Unibar, The End Is Near!!!

**locatin'4Alivin** · May 3rd, 2010, 08:39 PM

It is true!! Unibar will be done in Wisconsin. No thanks to their superior former management team that has been demoted. They have some great people trying to save the contract, and kudos to them for their great efforts. Too little too late, I fear. They also have some techs that should just give up. I hope to see them carry on with the contract, but I fear the end is near. Best of luck guys!!

**Faded Marks** · May 4th, 2010, 08:33 AM

Why hasn't this person been banned from the forum? Clearly he/she is simply carrying out a personel vendetta against Unibar. Every single post by this person defames Unibar. I do not work for Unibar nor am I involved on the contract locating side of the business but it is sad to see this type of attitude when we all want to be treated as professionals. Who does this person work for and did their management put them up to posting these messages? If so, please enlighten me so I can take them off our next bid list. Hoping for the demise of a company involved with protecting the safety of the public is flat out wrong and should not be tolerated. If you want to be treated like a professional - start acting like one.

**ProfessionalLocator** · May 4th, 2010, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Faded Marks

Why hasn't this person been banned from the forum? Clearly he/she is simply carrying out a personel vendetta against Unibar. Every single post by this person defames Unibar. I do not work for Unibar nor am I involved on the contract locating side of the business but it is sad to see this type of attitude when we all want to be treated as professionals. Who does this person work for and did their management put them up to posting these messages? If so, please enlighten me so I can take them off our next bid list. Hoping for the demise of a company involved with protecting the safety of the public is flat out wrong and should not be tolerated. If you want to be treated like a professional - start acting like one.

If every locator who spoke badly of their firm, or of another firm, were banned there would be few left here.

Lunch time is over and I don't want to be late for my nap. Bye guys......

**ifinditunderground** · May 4th, 2010, 01:32 PM

PL pretty mcuh hit it in the head, we don't necessarily like what they have to say, but there is always the ignore button.....

**TheCableVine** · May 4th, 2010, 11:32 PM

I have to agree as well. He/She has made a couple of posts that are not favorable towards Unibar but they are not outright slanderous. Do you know this person? Your first post is to ask why this person isn't banned.

**AULupstate** · May 5th, 2010, 08:59 AM

I don't know there faded marks. You may want to pay close attention to posts like those if you 'are' part of the bidding process.

Read these posts, read the anger and resentment. Read what management 'DEMANDS' from these guys and girls!!!!!!!!!

Get that information lodged in your head the next time you put a contract out to bid. GPS sucks and cuts performance, so DO NOT REQUIRE IT. The Management types who are signing that contract for you are Snake Oil Salesmen AT BEST. They will promise you ALL YOU WANT and at the same time break the backs of those who actually DO THE FRIGGIN WORK.

You want to know about a company, I mean REALLY know about a company?? Ask a Locator. Not Management.

**OVUS1** · May 5th, 2010, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by AULupstate

I don't know there faded marks. You may want to pay close attention to posts like those if you 'are' part of the bidding process.

Read these posts, read the anger and resentment. Read what management 'DEMANDS' from these guys and girls!!!!!!!!!

Get that information lodged in your head the next time you put a contract out to bid. GPS sucks and cuts performance, so DO NOT REQUIRE IT. The Management types who are signing that contract for you are Snake Oil Salesmen AT BEST. They will promise you ALL YOU WANT and at the same time break the backs of those who actually DO THE FRIGGIN WORK.

You want to know about a company, I mean REALLY know about a company?? Ask a Locator. Not Management.

OUCH AUL! There you go painting everything with a single stroke of your brush! Talk about racial profiling in Arizona, how about management profiling on the Vine?? If I trade in all my suits and ties for jeans and orange boots, would that help?

BTW, I only have one suit and three ties (funerals and weddings you know.....)

**AULupstate** · May 5th, 2010, 01:13 PM

Sorry about that OVUS, I should have clarified that there ARE certain companies who are the exeption to the rule.

I lump our industry into two brands. The BIG chain brand (much like stores and resturants who's quality and customer service SUCK) as opposed to the smaller mom and pop brand (better EVERYTHING all the way around).

I know that for the most part the folks in the field aren't privy to information handed down when a contract is won. The client dictates ALOT of nonsense and imposes a ton of crap that really isn't feasable in a real world scenario. Management does have to do these these things to get/keep the contract. What management DOESN'T have to do is micro manage every little shitting thing on a minute to minute basis.

