I worked three days last week and got laid off. And no I didn't shoot or piss off the boss or anything like that. As you may know federal money has been put out there to weatherize low and moderate income homes. The idea is good. It will get some people working, provide warmer houses come this winter and save the homeowner some cash on energy. But since this worker classification have never existed it's become a political mess. You see a weatherization technician does many jobs. It involves not just slapping some insulation in the attic and calling it good but the removal of siding, drilling holes for the pump hose, and repairs of all kinds. We can also install vent fans and replace ductwork. I think you see where this is going. There are other trades that do this kind of work and since many of them are out of work they're looking for anything they can find to get their people working. With the first scraps of money coming down the pipe everybody's drooling over what's there. Now it's turning to fighting or turf wars. They seem to want all the trades doing each of their jobs on one site. It won't work. There really isn't enough work to have six guys doing the work of two or three. I was working with three other guys and even that was way too many. I'd love to do this on my own with one other guy but the equipment isn't cheap and the politics in dealing with government agencies is a nightmare. Oh well they said they'd call back in a week or two after the fighting is over.
6 comments:
Meantime, you got laid off, so put in for it. There going to do something for the 99ers and so you should at least be on record as a candidate.
Have you thought about going freelance? You could surreptitiously fuck things up environmentally within a whole series of buildings, then come to the rescue for mad gobs of cash.
Sorry you got laid off. Maybe there's something to what Randal said about freelancing.
That stinks! Something makes me think they hire and then lay off after a few days as as a ploy and scam.
We had an energy audit on our house last fall and a new furnace. Best thing we ever did. The energy audit cost almost as much as the furnace. But we saved loads the first winter.
Anyway they buttoned down the house and added more insulation in the attic. There are incentives and ways around contractors slumming.
The only son I have not a lifer in the military just got a call yesterday and a super welding company called and said if you want to test you have to be here Wednesday so he quit his job and might be there by now.
Plus the union starts him in September. Things are picking up chin up!
I can get all that kind of work I want, at twenty bucks an hour, and I'm willing to work for that, when I'm willing to work.
Except for blowing insulation into walls, but you can rent the equipment needed for blowing it into an attic or something like that.
What is not to love about political messes?
Aw man, that sucks, but sometimes it's just the thing you need to find what you really, really want to do. Hopefully there's a bright side!
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