Any other union locators out here?

[UNIONLOCATOR]

Seems like all the locators are contractors.I work for a utility that still does locates in house.

[ProfessionalLocator]

Seems like all the locators are contractors.I work for a utility that still does locates in house.

No me. In this industry anybody who even mentions the U word suddenly does not have a job.

In house locating does have an advantage. The contract locate firms exist to make money, not protect public safety. The in-house locators exist to protect public safety. There is an inherent conflict of interest between the contract locating firms and the call before you dig laws. Just the nature of our business.

[TheCableVine]

Welcome aboard... Post often.

[GODFATHER]

No me. In this industry anybody who even mentions the U word suddenly does not have a job.

In house locating does have an advantage. The contract locate firms exist to make money, not protect public safety. The in-house locators exist to protect public safety. There is an inherent conflict of interest between the contract locating firms and the call before you dig laws. Just the nature of our business.

Bingo! The upper management has lost focus on what exactly were out here to do. They preach protecting utilities and public safety but in the same sentence want you making them money. Im not saying we cant do both but the steps that have to be made to get the numbers everyone wants takes away from the quality work of old that we used to be able to provide! JMHO....

[radiotechfios]

I agree with pro locator,ive heard that they would rather move a company (break a contract) before that can occur, It would be nice to be union.

[ProfessionalLocator]

I agree with pro locator,ive heard that they would rather move a company (break a contract) before that can occur, It would be nice to be union.

I also believe that would be most companies intention. Especially the large nationwide firms that are actually a subsidiary of a holding company. They close the local office that formed a union and bring in a subsidiary. The "new" subsidiary office would just have the same managers of the closed office rehired under the new name. That or shut down the union office and have locators from nearby offices cover that area as the laptop computer allows this.


Still for them to use the above method is entirely dependent on their client utility company, not the locate company. Once they shut down an office or region that ends the contract. They would have to renegotiate the contract and it may well go out for general bid, some other firm may get the contract. While I have heard company officials say that if the locators were union the client company would back out of the contract this flies in the face of what the cleint companies already do. Some are union shops and all of them use subcontracts that are union. Not all their subcontractors are union as they care not if they are, they just want the job done.

While we can see the pattern above based on the strengths of the large companies this strength like most strengths creates a vulnerability.

The above situation requires dealing with it as it is. You do not organize a single office you organize an entire region. A whole state or a couple of adjacent states. You only organize in an area that is particularly profitable with a dense population and lots of tickets. Make it too big for them to shut down without losing a big profit. Make it so big they would have to hire too many locators to be practical, maybe 200 to 400. That is too many for them to hire that were not already organized locators from their old offices.

It is just a matter of looking at any circumstance and determining what it would take to make it work.

[paintitnow]

there was unions in PA and NC that were locators for usic. I think they were under communication union there were old post on them. Never heard if they did strike or kept the union or usic broke the union. I think I heard about 7-8 years ago there was a union in St Louis and sm&p broke that. Every time there is a sniff of a union it seems a letter is generated on how much unions can not save your job, funny

Almost all companies are in it to make money. I have seen a utility company cry that they need a rate increase because they will lose money and at the end of the year without the increase still made a ton of money. It might seem sometimes the contract locating company pay safety lip service . Maybe to appease the utility companies. Safety incidents due dig into the profits. Workman's comp and vehicle accidents are costly. I think you used a broad brush with in house and contract locators. As a locator I am trying to due my best to locate everything I need to and do it accurately. When locating I am trying to do several things. Keep the public and crews safe, going damage free and and protect the utilities I am locating. When SBC still had their in-house locators all to often they just saw where is said BJ and just grabbed their paint stick and painted orange next to my red marks. I am not going to say all of them did this but I had my share of seeing them do it. I have seen gas crews dig without clear flags and came upon an emergency repair gas leaking to find the crew already was there and completed the repair.

[ProfessionalLocator]

there was unions in PA and NC that were locators for usic. I think they were under communication union there were old post on them. Never heard if they did strike or kept the union or usic broke the union. I think I heard about 7-8 years ago there was a union in St Louis and sm&p broke that. Every time there is a sniff of a union it seems a letter is generated on how much unions can not save your job, funny

Almost all companies are in it to make money. I have seen a utility company cry that they need a rate increase because they will lose money and at the end of the year without the increase still made a ton of money. It might seem sometimes the contract locating company pay safety lip service . Maybe to appease the utility companies. Safety incidents due dig into the profits. Workman's comp and vehicle accidents are costly. I think you used a broad brush with in house and contract locators. As a locator I am trying to due my best to locate everything I need to and do it accurately. When locating I am trying to do several things. Keep the public and crews safe, going damage free and and protect the utilities I am locating. When SBC still had their in-house locators all to often they just saw where is said BJ and just grabbed their paint stick and painted orange next to my red marks. I am not going to say all of them did this but I had my share of seeing them do it. I have seen gas crews dig without clear flags and came upon an emergency repair gas leaking to find the crew already was there and completed the repair.

I agree that those of us that are responsible and dedicated locators, seems to be the majority on this forum, work their best to insure public safety. The conflict I point out is that the contract locating companies are in it for profit and not public safety.

I have also seen many crews that have called in emergency locates go ahead and dig without marks though most of them did it by hand digging. They still manged to cut up the TV and phones services but mostly left the dangerous stuff undamaged. I have seen many such crews carry their own splice kits for these utilities and they fix them as they cut them.

[radiotechfios]

Union Job ,Local 68 hiring 26.64 an hour
Years of Experience: 2+​ to 5 Years:

[GODFATHER]

Union Job ,Local 68 hiring 26.64 an hour
Years of Experience: 2+​ to 5 Years:

I have 13yrs LOL!

[FiosKing]

Union Job ,Local 68 hiring 26.64 an hour
Years of Experience: 2+​ to 5 Years:

what state is that in?

[Dave72]

Union Job ,Local 68 hiring 26.64 an hour
Years of Experience: 2+​ to 5 Years:

Thats just under what the locators here make too (plus all the bennys).

[locator1]

please let me know which state and what local this is.Is it the Ibew local 68?

[ProfessionalLocator]

please let me know which state and what local this is.Is it the Ibew local 68?

Not IBEW but the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 68. The job location is at the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, NJ.

"We are currently seeking an experienced Utility Locator Technician as an addition to our growing staff of skilled crafts people.​ This is a Union position.​ Employee hired must join the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 68.​ The hourly rate for this position is $24.​64 In addition to the hourly rate, we offer an additional $5.​66 per hour for our comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, vision, STD, Life, 401(k).​"

http://jobview.monster.com/Utility-L...-86065975.aspx

I am a little concerned about being offered a STD so perhaps carrying condoms when working there would be a good idea.

I have one word for you locator1; Google.

[radiotechfios]

Not IBEW but the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 68. The job location is at the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, NJ.

"We are currently seeking an experienced Utility Locator Technician as an addition to our growing staff of skilled crafts people.​ This is a Union position.​ Employee hired must join the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 68.​ The hourly rate for this position is $24.​64 In addition to the hourly rate, we offer an additional $5.​66 per hour for our comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, vision, STD, Life, 401(k).​"

http://jobview.monster.com/Utility-L...-86065975.aspx

I am a little concerned about being offered a STD so perhaps carrying condoms when working there would be a good idea.

I have one word for you locator1; Google.

lmao.....[ ... iT MEANS Short Term Disability