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Breathing a sigh of relief

853 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  RECox286 
#1 ·
So I got this job mid December doing foreclosure turn around's, after 6 months of looking. It looked like I could make better money then working for a General Contractor without doing so much physically demanding work. After about 1.5 weeks things were seeming kinda fishy. After week two I knew something was going on in the company that probably wasn't in my best interest. I was going to talk to my supervisor last Wednesday morning when I turned in my paper work after completing that job. Last Tuesday he was at my job site delivering some stoves when he got a call. 15 mins later he call's me over and say's, all jobs are shut down, load up your tools. He goes on to explain whats going on as much as he can without putting himself in a legal situation as far as company privacy and all that. So piecing together what he said and a few others guy's I've talked too, the owner of the company is not only in major financial trouble, but it's tied to some legal trouble as well. I found out a couple of them hadn't been p[aid in 3 months and the vendors hadn't been paid either. At the time it looked like I wasn't going to get paid, but the 2 supervisors worked a deal. All field employees were told to be in the office at 5:30 the next morning. We signed paper work on all the jobs we had done stating that the company that had been contracting my company to do the work would be the ones to pay us. Of course their big concern was probably that a bunch of us would lean the properties. I'm sure I'm not the only one that would have as well as lodged a compliant with Washington state labor and industries and AG's office's. So we are getting paid, and my boss got his Contractors license this week, this is good. Today I filled out a W2 and I 9 with the company who we were getting the work contracts from and am now an employee of that company and will still be working for the same supervisor, which is nice, he seems to be a decent guy.
I'm not sure if I was more stressed out of pissed off the past week. I think more pissed off seeing I got thrown under the bus pretty hard by my last employer that sent me to Hawaii and then it looked like was was going to get ripped off by this one.

On top of all that, A/S was getting an overhaul...lol

Now that this mess is sorted out, I can relax a bit, oh and I did make about 25-30% more money for the hours I worked then I did on my best paying job for a GC. I sure hope this works out. I kind of like the work, I'm pretty much a handyman now, fixing/replacing what ever the houses need to get them ready for the banks to put on the market. I don't have to work as hard, I work alone for the most part, don't have to deal with the Architects that think they are something special because they can draw a picture of a house, no un decisive and/or flamboyant interior designers, the politics shouldn't interfere with my work from here on out and my supervisor doesn't breath down my neck in the least bit. Actually he's told me I'm his #1 guy. Turns out I've been getting more work done then the other guy's, some of which are 2-3 man crew's.
Residential construction will not be as big as it was up to a few years ago for a long time, and seeing when growth slows, new const. stops, when growth stops, like it is now, remodel stops. I have been cushioned the past 5 years doing high end projects for people like Bill Gates, and other MS people, Paul Allen, Starbucks money etc. But that's drying up. I have 3 friends working at that level that recently got laid off. So now I'm on the other side of the coin. With all the foreclosures, and unfortunately more to come, I should have plenty of work.

Sorry for rambling
 
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#2 ·
Well holy crap. I was wondering if you were going to be able to find us at our new location. I am left wondering who told you. What you are going through is nothing new. Same wine, different bottles. I hope you continue to find good work.
We in the construction business are being hit pretty hard. As home prices fall, things are going to get even worse. 2012 will be an up and down year. 2013, 2014 will be very bad. People will always need stuff done, things will keep moving. The problem is, less work more people looking for work.
I can not find hardly any work at all. I am moving people with my van. Doing a little private taxi service gig. Mechanic work as well. There is just so many people looking for work, and everyone wants stuff done for slave wages. Actually slavery would look good compared to this. At least if we were actual slaves we would have food shelter and are health taken care of. Now we just get a slave wage.
I have said it before, you watch. They are going to burn this country to the ground. It will start in Los Angelos and sweep across the country. There will be a time, soon, when every major American city is totally out of control with raging fires.
My advice to to go find Bill Gates and explain your situation, maybe he will give you a job. It is as about as likely as any other option
 
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