Guys things are tough out there.

[OverVolt]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/u...hing-male-worker-how-america-fell-behind.html

 

[Svnla]

I read the story and while I feel the pain of Mr. Walsh, a lot of his problems were self inflicted. Being fired from not one, not two, but SEVERAL jobs, seriously?

$10/hour is not enough? Last time I check, $10 >>>>>>>>>> $0.

 

[maluckey]

I too think much of the pain is due to their own actions.

"He says he can’t wait much longer to find a job. But he’s not ready yet."

“I’d work for them, but they’re only willing to pay $10 an hour,” he said, pointing at a Chick-fil-A that probably pays most of its workers less than that. “I’m 49 with two kids — $10 just isn’t going to cut it.”

that's 10 dollars for each hour he spent sitting in that SAME food court deciding to NOT earn that money.

I'm guessing here, but it's not unlikely that he makes many foolish decisions like this. Not sure where he learned finances and career decisions 101, but I'd avoid learning where he did.

Several of the other stories seem eerily similar, which is ...I guess the point of the story?

 

[TheSlamma]

Yep, another sob story that just turns out to be someone unwilling to adapt.

 

[justoh]

I read the story and while I feel the pain of Mr. Walsh, a lot of his problems were self inflicted. Being fired from not one, not two, but SEVERAL jobs, seriously?

$10/hour is not enough? Last time I check, $10 >>>>>>>>>> $0.

Maybe 10 is both more than 0 and not enough?

 

[Svnla]

Maybe 10 is both more than 0 and not enough?

Ever hear of beggar can not be choosy? When you have no skill to offer, no employer will offer you more.

 

[Blanky]

While I make many times $10/hour, I find it somewhat difficult to be critical of a skilled worker who doesn't want to work a menial high-school job at $10/hour. Making $30-40/hour at the peak of your career and then going down to something a 17 year old should be working isn't going to be easy for anybody.

 

[justoh]

Ever hear of beggar can not be choosy? When you have no skill to offer, no employer will offer you more.

Just how far south are you? Mexico? English not required at your high-skill workplace?

 

[Svnla]

Just how far south are you? Mexico? English not required at your high-skill workplace?

Do you have anything to dispute my previous statement?

How is my English? Press 1 for bite me.

 

[Zaap]

He's an electrical worker. Or was.

That's just another of those "Jobs Americans won't do."

Just get some guy in illegally who'll do it for a fraction of whatever this guy and his union used to charge. Label anyone against that a racist. Lobby for government idiots to throw the borders even further open and turn any other job he and others might hope to get into the same thing.

Eventually, he'll just settle into doing a job in another field... for less money than that field used to pay, displacing those who used to do that job so that those workers can go displace someone else's field and so on and so on...


... in the meantime, bitch about low paying jobs ...and robots! but make no connection to your government and fellow idiot citizens inviting in millions of people willing to do labor for peanuts. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[pcgeek11]

While I make many times $10/hour, I find it somewhat difficult to be critical of a skilled worker who doesn't want to work a menial high-school job at $10/hour. Making $30-40/hour at the peak of your career and then going down to something a 17 year old should be working isn't going to be easy for anybody.

Why isn't the union calling him for jobs? Aren't they paid to protect him?
What happened to his Skills?
I smell fish.

 

[justoh]

Do you have anything to dispute my previous statement?

How is my English? Press 1 for bite me.

10 is definitely more than 0. There's no disputing that. .01 is also more than 0. Is .01 enough? Your first post suggested that you think the test is (x > 0) -> enough.

 

[Svnla]

10 is definitely more than 0. There's no disputing that. .01 is also more than 0. Is .01 enough? Your first post suggested that you think the test is (x > 0) -> enough.

And why you think he is worth more than $10/hour now? He is NOT an electrician anymore. Why would an employer pay him more for a job at Chik Fil A? Because he was an electrician or because he thinks he should get pay more or because his ability for getting fired at several jobs or ...?

I am not trying to be a snob or making fun of him, I just tell the ugly truth of real life.

 

[justoh]

And why you think he is worth more than $10/hour now? He is NOT an electrician anymore. Why would an employer pay him more for a job at Chik Fil A? Because he was an electrician or because he thinks he should get pay more or because his ability for getting fired or ...?

I am not trying to be a snob or making fun of him, I just tell the ugly truth of real life.

All of this is irrelevant to whether or not it's enough.

 

[MongGrel]

Sounds like BS to me.

An Electrician still paying union dues sitting on his ass.

I was in the IAM, things went south and they were no help at all, isn't a union hall for Toolmakers here anyway.

I stopped even bothering with a Union after that, I had only joined it because the shop I was hired into at Honeywell was in it at the time, and had been working in non union ones 20 years prior to that.

I'm making less then I used to at 45, and am 53, but still way over $10 and hour, and took some time to find another decent job after busting my butt on a few horrible ones a few years, but he's just doing it wrong.

The crap I was going a couple years ago at 50 just to get by was what we used to have Apprentices do in job shops in the 1980's, it was stupid and the whole system these days along those lines in manufacturing is ridiculous these days.

Electricians are hardly a job "Americans won't do" unless things in that field have changed dramatically that I'm not aware of.

Am actually making what I was 20 years ago, and if the current spot wants to keep me doing MasterCam for em as I'm learning it over some other CAM programs I used to use, and a few others that knew it have moved on.

Might do the same if things pay wise do not change in a few months.

Sounds more like he should stop sitting on his ass to me.

Applying for a job when you've been unemployed for a long time says a lot to someone hiring, if you're at least currently working and looking it shows some initiative rather than just sitting on your butt.

