Interesting Morning

[Mike J]

So the company I work for gets slow from time to time. They want people to furlough. If you go on furlough they file your unemployment for you, you get it every week & then when they have work you go back. I have worked for them off & on for the last 11 years. While I am not a foreman I get used somewhat like one & on occasion have different foremen try to get me on their job at the same time. I have quit twice because of them wanting me to furlough. They know this.
So the week before Thanksgiving I was asked to furlough for a week. I said okay. I spoke to a Business Agent at the hall & found out I could go work on a power plant through January if I wanted to. They said they would be working 6, 10's until then. Everyone closed down after Wednesday last week so I was unable to do anything until this morning. Wednesday I spoke to one of the coordinators in our office. He told me they had nothing for me this week. I asked when they would have something. He replied he didn't know. I told him I might go somewhere else until they get something going. He said he didn't blame me.
So this morning I called the hall. I spoke to the same BA I talked to last week (we worked with our tools together years ago). He sat me up to get a referral as soon as I put myself on the out of work list. I told him I was going to call my employer & let them know what was up & I would get right back with him.
I called the field superintendent, couldn't get him. Called a coordinator & told him I was going to go work a powerhouse & they could call when they had something & I would come back. He asked for me to give him a few minutes & let him call me back. A little later I got a call back from the field superintendent informing me that they have work for me & don't want to lose me. I called an older recently retired friend & discussed the situation with him & decided to stay. Isn't it amazing how things can change when people realize you don't have to just go along with whatever they want you to do. The BA wasn't really thrilled when I called him back but he isn't angry either.

 

[jimbo1096]

Yep, good for you. Seems like that happens around the holidays each year. I've used that strategy before and it worked then too. Just not the last time so I retired!

 

[eveled]

Why not take the week of unemployment benefits?

You've built yourself a good reputation. It speaks to your character and work ethic to have them fighting over you.

As a rule I won't accept a counter offer to stay in a current position. They had a chance to treat me right. Then when I find something better they all of a sudden can treat me better?

Obviously this may not apply in your case.

 

[Hvymax]

Twas the layoff before Christmas and all through the job not a creature was stirring.
When we got "Paid Holidays" a lot of companies would layoff before Thanksgiving and rehire after New Year to get out of paying for a few Holidays.

 

[Mobuck]

I've only had one 'full time' job in my life and it was full guaranteed schedule year round. Sounds like you may have some 'issues' with labor management trying to wiggle out of scheduling shenanigans.

 

[blume357]

Too much for me to follow... then from what I hear, most people would have taken the week of unemployment and gone and worked at the other job... and kept that up for a while.

I applied for unemployment 43 years ago and after several trips to the government office was informed I was not qualified... after 40 years I was still not qualified until Covid showed up and then the congress decided the self employed could get benefits.... but the only problem was I was still working.

 

[Mike J]

I am still on unemployment for this week. I will be returning Monday. They were saying they did not know when they would have something. If the other job I was going to take were closer I may have went. It is a 90 mile drive one way. The 6, 10's would have been good money but the drive & the schedule would have been a bit rough & that outage will end sometime in January. I didn't get an all out win but if I hadn't kicked up a fuss I would have been sitting indefinitely.

 

[Mike J]

Yep, good for you. Seems like that happens around the holidays each year. I've used that strategy before and it worked then too. Just not the last time so I retired!

I am eligible to retire now. The thing is I married late & my youngest is 11. My wife hasn't worked since we've been married. My oldest is about to go away to college. Her little sister is in her junior year of high school & little boy is in 5th grade. I'm going to try to work until 62 then figure out which way to go. My wife is saying she wants to go back to work. We'll see how it goes. Right now I'm trying to make 4 more years.

 

[Mike J]

Twas the layoff before Christmas and all through the job not a creature was stirring.
When we got "Paid Holidays" a lot of companies would layoff before Thanksgiving and rehire after New Year to get out of paying for a few Holidays.

For years we didn't have paid holidays. We do now but we pay them for ourselves. A certain amount is withheld every paycheck. For every 40 hours we work one hour of holiday pay is accrued. When the holiday comes around we receive 8 hours pay for it (unless we don't have enough hours accrued then we get whatever is in there). When New Years comes around we are paid out whatever is left. That way if you work overtime you get all your money.

 

[Kevin]

I agree with Hvymax, but I'm not following all that you said either. But it seems peculiar that they asked you to furlough the week of Thanksgiving.

It also sort of sounds like you have it all figured out. Good luck. Especially with kids in school. That can get expensive.

 

[Mike J]

I agree with Hvymax, but I'm not following all that you said either. But it seems peculiar that they asked you to furlough the week of Thanksgiving.

It also sort of sounds like you have it all figured out. Good luck. Especially with kids in school. That can get expensive.

They are slow. They know they have work coming so they are trying to keep their key people so when it breaks they have personnel to do it with. They are trying to keep people available with the minimum amount of expenditure necessary. I will furlough for a week here or there, take one for the team, etc. but I am not going to stay home for an extended amount of time if there is other work available. My family is more important than their profit margin.

I know Hvymax understands as he worked in the trade.

 

[eveled]

Sounds like you read the situation correctly and played your cards well. Congratulations. Family first.

The only reason I asked why you didn't take unemployment. Was incase you thought it was a handout. It is paid by taxes on the employer, so technically by working for them you earned it. No shame in collecting unemployment benefits when they are needed.

Those who are self employed don't pay into it, so are not eligible to collect.

At least that's how I understand it.