apprentices...
i think i can,i think i can ha,ha
Too heavy...
not too heavy, you just need a fatter apprentice.
and a couple large laborers sitting on the counterweight for extra help
Ohh, spearing a pipe is a no-no
In ROP's picturew of a Volvo haul truck with the rock in the gate, I have seen the union operators do that intentionally when they want to go home early and still get p[aid for the full day. It usually happens about 11:00 to 11:30, so they are past the 4 hr rule, and they get paid for 8. Mad rental company has to dispatch a mechanic with new cables to repair gate, and get it ready for the next day, whil responsible party, the loader operator, and his pals the truck drivers get the afternoon off with pay. banghead
Jerry just because there is an 8 hour day does not mean they have to let you go home with pay. Maybe things are different there, but everyplace I know of the 8 hour day just means you get 8 hours, it does NOT mean you can force the contractor to let you go home early, because someone else's machine breaks down.
Exactly. As far as I am concerned, the person whos machine is down, or even the entire crew, if its the lead machine, such as a hoe on a truck crew can stay and do many things. They can stay and grease the machines. They can clean the cabs. For all I care, they can armorall the damn things too. But they are NOT going home and getting paid for it As for "spearing" pipe. Please explain to me whats wrong with that? Seems to be rather common around here. In fact the other night my loader man was bringing me 12 inch concrete pipe, and even 8 inch pvc pipe with his forks inside them. That being said, I know of a few contractors around here have built a "rack" that the forks slide into, and it allows large pipe to sit nicely on that rack without worrying about damaging pipe.
we spear RCP ALL the time.....we've got a chunk of truck tire tread on the back side of the forks so the male or female end don't get beat up....and we ALWAYS pick em up on the female end.
Sorry for not explaining myself better, spearing water main pipe is a no-no Spearing concrete pipe with protection on the forks( tire strips) I see no problem with it.
While I agree with all of you, I am referring to the union rules, as discussed in the working hours per week thread. Show up= 2 hrs, do any work = 4 hrs, work 4 hrs or more= 8 hrs pay. Let me clarify that the ones I have seen pull this stunt needed to have more than just the afternoon off, but they do not work for me. Not being union myself, I do not have much use for their rules, but I have seen it in action on union jobs too aften. A few bad apples can spoil the bunch, you know.
Jerry things must be very different where you are, because everywhere I know of to get paid the 4 hours or 8 hours or whatever, unless/until a supervisor says otherwise, you have to be physically present on the job.
Check this thread, and ROP's post in particular for explanation of these rules. They are not my rules, as stated before.
I know what ROPS posted. We have similar hours here. It's just the minimum working hours for the day. It does not mean the contractor must send you home, unless he wants to. Most contractors nowadays just give us raingear and keep working. Some do let us go home. Some stop work in rain but make you hang around the job to get paid the time. Whether the boss lets you leave early or not is at his discretion. If your machine breaks down, usually we are given another machine to run, or you help the mechanic, not go home.
If the company in question had the same outlook, then there may have been less abuse of the policy. Sadly, they did not, and the equipment suffered as a result. I think the management on that perticular job had a "Who cares, its not my equipment" attitude towards the rented iron. The point was driven home a few months after the job, when one of the drivers involved explained how they planned these "days off" by breaking the equipment to a fellow driver who he did not know was a close friend of mine. When this friend let me know, it all made more sense, in a bad way. Seeing the tailgate pic ROP posted brang back the sorry memories. Like I said, a few bad apples.
Who would ever spear a water pipe? I have never seen anyone even attempt such a thing.
If I recall,{ working Union in NY,NJ & Texas } if "your" machine breaks down you are entitled to the 8 for 4 rule. Buckethead, who do you work for & what Local are you ? When I worked for Schiavone in NY there was a "Buckethead" on our crew,any chance this was you, being from NY ?
Heres some more.
My guys don't go home early if a machine breaks down, they stay and helped the mechanic. I have a good group of guys though, if they complained about it they'd be gone.
Heres a sweet one of a Cat 988B lifting a stone block (its weight is pretty well contested): YouTube - Caterpillar 988 with Block Handling Forks handling granite block of 50 Tons