Construction Labor

[Eager Beaver]

After we learned our home had sold, we started looking at new homes, pre-owned homes and decided quickly to find a contractor that used American men that
were good at what they did and had pride in their workmanship. Yes, the cabinet maker is retired but still enjoys working at his pace. We hired him. Our long
time air conditioner man will install our heat and air in our new home. The contractor is young and rearing to go with having built his own home and several for
others. We checked them out and liked his workmanship. His attention to detail and ability to adjust to changes in stride was my kind of man to work with.
His suggestions were well received by both my wife and I and we feel comfortable with his ability to build what we wanted. He will not employ non English speaking
people on his jobs. For a young man he is qualified to do his own inspections and installations of electricity and plumbing. He is accustomed to working from sketches
made on the kitchen table and was very receptive to my plans I had drawn up on the computer. I feel comfortable and he wants to use our home as a reference for
others to see his workmanship. I won't say I have the most critical eye, but I know enough to recognize when something ain't right. I do ask questions when I see
something that I'm leary about. I have friends that will be watching the process that have retired from the building business. We watched and videoed our current home
being built and are ready for the challenge. We know what to expect.
We will be camped out next to our home being built and will be watching over the inventory while the work progresses. Win win for us.

RetireRR, I really wish you well on your new home but I am afraid you made a big mistake letting an inexperienced person build your house. They can build an out building that doesn't have the codes and variables that come with building a residence. Did you check to see any of the other home he has built and where there any problems with them after a year. About a year or two is when a lot of problems will show up in a residence. I do wish you well with your new home. EB

[Eager Beaver]

Sounds like a catch 22 guys! You are complaining that there isn't any construction workers to do work so you have to settle for foreign workers to do the jobs, but a lot of them can't speak English. The catch 22 comes because a lot of people don't like the unions and are trying to bust them. Where do you think the schooling for the trade comes from. The unions train the people right out of high school to work the trades. They start them out with an apprentice program and then as a journeyman. I never found language as a barrier to any trade. I have worked with the deaf an dumb and several different nationalities over the years and could communicate with all of them. It does take a lot more patience but gives you a good feeling to help another person learn something new. EB

[Eager Beaver]

Some are saying that the Gov is hurting the small business's, but it is the Gov that is trying to keep the small business's going with special programs and such to help them out. EB

[CrappiePappy]

Some are saying that the Gov is hurting the small business's, but it is the Gov that is trying to keep the small business's going with special programs and such to help them out. EB

That's Liberal bull hockey, Beave .... the Govmnt is killing small businesses with over regulating them and forcing Obamacare on them. Why do you think the larger businesses are taking their $$ and headquarters overseas

The current Govmnt isn't concerned with the small businesses, or wanting them to grow and create more jobs ... that's too much capitalism !! What they want is to put as many people on social programs/assistance as possible, so they can get them to vote for their party in payback for the handouts. Ain't you figured that out yet ??

... cp

[skeetbum]

This is the other big part. Yes we need advanced education but not every one is cut out for that or have the desire to add another 4 years or more of school. We are doing a disservice to kids today cutting the shop programs out of our high schools.

My brothers best man at his wedding was a shop teacher at the junior high I attended. There was about 12 different shop classes there and after that we moved to FL. Auto shop was it, 2 year waiting list. If you didn't attend the local junior high it was tough luck. I have a lot of skills to just do what I consider to be general things. Things that I run into all the time. I know when to call a pro, and that is something good to know. One of my young daughters boyfriends was trying to help me in the front yard and I told him to go out by my shed and bring me the 6X6 stub that was there by the door. He leaves and comes back a few minutes later and asks "what is a 6X6?" I know I could have kicked my chin 'cause my mouth dropped open that far.
No education in subjects like this and the absence of a Dad in a lot of houses just furthers that deterioration. Dad taught me two things very early, shut up and hold the flashlight. But i watched him work on a lot of things, and being younger, my brothers also took their turn showing me different things. I knew early on that my oldest brother pointed me in the right direction more than anyone else by putting tools in my hands and letting me make the mistakes it takes to know how to use them.
I don't know where this trend will lead. I know it doesn't bode well for the self sufficiency most of us were taught. The go big or go home attitude some profess pushes some even further away. Everyone wants to be a chief. Higher education is all I hear younger folks talk of. We already are seeing the college graduates unable to find work in their field. Markets are flooded with applicants and as a result the employers are hiring at lower wages. Those that are hired at the lower wage aren't able to keep up the payments on the loans they took out for school. And the snowball keeps rolling down a hill getting steeper all the time. I wonder all the time what my Grandchildren will turn into. What will be there for them. All I can do is tell myself that they learn what they see us do, and do the best I can to show them something different than is being shown by the majority.

[crappiewisdom]

Makes me appreciate the Amish here in Indiana. A lot of them still appreciate craftsmanship.

[doggone]

I recently taught the HVAC class at a Career & Technology center as a substitute. I had about 20 students. I figure maybe 20 percent will carry on with it.

Part of it is what we measure a man by now. The admiration for a man who gets dirty,smelly and actually fixes or creates something and works himself nearly to death for a living and is willing to bleed some just does not have the appeal it use to ( not that it ever had a tremendous following.)

How fast you can work a computer,type,use software and programs and be a HUGE yes man and kiss your company's arse is popular right now.

Not as many cowboys out there now who will die with their boots on and be proud to do it.

I don't think we need anymore Lawyers , accountants , financial advisors,or GOD FORBID "BUSINESS CONSULTANTS "right now.

No offense meant to those lawyers,or accountants,financial advisors , or business consultants out there.

[Redge]

Quoted from Skeet
"Dad taught me two things very early, shut up and hold the flashlight."

The other one from Dad was ,hold the flashlight so I can see, not so you can see!

[speKzilla]

Sadly I see the tiresome whine of the usual crybabies. Walmart has crushed many small businesses, yet I see no complaint about this. The great supporters of small business who post their parrot like screeds are driving their foreign cars to shop for cheap slave made bargains at Walmart while waving American flags.

[strmwalker]

Sadly I see the tiresome whine of the usual crybabies. Walmart has crushed many small businesses, yet I see no complaint about this. The great supporters of small business who post their parrot like screeds are driving their foreign cars to shop for cheap slave made bargains at Walmart while waving American flags.

are you speaking of yourself ???