What is happening to our trade??!!

I was employed for 20 years as an operator for an albany area developer. They retired last sept. Aside from the fact that the job market is dead for heo in upstate ny, I cant believe the wages. Of the few available positions over the past 14 months, the wages range from $12-$15 hr. And this is for a experienced operator, fine grade, able to read prints etc. This is not a problem, but why should someone have the responsibilities involved in our trade have to work for the same wages available at the local target warehouse? I love this trade, so Im doing jobs with my skid steer, to make ends meet, but I miss operating various pieces of eq. On real jobs not someones 3hr backyard project. Its paying the bills but thats all, Im not getting ahead. Dont get me wrong Im grateful for every job I aquire with my ssl. But I'll be damed If I go to work for another contractor again, digging around gas lines etc. for $12 knowing darn well they can pay me and any of there other qualified heo double, and still turn a hefty profit. DOES ANYONE FEEL THE SAME WAY?? $12-$15 in NYS give you much for the cost of living, not to mention our high taxes.

This is an example of a job in the state Im in www.indeed.com/rc/clk?cd=sxEg833XfUHA0kYo8LHj2XE4SB1oZN9uUKv0FoFK4uMQR9Mp This appears to be a state job too!! $10hr for an operator! Part time, 35hrs\ week no benefits. Granted, I dont think there looking for a real crackerjack, but I've never bought that arguement. You can still kill someone, or damage property if u dont know what your doing.. Have times gotten that bad. I started out learning on a cat 930 loader for more than that 22 years ago. I guess I've been blessed for the past 20 years, prior to my lay-off.

I feel pain brother. It's getting that way here in Ca. I am looking for work out of state because there is no work here.I've been employed by one company for the last 17yrs and right now we are doing nothing.(first time in 17yrs).I've run just about everything in the past 30yrs from the smallest bobcat to a CAT 992 loader.I've run blades,sidebooms,hoes,dozers and excavators and I'm having a hell of a time finding work.No sir, you are not the
Lone Ranger

I feel pain brother. It's getting that way here in Ca. I am looking for work out of state because there is no work here.I've been employed by one company for the last 17yrs and right now we are doing nothing.(first time in 17yrs).I've run just about everything in the past 30yrs from the smallest bobcat to a CAT 992 loader.I've run blades,sidebooms,hoes,dozers and excavators and I'm having a hell of a time finding work.No sir, you are not the
Lone Ranger

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We could write one hell of a sad song about this fellas. Starting laborer wages for 20 to 50 dollar an hour operators. They couldn't hire a dozen illegal immigrants, stick them all in a machine, and touch the production or quality of an operator with as much experience as you guys got. They need to unionize the whole industry if you ask me. The contractors must be having a hard time, but this can't continue. I'm a young pup on your battle tested sides. GOD BLESS US ALL!

Look at this!! www.remedystaff.com/RemedyStaff/main.cfm?nlvl1=2&nlvl2=68&nlvl3=0&nlvl4=0&view=detail&cfgridkey=74377&referred_id=2410 $9hr for a heo job!! What the!! Doesnt this just make you cringe. I honestly dont know what the job entails, but even for a marginal operator, this is an insult. I think the local Mcdonalds pays only 50 cent less. Especially when you consider the difference in responsibility between burning the fries and ohe, even if the job only involves stock piling gravel, etc. The more I view the help wanted ads, the more irritated I get.

Dirt Slinger,
The contractors are having a hard time.The guy that I have worked with for 17yrs is living on his credit line right now.The way the
economy is right now the WORST thing that could happen right now is TOTAL unionization.It's a tough market right now. If we're going to make it through these tough times we are ALL going to have to make some concessions.ALL OF US! From the CEO's down to the lowest of laborers!That means the unions too!If we don't all
work together,We will all go down.I'm not saying we go out and work for nothing,but we do have to look at it from a business
stand point.Each of us is our own little business and sometimes in
a business you have to cut your rates until things get better.

Aaron in Gloversville, New York said: I was employed for 20 years as an operator for an albany area developer. They retired last sept. Aside from the fact that the job market is dead for heo in upstate ny, I cant believe the wages. Of the few available positions over the past 14 months, the wages range from $12-$15 hr. And this is for a experienced operator, fine grade, able to read prints etc. This is not a problem, but why should someone have the responsibilities involved in our trade have to work for the same wages available at the local target warehouse? I love this trade, so Im doing jobs with my skid steer, to make ends meet, but I miss operating various pieces of eq. On real jobs not someones 3hr backyard project. Its paying the bills but thats all, Im not getting ahead. Dont get me wrong Im grateful for every job I aquire with my ssl. But I'll be damed If I go to work for another contractor again, digging around gas lines etc. for $12 knowing darn well they can pay me and any of there other qualified heo double, and still turn a hefty profit. DOES ANYONE FEEL THE SAME WAY?? $12-$15 in NYS give you much for the cost of living, not to mention our high taxes.

I HAVE OPERATED HEAVY EQUIPMENT FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND I CAN NOT FIND A JOB HERE IN CALI TO SAVE MY ASS. THIS IS DUE TO ILLEGAL IMMAGRATION.

Things are really biting here in the uk as well.the house building in particular has taken a nosedive.I have worked operating equipment since 1976 everything from a skidsteer to a 200 ton faceshovel.The wages here are just as bad and they expect the operators to multi-task as well,I have seen operators out digging with spades and other tasks,now that cannot be right! all the expertise pushing broom!I worked in Utah last year and the wage was $14 an hour for operating a Daewoo 25 ton excavator.I was offered $18 an hour from a rival company but I had to come home before I could take up the job

its allover the usa. Im in the midwest and its tight right now. I just started for my company in aug out of 370 people they say they are going to be down to 80 this winter. I have a little imunity cause I have some special skills. But man its stressfull to say the least! I feel for the guys that are looking right now that lost there jobs. There are some jobs around but you better be the cream of the crop if your going to get them. Work will pick up in the spring for us we are looking at a ton of work. So thats the one thing I have to lookforward to. As for the rest of us with jobs just take it one day at a time we kindof have to live like turtles. Keep your head in your shell just poke it out when you absolutly have to! The best thing I can say is dont be scared to try something different look at rail work, landfills or utility boring things like that. There is work out there just have to know where to look.

I graduated from ATS in Parker. Level 1&2 and havent worked in the trade yet,I have a sallie Mae student loan for $13,000 dollars and have a forbearance until 05/01/2009. My parents are in real need of being taken care of due to health problems and age.I just went to truck driving school and lucky for me the county paid every penny of that schooling,in hopes of commingling the two jobs,lets hope that will work. Ihope for americas sake that the new president can get the job market opened back up so we don,t have to stand in bread lines. Maybe we should start our own Bail-out line for construction operators.Maybe the elegals can hold our signs.

iam not going to blame it all as somthing like illegal immigration but lol i love the defence that there doing jobs i wont do or didnt want. as a contractor how can i afford to hire the guy from gloversville when you have people like for example mat baker using 6 immigrants for under minium wage and bow to his every demand and work at a good pace all day and dont complain bi@tch just do thier job . Maybe going back to the 50 s mentallity that your job was important it ment alot to you you went beyound even if somtimes you felt you whernt being compensated corectly, I look back at times that where good and the work i lost because i couldnt keep my mouth shut or suck up a little lose in profit. makes me sick as iam sitting here on this computer in the middle of the day PS holy ^%$* i need to get some work