"Shall I stay or should I go...?"

[mrhtbd]

Dilemma: met an oil ex-ec the other day who gave me an invite into his world. "Start as a flagger," he said, "$29 an hour, I'll request you from the hall. Just get your book!" Tempting... I make $16 hour, far cry from the $90+K salary I made as a senior Teacher. Flaggers work 24 hours, so I don't have to necessarily be in the sun (because still getting bi-weekly skin cancer treatments). Still love my current job, was promoted to shipping blah blah blah, but I'm so good at fabricating and production I gravitated back to getting stuff done and out the door. My favorite line is: "Nobody gets paid until the product goes out the door!" I get stuff done! Usually that is the lowly difficult jobs (which I love). Today the production Supe asked me to help a main office jockey measure the shop because they rented a third warehouse and are renovating the entire operation. The office Jockey is a retired aviation engineer and happens to drive a 911 Porsche and six Audi, so he was successful and obviously he knows a lot of shit about something. He is very close friends with the owner. Both are 61, and some of the shop guys joke about him, but I think he's cool and get along with him, well, in the process of measuring the shop he mentioned, "that area 'over there' will be "your" particular area, for building medical boxes (which I quickly became the shop Master at) and doing all the quality control for the shop, (making sure the parts we make are in line with the specifications on the mechanical drawings); quality control, hmmm!" I'll be 58 next month, they know I need hernia surgery, and I've let several people know the arthritis in my hands is getting progressively worse, so bad I wake up several times at night to "unlock" my fingers and knuckles, which effect me also most days. I don't know, an old athlete can see the pasture and certainly doesn't want to hold back the group. They are looking deep and stretching far. Obviously want to keep me around. My brother said to get the money. I don't sleep well, like I said, maybe I can do both?

[ozzy69]

Union gig? Wouldn't hesitate

[Starman]

At this point you need to consider something you feel comfortable with and provides decent health insureance with a reasonable level of stress.
you have allready made some creative efforts to control your expenses but on what you are making it is not likely that you are happy with your life.
Every one needs a hobby or side job to provide an extra weeks income a month or so.
You may feel like an alien tying to fit in with a group of zombies but convert that to self confidence there may be more room for advancement elsewhere.
Good Luck

[Glycomann]

Have you completely ruled out going back to teaching?

[mrhtbd]

I took out $35K from my retirement account to pay off debt for the building materials I purchased to remodel our 4 bedroom house. If I return to teaching I have to pay that back to the state at 13% interest. Ridiculas!

[Dawgpound_Hank]

Should I stay or should I go - The Clash, 1981 - brings back many party day mems.

[Dawgpound_Hank]

I think the best thing for you is to get a teachers job in Philly at a high school in the hood again. Yeah you might get beat up again by Lakisha, but 90K sure beats $16 an hour.

[ozzy69]

16 V 29

That's a 26000 a year pay jump....unless you have a passion for that small shop you work at I'd be long long gone. At 58 your life is a mess time to get your shit together stop job jumping or you're gonna end up like the brother you lost.

[Darkness]

I wanna be an erotic masseuss when I grow up

[A1food4u]

you don't have many years left to bank income for retirement, make the jump, don't burn any bridges but get the benefits and extra cash. Think... if you live the way you are now, you could easily bank 18-20 k of that a year...

[A1food4u]

BUMP

[Darkness]

This thread actually reminds me of the time my hair dresser tricked me into going to an doc appt with her. I showed up to get my hair cut and she said she had to run an errand and to come with her. I hopped in the car and the next thing I know the doctor is asking me questions about "my girl".

It was horrifying. She was pregnant and found out sitting there. So glad I didn't ....

[mrhtbd]

I tried to join the Flagger Union and get my book but was told they are not accepting new applicants at this time. Meanwhile, back at the shop, I just finished my 3rd 11 hour Friday all overtime shift. (I generally work four ten hour shifts per week). The guy that runs the laser-cutter didn't show up and we had 22 sheets of steel to be cut. Each cut cycle is an hour and a half, so the owner was pissed. He put it on the CAD draftsman who was super pissed. (He's not the most attractive guy and he told me earlier in the week he had a Friday night date). Long story short, the CAD Draftsman showed me how to run it and I caught on easily. I started at 6AM on Friday and after doing a bunch of other stuff I was on my third laser-cutting cycle by the time 4:30 rolled around. Everyone else was long gone except for the owner and the Chief Financial Officer. I locked up the shop as usual, cleaned up, then went to the office. They were having a meeting. I told the owner "the place was locked up and the laser cutter had about 45 minutes left" (which meant I set it up and programmed it myself). The owner said, "Listen, I have some good news and some bad news: The bad news is, the new guy who we were training to use the laser-cutter and the computerized sheet steel press cutter has given his two week notice, the good news is, we'd like to train you to run those two machines and there'll be a bonus and a raise in it for you as well!" The day before, the owner introduced me to an old friend of his with an all utilities, internet and cable included 2bdrm apartment for $900/month, which is over $500/month cheaper than the going Tri-county rate for rent alone. The guy retires next year then wants to sell his house surrounded by trees, that he lived in for near 40 years. They obviously want to keep me around. I've been busting my ass there for months, haven't missed a day of work, and even rode my motorcycle in the pouring rain while my truck was broken down. It's nice to be appreciated, and also that sweat-equity is still held in esteem.

[ozzy69]

Stay with that small shop they seem to like you

[ozzy69]

Very very odd if you had a contractor endorsing you that the hall wouldn't sell you that card. Because now a days most unions don't give a fuck about the members just the working dues they can collect.

I've got a friend very high up in the laborers international im calling him to see what's up out in PA.