TW>>>>> Goofing off and poor work is like some sort of Plague
 TW>>>>> amongst Union workers. Even the few best they may have at
 TW>>>>> one point become infected.

 BK>>>>  Goofing off and poor work is like some sort of plague amongst
 BK>>>>  non-union workers. Union workers tend toward a much higher level
 BK>>>> of performance.

 BA>>> That has not been my experience.

 BK>>  Do you live in a RTW state?

 BA> Yes.

 IOW, a state where working doesn't much pay.

 BK>> Do you have a generally low level of worker competence?

 BA> It depends.  *I* don't, but the competence level of hired
 BA> help varies.  Some are good, some aren't.

 Again, is working doesn't pay, why work well?

 BK>> That would explain a lot.

 BA> It might.

 BA> I can do house wiring at least as well if not better than a
 BA> licensed electrician;

 Don't bet on that. Perhaps at the low level of license. Unless
 you do it regularly you will not have the experience to do it
 well and fast.

 BA> my work on the place here provides direct comparisons (note
 BA> that for work on the hot side of the master switch I hire a
 BA> professional electrician).  I can also do
 BA> simple carpentry - not as well or as fast as an
 BA> experienced, professional carpenter,
 BA> but I can do it.  Plumbing, too.  And most auto repairs
 BA> that don't require special
 BA> tools or equipment.  I can also drive a good sized straight
 BA> (non-semi) van body or
 BA> flatbed truck.

 Anybody can do most forms of work. Doing it well and efficiently
 is another matter. It's pretty hard to do a job as well as a
 person who does it daily.

 BA> All of those professions have unions.  I haven't studied
 BA> any of them except for electrician - and that was over
 BA> forty years ago.  Given a little thought and some
 BA> common sense most people can do the work.  I may have an

 But few can do it as well. And fewer still as fast.

 BA> edge because I've read Popular Mechanics and similar
 BA> publications for most of the past fifty years.

 Some time back I went with a family member to the local Medical
 college of Ohio hospital where he needed some tests. While I was
 waiting I spent some time talking to an elderly man who was a
 volunteer greeter/helper/whatever. He was probably in his 90s.
 We talked about his time in the military, where he was an army
 doctor. I learned from one of the women there that he was the
 retired chief of surgery from one of the big hospitals in
 Toledo.

 He had friend who had died just a few years before, and who had
 been one of the scientists on the Manhattan project. In the
 years just before he died he was still working on government
 projects. He credited his success in science with following his
 father's advice to read Popular Mechanics. He said you would get
 an introduction to the newest advances early on that way.



BOB KLAHN bob.klahn{at}sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
 * Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a