that the heat emitted from the lines do not melt the cable
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A commitment, Senator?
Whatever Sessions may think of younger generations, they're not stupid enough to have failed to notice over the last couple of decades that the entire concept of a "permanent career" has been thrown under the wheels of progress by the bosses, who view employees as an asset only when they can free up some cash by getting rid of some.
If the honorable gentleman would like to see workers willing to make a commitment to a job, perhaps he should look into getting the job to make a commitment to the workers.
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Craig it!
"'How do we make it cool?' asked Idaho's Sen. Larry Craig."
Stick it through a glory hole in a men's room, maybe?
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Can this be real?
I can't believe the power companies can't get workers at those wages. This sounds like typical corporate complaining to pave the ground for more tax breaks. I'll bet all a power company in any state would have to do is call up the community college system, set a few basic requirements and they'd have scores of great workers, pronto.
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I'm a line tech for a cable company
And I wasn't supposed to be. In fact, I was to go to college (dropped out), and have a cushy white collar job. Things change.
My job is not a glory job. It really does suck when you are out working in the cold, wind, rain, snow, whatever trying to get service restored. And (at least in my industry) we tend to get a lot of anger directed at us for the stupid things our managers and marketeers do.
We utility workers seem to be near the top of the service industry food chain, at least from a pay standpoint. But, that's not why I do what I do. I get to work outside in the sunshine on nice days. I don't have a boss breathing down my neck wondering why I used the wrong cover sheet for the TPS report (although there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done). I drive a truck that costs more than a Mercedes Benz. At the end of the day I can look at my work and see that I accomplished something. I fix problems. I restore service that is out. I take it personally when someone vandalizes my cable, or steals my service. I've had customers fix a plate of food for me when I was called out on Thanksgiving day. I'm part of a unique club that goes beyond company or union affiliation (I know line techs for the phone company as well as the electric coop. We have meetings at the backhoe.)
I know plenty of people who would hate my job. The hours are long, and the rewards are slim. But if they are the type who likes to "figure things out" and not give up, they should consider going into utility work. It also helps to have an attitude of "service before self" but that seems to be rare these days.
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These stories are old
These types of stories are becoming very tiresome.
I'm a millwright and skilled maintenance foreman and while I've seen a strong need for skilled trades workers across the board,I've seen little in the way of effort by American companies to rectify this situation.
Companies are loathe to cross-train existing skilled workers (even though the training could alleviate some of their current staffing issues);they attempt to hire skilled employees from their competitors (at best a short-term solution as it creates a potential bidding war by employees) and most companies don't invest money in high school shop programs (where I and most other skilled tradespeople got our start)that will ensure that the skilled workers that are need will be available.
The problem isn't so much the youth of today (frankly,the thought of being a linesman and climbing 50+ foot towers daily in all types of weather is daunting to MOST people) they're no lazier or less motivated than my generation.
The problem is with greedy and shortsighted companies wringing their hands and moaning rather than finding and enacting effective solutions to existing and future problems.
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Truly skilled tradesmen (and women)
My husband pipelined in Canada for 20 years, starting as a welder and working up to running multi-million dollar projects. Now we own a fencing company. Anybody who thinks trades are for dummies is an idiot. The skills necessary to run a business cut across education differences.
In the US, the continuing downward spiral of the middle class makes the trades more attractive. But companies can't expect wages alone to attract employees. When we hire, very few of our employees know anything about fencing. We look for good work ethic and adaptability, and train. Until the large companies embrace this kind of thinking, throwing money at the problem won't solve it.