Shop Time w/T.W. Friends

I sincerely wish all the best for you Dean.

... I gotta say, that's the first time I've read "elder millennial" ... I am starting to understand the frustration your generation must feel under the current economic environment and apparent directional trend.

 

We typically only apply it to those of us born 1980 to 1990 or 91.

 

Right on man. I went through some stuff over the past few years. Might have posted about it here before, maybe not. If you've got the time or you're bored, read on, it's long as hell:

So I was lucky and snagged a decent job at the age of 21 in a liquor warehouse, working nights. 7p-5a four nights a week. Pay was decent, especially since the job I left only paid 9.50/hr. Night shift at this warehouse was double that. I put in years of service for these guys, working my way up to day shift and into the inventory department. I basically wrote the book on their inventory control. We used to do 12 full physical inventories/year, which equated to $20,000/month in paid out wages to perform them. Once I got into the inventory department and began to tweak some things and make suggestions, we cut that to 6 full physical inventories/year, then to 3, then to 2 which was required by the State and the bank the company used. So I essentially saved them $200,000/year. I held onto that job for 12 years (15 total including night shift slinging cases on the conveyor).

Fast forward to 2018, me and my wife decided that we wanted to go on a roadtrip. I had 5 weeks of Vacation time saved up along with 10PTO days. I was the only non-union person that worked in the actual warehouse that wasn't management. This plays a role coming soon.

I put in for the time off A YEAR IN ADVANCE. It was approved after management discussed it for a week. Six months in advance I let them know that the trip is a "go" and that we'd be leaving for 30 days to travel the country starting in early to mid July. They told me no problem, one month out let's set the actual dates. Cool. One month out, we set the date to leave: 7/17/2018. My boss called me into his office and explained that management decided that they can't let me go for that long, the inventory would suffer too much and no non-union employee is allowed to take that much time off in one shot. This wasn't written anywhere in the employee handbook. They pulled it out their ass.

I tried everything to get them to change their mind, even offered in a fit of desperation to take it unpaid AND forfeit the time off. Essentially taking it all on my dime. They were steadfast. The answer is 2wks only, then I'm expected back at work. My wife had already left her job, she was looking for a change anyway. This wasn't supposed to go down like this... I was terrified.

I talked with my boss (whom I later learned that he's one of the guys that undermined my plan...). Told him that 2wks won't work, that this is garbage and that I should have gotten this all in writing because this company can't be trusted. I was PISSED. The day July 16th 2018 I put in my two week notice, after getting a 2wk vacation approved. Off we went. Screw them. If they can't lose me for 30 days, they're gonna lose me forever. And they did... kinda...

Off we went, since neither of us had jobs to come back to (I had an application out for my current job but was denied due to someone transferring into the position I'd applied for) we stayed on the road for 40 life changing days. It was incredible, just me, my wife, my '07 V6 6SP 4door Tacoma and the road. What an incredible experience it was, made memories that'll last until we die. No regrets on leaving, though the first three days I was physically sick to my stomach about having no jobs to come back to.

Fast forward to the end of the trip- they still hadn't hired my replacement but were too stubborn to offer me my job back. And I too stubborn to ask for it. I worked a landscaping gig for cash for months until winter rolled around and the work dried up. My wife got a job she ended up hating, didn't last long but enough to get us through he winter. Rough times, no money, but we had a 3yr old house that still has a mortgage to pay. We knew all this going in. Still sucked. The maintenance manager from my old job called me on a whim, asked if I'd be interested in working for him. Pay sucked, less than I'd started at 15yrs prior for the same company. But it had union benefits and fantastic healthcare plan. I wavered, but eventually took the job. Talk about swallowing my pride.

My old boss came up to me a few weeks after I started back. Asked if I could train their new inventory hire. I told him "no, sorry, that's not in my contract." Meanwhile I could count circles around this person. She was scared I was coming for her job. I assured her that was not the case, don't worry. The way the company screwed me, it felt better to watch them squirm with hardly any inventory control. Malicious, yes, but it was never supposed to be this way.