 

[Svnla]

All of this is irrelevant to whether or not it's enough.

Again, why would an employer wants to pay him more while he does not have anything better to offer than others employees? Why don't you go tell your boss that your salary is not enough just because you think so?

 

[Zaap]

Heh. Unions these days are only interested in shilling for D party candidates. Most couldn't really give a flying fuck about the workers. Heck, most are now actively lobbying to flood the country with illegal workers themselves, displacing the homegrown that used to command high wages- they just dream of unionizing them all, and it's what their masters in DC want.

 

[MongGrel]

And why you think he is worth more than $10/hour now? He is NOT an electrician anymore. Why would an employer pay him more for a job at Chik Fil A? Because he was an electrician or because he thinks he should get pay more or because his ability for getting fired at several jobs or ...?

I am not trying to be a snob or making fun of him, I just tell the ugly truth of real life.

He still could be an electrician, there are plenty of Private non union ones out there would pay more than $10.

That or he's just a bad electrician to begin with.

 

[justoh]

Again, why would an employer wants to pay him more while he does not have anything better to offer than others employees? Why don't you go tell your boss that your salary is not enough just because you think so?

I'm sure many employers would love to pay at little as possible, and many do, but all of this is still irrelevant to the question of whether or not $10 is enough to support a family and whether or not "things are tough out there." You had an issue with him saying it's not enough, when most would agree that it isn't. That perhaps he should do it anyway because anything is better than nothing isn't being disputed.

 

[MongGrel]

10 isn't enough to live decently on one job and one income, would be still hard two doing that also.

My point was it doesn't seem like he's trying too hard in his situation and could do better than that.

Just my two cents.

If your even working for 10 an hour like I mentioned, a potential employer is going to look more favorably on that than just sitting on your ass doing nothing.

 

[Svnla]

I'm sure many employers would love to pay at little as possible, and many do, but all of this is still irrelevant to the question of whether or not $10 is enough to support a family and whether or not "things are tough out there." You had an issue with him saying it's not enough, when most would agree that it isn't. That perhaps he should do it anyway because anything is better than nothing isn't being disputed.

Where did I say $10/hr is enough to support a family? Nope, not here. I said "$10/hour is not enough? Last time I check, $10 >>>>>>>>>> $0", $10/hr is what he is worth for that particular job NOW, maybe he should take it and better himself to get another job with more money LATER instead of whine and complain about life.

Well, he said it was not enough yet he kept getting fired from several jobs. You do not think something is wrong with him/his work ethic/<insert other possible reasons>?

 

[Matt1970]

Sounds like BS to me.

An Electrician still paying union dues sitting on his ass.

I was in the IAM, things went south and they were no help at all, isn't a union hall for Toolmakers here anyway.

I stopped even bothering with a Union after that, I had only joined it because the shop I was hired into at Honeywell was in it at the time, and had been working in non union ones 20 years prior to that.

I'm making less then I used to at 53, but still way over $10 and hour, and took some time to find another decent job after busting my butt on a few horrible ones a few years, but he's just doing it wrong.

Am actually making what I was 20 years ago, and if the current spot wants to keep me doing MasterCam for em as I'm learning it over some other CAM programs I used to use, and a few others that knew it have moved on.

Might do the same if things pay wise do not change in a few months.

Sounds more like he should stop sitting on his ass to me.

Applying for a job when you've been unemployed for a long time says a lot to someone hiring, if you're at least currently working and looking it shows some initiative rather than just sitting on you're butt.

Why do I find it hard to believe a skilled electricians only employment options are Chick-fil-A for $10/hr?

 

[HeXen]

Heh. Unions these days are only interested in shilling for D party candidates. Most couldn't really give a flying fuck about the workers. Heck, most are now actively lobbying to flood the country with illegal workers themselves, displacing the homegrown that used to command high wages- they just dream of unionizing them all, and it's what their masters in DC want.

There are still tons of overly proud union workers out there despite all that. I have to listen to their preachings and put up with their childish BS all the time.

Just the other day as we were working to get phone lines to a hotel built by union workers, they decided one day to just lock the gates on us as we went to lunch. I also liked how they forced us to backfill our trench so they could move a crane but then moved it the opposite direction.
For the more friendly union guys we come across, I get to listen to "why are you not in the union?" speeches which is funny since they don't realize I make almost as much as many of their guys.

I hate unions, I think they are all childish, money greedy and brainwashed pricks.

 

[MongGrel]

There are still tons of overly proud union workers out there despite all that. I have to listen to their preachings and put up with their childish BS all the time.

Just the other day as we were working to get phone lines to a hotel built by union workers, they decided one day to just lock the gates on us as we went to lunch. I also liked how they forced us to backfill our trench so they could move a crane but then moved it the opposite direction.
For the more friendly union guys we come across, I get to listen to "why are you not in the union?" speeches which is funny since they don't realize I make almost as much as many of their guys.

I hate unions, I think they are all childish, money greedy and brainwashed pricks.

Not all Unions are the same.

The vast majority of Teachers, Police and Firefighters belong to them for starters I believe.

 

[Blanky]

Why do I find it hard to believe a skilled electricians only employment options are Chick-fil-A for $10/hr?

It is hard to believe and mongrel is probably right there is something else going on here.

That aside, I love the pic in the article, it should almost win an award. is there a more depressing picture to go along with such a story? His hideously ugly wife is sitting there in the dark because they can't afford to keep the light on with a medical illness (check out the ankles) and the A&W storage area next to her. Even the wood paneling. It's a great pic.