GPS?? Does someone really have to sit there and watch what happens all day long????? Or is this an expense that can be thrown out????
Idle Time?? Really??? Who gives a SHIT!!!!!!!!
Comprimising Safety for quantity?? NEVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!! Those who do should be punched in the mouth and beaten with a shovel.
Turn Over?? How about FIXING THAT PROBLEM where it starts! At the TOP!

For the most part individuals don't come here JUST to bitch. 9 out of 10 time there is a legitimate complaint. Granted it's usually buried in a tirade of swearing and comments that reflect the level of pissed-off-ness, but it is there.

We in the field take our position very seriously. We SEE the results of incompitance and the dangers that come along with it. Where as those who sit in the ivory towers, warm and dry in the winter and cool and dry in the summer DON'T really get to see their handy work in action.

I DESPISE management from these big 'chain' companies. They do not care about anything but Dollars and Cents. They do not care that individuals with ZERO experience in Locating are the ones running the show (right into the friggin ground). They just do not care about anything other than themselves.

**locatin'4Alivin** · May 5th, 2010, 07:26 PM

In no way am I saying that the publics safety should be jeopardized. that's being done by a company that can not make it to a locate on time, and leaves to chance the possiblilty of a gas main or electric primary to be hit. I am simply stating what is to be known as the truth in the field. what is just about every contractor ticked off at? hint, the gas isn't marked, who marks it??? I feel bad for a company that trys and does not succeed. too many jobs will be lost in an economy that can't afford that. good hard working techs will be unemployed. I really don't feel bad for a certain former supervisor that takes his work truck to the bar at nights, and then has a 15 minute drive home. You know who you are. If Unibar was staffed from the start with the right people, they would not be where they are today. That goes for any company. If you think I am bashing them, then that's your problem, not mine. I can say alot about USIC and Vannguard as well, but they seem to be doing just fine right now.

**orangeboots** · May 5th, 2010, 08:44 PM

ok locatinforalivin if you have no vested interest in this tell us who you are and how you are affected in this thread

**locatin'4Alivin** · May 5th, 2010, 08:50 PM

why? I tell it how it is, and share what I am told from multiple sources. I truly feel bad for everyone at Unibar that works 12 plus hours a day, in the field, to try to catch up and stay ahead. It's great that they are putting in such a tremendous effort. I hope that it is not in vein. Some times the truth hurts. As I said earlier, I hate to see any company not make it. It is unfortunate.

**ProfessionalLocator** · May 5th, 2010, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by locatin'4Alivin

why? I tell it how it is, and share what I am told from multiple sources. I truly feel bad for everyone at Unibar that works 12 plus hours a day, in the field, to try to catch up and stay ahead. It's great that they are putting in such a tremendous effort. I hope that it is not in vein. Some times the truth hurts. As I said earlier, I hate to see any company not make it. It is unfortunate.

I cannot blame this poster for not saying who they are, that would be a way to get blacklisted in the industry.

I also feel bad for any locate firm that does badly for two reasons.

First the locators that work at those firms get hurt and hurt bad.

Second is they threaten the stability of the entire industry. We have seen several large locate firms adopt practices that have resulted in lowered productivity and higher overhead at the same time. Coupled with this is micromanagement and extremely poor morale for the locators in those firms is to say the least. Some of these firms have rising damage rates.

If the top firms in this industry do badly then for the utility firms that hire us we all become the same. For them it matters not if they do not renew the contract with a bad firm, the next firm will be just as bad.
If they do get a smaller firm that is good one of these big firms will just buy controlling interest and they are stuck with them again.

These badly run firms are creating an environment where taking locating back in-house is becoming preferable. The only thing right now keeping some of these utility firms from going back in-house is the start up costs and oversight by local government utility commissions that are trying to keep customer bills down.

**Goldenboy** · May 5th, 2010, 09:42 PM

What everyone must remember is that alot of these problems are district specific. Management and supervisors can put an area behind very quickly if tickets are not routed correctly and everyone is driving around each other all day long. I work in Wisconsin where Unibar took over the gas and electric contracts. What is happening here might not fly in another district. I will not bash any company on here but I will say that by the looks of things they will have a hard time keeping the contract if things don't change soon.

**yahoo** · May 5th, 2010, 09:57 PM

it has looked bad for unibar here but they have mangaed to pull through....when the contract is over for unibar then we all will have the facts to talk about. Good luck Unibar!

**paintitnow** · May 5th, 2010, 10:59 PM

I think they are just getting slammed with tickets in the area they cover in Wisconsin. I heard something like 1000-1800 a day. They are probably under staffed and poor routing by supervisors ill just add to the problem. Unibar and definately usic have been getting bashed on this site. Most of the time it seems to be justified. anybody heard of a court case usic recently lost?