My new boss told me upon hire that he'd teach me everything he knew about industrial maintenance, which is what I wanted to get into. He also said he'd be the best reference I can have. Deal. I put in the hard work, cleaned toilets, scrubbed sinks, mopped floors, cleaned up after guys who made messes just to screw with me. (I used to make more than them, this was their payback) My boss made sure I got enough OT to make ends meet at home, he really had my back. A fantastic human with a huge heart and gave me the boost I needed. And then all hell broke loose. Upper management caught wind that I was working there again and put a target on my back. Hammered the shit out of me, stopped my OT. Had a manager watching me punch in and out for shifts and lunch. I got called into the CFO's office for 15 minutes of overtime.

Everything went upside-down. My boss was told to stop training me for industrial maintenance. I was hired as janitor, that is my title, that is the ONLY work I am allowed to do. Until one day when I was the only one there and the night shift started early, fried a 3 phase motor 3 stories up in the air on a conveyor. Now all of a sudden they want me to change it out. My boss called me and told me under no circumstances am I to do this, he's got my back. Reminded me of all the shit they put me through. He literally told me to sit and watch as the cases pile up and shut the entire system down. I did just that.

Upper management tried to fire me for it. We took out the union contract for Janitor and asked them to point where that's my responsibility. They could not. They created this mess. And this is not the type of person I am. It started to eat me up. My wife is the only one who knew. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm the happiest-go-lucky person ever. It takes a lot to get me down. This job had taken an emotional toll on me that I'd never expected. My attitude was crap. I was depressed but hid it from everyone. I hated my job, (because I was not allowed to advance), felt like the world was crushing me. Thank God for my wife, she propped my sorry ass up for probably six months while I was at my absolute worst. Just miserable.

Late 2019 I landed an interview for my current job. The least stressful interview I'd ever been to (and I went through a LOT during that period from 8/2018 to 10/2019) and nobody wanted to pay enough. To make that long story short, I got the job I have now and love. My old boss (the Maintenance guy) actually cried on the phone with the HR lady from my job now- he didn't want to lose me. He really fulfilled his end of the deal, he was the best reference I could ask for.

Finally feel like I've dragged us out of a hole, savings in the bank, a bit of cushion. I can breathe again. It's all about the grind. Surround yourself with good people and lean on them if you need to. I want everyone to have enough.

 

Neighbor kid (20 something) was talking to me about this a few weeks ago.

 

Do they have door dash or whatnot there? Seems like lots of people doing this now. Also auto parts stores are always hiring.

 

'84 here...

Keep at it, man. <3

 

sup?

 

After looking at it you might change your mindit has a 1/32 lip to hold a "C" clip

 

Oh nothing ... I gotta put this phone down and go find something to mess with in garage.

 

Nice rack!

 

I used to have a shirt similar to that when I was in high school. It made many people uncomfortable and many more giggle.

 

Thank you for sharing this.

 

I got basically a $.10/hour raise.

You have a great story. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

Had the day off so I updated my oil lamps. 100yr old wood from a local home remodel, copper sheeting, and parts from the old one. I like it better. The metal should help cast more light too

 

You bet. I'm not really sure if I can accurately write down the emotional hole I was in. I shut everyone out. Everyone. But in public I'd put on a happy face and nobody knew.

Yeah man, there are things that'll make you question everything. Many of the questions will remain unanswered, but that's alright. As cliche as it sounds, life is a rollercoaster, whether it's fun or not often depends on how you take it, but not always. Hang on tight and eventually you'll get to a part of it you'll enjoy.

 

If a young man today has a bit of intelligence and a willingness to work there are plenty of opportunities

The willingness is gone in some people.

 

the job I’m in now we all make good money, most everyone in the shop is either very close to or just over six figures. Some of the guys here are in their early 20’s. I wouldn’t have known what to do with myself if I made that kind of cash when I was that age, but knowing what to do early paid off for these kids. Me, I didn’t get it figured out till late.

 

Wow. What a great outcome

 

That’s .027” more than I usually have