This forum has a wide variety of people of all genders, race, and professional (or not) backgrounds. I just wanted to get an idea of who is still working. What is your profession? Where are you located? Are you working full time, short hours, or collecting unemployment? How do you see the future of your trade/industry panning out?
I'll start. I will turn 30 in October and have been with the same company for roughly 9 years now. I am a Union Sheet Metal Worker whos local covers the surrounding areas of Chicago. I was promoted to foreman a few months ago. That may sound good, but I feel like I have been promoted to Captain of a sinking ship.
Our shop mainly does HVAC for residential and light commercial applications. Much of our direct competition has either closed their doors or gone belly up. When I started years ago, there were 12 tradesmen in our shop and now I'm one of 3. We laid off our two apprentices in the past 2 weeks. They had a few hundred people in the field if you include installers and service techs. That number has dwindled. Foremen have been laid off. Superintendents have been demoted to foremen and owners are working as superintendents.
We have a little work coming up. Some of which is another phase of rehab work for section 8 housing. I think we are still waiting for payment of the last phase we did before we commit to the next.
I have been "assured" the company isn't going to close its doors. But it's hard to see how they will keep us going. With only 3 men in the shop including myself, we are down to 3 days a week. I am sure that will go up and down in the next few months. The only glimmer of hope I can see is if we win the bid for the 2016 Olympics. The decision should be made in October. But, who knows when they will actually break ground on any of the projects. Everything is all in limbo and I still don't think we've seen the eye of this economic storm just yet.
EDIT: Out of respect, I made this poll private.
I'll start. I will turn 30 in October and have been with the same company for roughly 9 years now. I am a Union Sheet Metal Worker whos local covers the surrounding areas of Chicago. I was promoted to foreman a few months ago. That may sound good, but I feel like I have been promoted to Captain of a sinking ship.
Our shop mainly does HVAC for residential and light commercial applications. Much of our direct competition has either closed their doors or gone belly up. When I started years ago, there were 12 tradesmen in our shop and now I'm one of 3. We laid off our two apprentices in the past 2 weeks. They had a few hundred people in the field if you include installers and service techs. That number has dwindled. Foremen have been laid off. Superintendents have been demoted to foremen and owners are working as superintendents.
We have a little work coming up. Some of which is another phase of rehab work for section 8 housing. I think we are still waiting for payment of the last phase we did before we commit to the next.
I have been "assured" the company isn't going to close its doors. But it's hard to see how they will keep us going. With only 3 men in the shop including myself, we are down to 3 days a week. I am sure that will go up and down in the next few months. The only glimmer of hope I can see is if we win the bid for the 2016 Olympics. The decision should be made in October. But, who knows when they will actually break ground on any of the projects. Everything is all in limbo and I still don't think we've seen the eye of this economic storm just yet.
EDIT: Out of respect, I made this poll private.
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