Travel time question

[Greg Kilgore]

I would really like to know what you guys think about this. I'll try not to ramble and make it as clear as I can.

 

I took this new job with companyX as a fiber splicer a year ago. I have a 45' bucket truck and 10or12 x 8 ft enclosed splice trailer I have to take home. Within the last 6 months all the management in the splice dept left. Now the power/construction management and higher ups are filling in. Just recently we were told travel to our 1st job is not payable even though we are in a company vehicle. 

We are union so I asked the union business manager about this. His reply was be grateful you were paid travel as long as you were and that you don't have to drive your POV to the job.

 

Last week I had 50hr total. The job area is 4-4.5 hrs away. My time was reduced to 44.5 hrs since we were told this travel thing on Tuesday of that week. I wasn't hired for this area. I was hired for area a lot closer to home. 

 

Pay is good. Work is not hard. Insurance is through the union and so far pretty good.

But I hate the thought of having to work extra just to make a 40hr paycheck. Anyone who has to drive as part of their job knows windshield time is not easy.

 

Anyway what do you guys think. Should I look for a different job or just suck it up because of the decent pay and health insurance.

[klm]

Suck it up but look for another job, maybe during your travel time.

[Greg Kilgore]

Yep, I'm looking. 

[Greg Kilgore]

Update, got tired of the company questioning my time. Tired of the company wiping their behinds with the union contract. And getting accused twice in one week about my time. And the company only paying me for 11 hours when I worked 11.45 hours. Instead of rounding up to 12 since they could only bill by the hour. Rounded down to 11. I told my General Foreman to have someone at the office. To inventory my truck cause I quit. GF called 10 minutes later said to just bring dollar items (Splicer , OTDR Tester, laptop etc...) in and put in the office. Somebody would inventory the next day cause I would be there until after 5 and everyone left at 4. Told the GF to have someone come to my house and pick up the truck. 

Sometimes you just have to do what you got to do.

I made the 3 splicer that left in a 4 week period. And about 3 weeks later another guy left. No, I didn't file for unemployment. Can't do that when you quit a job. At least not in KY.

This was October 17th 2024. Would have been working for another company, as a splicer, 3 weeks ago. But been fighting an Acute Pancreatitis attack for almost 2 months now.

But the new GF told me to call him after Christmas to let him know how I'm doing and if I still wanted the job. I lost about 20lb fighting that Pancreatitis attack. From 287 to 265. But all good. So hopefully I'll be working before the new year.

 

Anyway y'all have a

Merry Christmas and a Happy Hangover 

 

Kilgore