Non-Union General Contractor here... and folks ask me why... sheez. I pay a
fair wage, and expect an honest day's work... what a concept. Your
"electrician" made a weeks wage in one day... lovely.

--Mike

"D-unit" cof42_AT_embarqmail.com wrote in message
...

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
...
The 2008 Boat Show starts tomorrow, so today is BS minus one.

For the benefit of anybody who wonders whether there's any actual
"work" done in boating related industries; setting up for a show like
this will involve;

1. Show up at expo center 0800, spread carpet, drop 10 leftover
bundles of current issue.

2. Divert to party rental place, rent the black tablecloth we will use
for 10 days.

3. Return to storeroom. Pick up table, chairs, four magazine racks.
(Doesn't all fit in the car with the carpet). Deliver to show and set
up.

4. Return to storeroom. Load approximately 1500 undistributed "back
issues" (750 pounds) from 2007. Deliver to show.

5. Meet delivery truck at warehouse. Pick up 1500 copies of January 23
"Boat Show Issue". (850 pounds).Take home for FedEx bundling for
shipment to remote locations and to label for subscribers.

6. Return to warehouse. Pick up another 1500 copies of the Boat Show
issue, and meet a co-worker who has our portable display backdrop and
will also load 1500 copies for the show.

7. Proceed to show and do final unload/setup of the booth.

8. Set up two racks at the "outdoor" portion of the show.

9. Proceed to yacht club for a pint of Guinness.
Will need to stop home for a shower first, or stay well downwind
of everybody else. :-)

If that sounds like a lot of work, (and it is), it's fairly easy
compared to vendors who need to coordinate transport and set up a
display for a lot of boats.

If some of the folks at your local boat show look a bit tired on Day
One......there's good reason.

Agreed. Been there done that.

Back in my trade show days, if you did a show in Chicago,
you had to *hire* a union worker to do your work. i.e.
unpack your crate, install carpet, assemble *your* display, electrical
hookup, etc.

I once had to hire a union electrician to connect electricity to my
display (fluorescent light fixture inside). I had to schedule
the work, go back to the booth and wait for the guy to show
up to basically plug the cord into a standard 110vac outlet.
Oh yea...there's a 1 hour minimum. When he left I said "thanks".
his reply..."No problem".

db

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:54:15 GMT, "Mike" wrote:

Non-Union General Contractor here... and folks ask me why... sheez. I pay a
fair wage, and expect an honest day's work... what a concept. Your
"electrician" made a weeks wage in one day... lovely.

Don't know why, but this reminds me of a conversation I had with my
dad. He was a union roofer, then pile-driver, then started his own
company and subbed a number of jobs driving sheet.
When he became a contractor he began bitching about "the unions."
One day he's bitching about a job he hardly broke even on because
there were a lot of rainy mornings. The crew, which was always 1 or 2
of his brothers and a couple buddies, would call in about 6 AM that it
was raining, so they couldn't work. Because of union rules, they got
paid anyway. Then by about 8:30 in the morning it would stop raining,
but by then these guys couldn't be reached by phone to tell them to
get to the job site. Real *******s.
"So I end up paying these guys to be out fishing all day. The god
damn union rules kept me from making money on that job." says dad.
"How do you know they were fishing?" I asked.
"Hell, we always took my boat" he says.

--Vic

An all to familiar story, and folks wonder why **** costs so much to get
done.

--Mike

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:54:15 GMT, "Mike" wrote:

Non-Union General Contractor here... and folks ask me why... sheez. I pay
a
fair wage, and expect an honest day's work... what a concept. Your
"electrician" made a weeks wage in one day... lovely.

Don't know why, but this reminds me of a conversation I had with my
dad. He was a union roofer, then pile-driver, then started his own
company and subbed a number of jobs driving sheet.
When he became a contractor he began bitching about "the unions."
One day he's bitching about a job he hardly broke even on because
there were a lot of rainy mornings. The crew, which was always 1 or 2
of his brothers and a couple buddies, would call in about 6 AM that it
was raining, so they couldn't work. Because of union rules, they got
paid anyway. Then by about 8:30 in the morning it would stop raining,
but by then these guys couldn't be reached by phone to tell them to
get to the job site. Real *******s.
"So I end up paying these guys to be out fishing all day. The god
damn union rules kept me from making money on that job." says dad.
"How do you know they were fishing?" I asked.
"Hell, we always took my boat" he says.

--Vic