Posted on 04/04/2010 6:10:27 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
On March 26, the U.S. Senate left Washington, D.C. without extending federal unemployment benefits. While the Senators are safe in the comfort of their homes surrounded by family and friends, hundreds of thousands of Americans will spend Easter wondering how they will feed their families, pay their bills and keep their homes.
According to Indiana's Department of Workforce Development, on April 4th, federal unemployment monies expire. If your initial state benefits end in the period between April 4th and the next federal extension, you will stop receiving unemployment benefits.
If your are on one of the 4 federal tiers of benefits and it ends during this period, your benefits will stop. The estimate is that the Senate's failure to extend benefits will impact about 200,000 Americans.
How did this happen?
1. Pres. Obama and the U.S. Congress failed to make unemployment a priority issue. There is no political benefit to focusing needed attention on unemployment. Politicians do not talk about "unemployment." Instead, they talk about "jobs." Unemployment is the pink elephant in the middle of the room ignored by elected leaders. No politician wants to remind his or her constituents that 15 million Americans are unemployed and that over 50% of state benefit plans are bankrupt. It is time to remind them by going to http://www.senate.gov and letting your view be known.
2. Pres. Obama and Congressional democrats made passage of the health care bill a false emergency. The fact is that health care reform is one of the many issues facing Americans. However, the Pres. and Congress had four years to fashion and pass reform that was meaningful and supported by the people. The Senate's failure to extend benefits will hurt American families starting tomorrow. The health care bill was given priority over the view of a majority of Americans. CBS News, not exactly a bastion of conservatism, reported on Friday "the poll, conducted March 29 through April 1, found that so far the president's efforts to build up support for the bill appear to be ineffective. Fifty-three percent of Americans say they disapprove of the new reforms, including 39 percent who say they disapprove strongly. In the days before the bill passed the House, 37 percent said they approved and 48 percent disapproved."
3. Opposition to unemployment benefits is growing on claim that benefits stops Americans from looking for jobs. This claim distracts people from the reality that there is only one (1) job available for every (5) unemployed Americans. Accordingly, even if every open job was filled by a unemployed person, four (4) of those unemployed people would still be out of a job. To stop unemployment benefits due to the alleged misdeeds of a few, will pull the safety net from hundreds of thousands of Americans doing everything they can to find a job.
The real solution is for the unemployed is to join together and speak with one powerful voice loud enough to make politicians stand up and notice. It starts with every unemployed person writing, emailing and calling their political leaders until they get the job done.
Well, unemployment in this area paid $10 an hour. Why would you go bust your ass at some $7 an hour job, when you could get $10 staying home?
where do you live? come to Texas...we have only 4% unemployment here in East Texas
I burned 200 hours of the 520 hours of vacation I had on the books last year before driving 930 miles to San Diego and dealing with a 70 mile round trip daily. After 7 months, my project manager found a task porting 1.3 million lines of C++ that I could take home to Idaho. I quoted 5,000 lines per day for the port. I'm actually moving along at about 14,000 lines per day. I have to travel back to San Diego in mid-May for a week to "sync" my porting work to the SPARC Solaris environment.
I ended up burning all that vacation when Obama took office. My two federal contracts were hit immediately. One was canceled, the other was cut back 60%. Lots of folks hit the bricks on that one. The contract that I'm doing with the folks in San Diego isn't infinite either. At least there is some breathing room to do some proposals and try to land more work before the current gig expires.
Have you considered tossing your hat in the ring for some of the tasks at Get A Coder?
Yup.
What did you and your family have to eat today - if you don't mind me asking?
God bless you.
It is tight for me. My sincerest hopes for you and your family. I am selling any redundant and unnecessary items. If you were in SC, I would say go try my old employer. If you have any sense and work ethic at all, your are already in the top half of crew there. I survived a little over a year.
One crazy stunt that happened to me that really told me that the end was nigh happened right before new year. I was sent from SC to FL for something on paper looked routine. There was supposed to be a second full timer going with me. We were going to take a rental box truck.
At the last minute, the second person was cut because it was cheaper to get me a temp there. I wasn’t too bothered by that but I wasn’t aware of what was about to happen.
I pulled out for FL on a Sunday and got there with no problems.
The next morning I arrived at the huge facility and after seeing the loading dock, things started getting grim.
The dock was about the size of typical apartment living room. Half of it was taken with stuff. There were 2 bays. No truck can stay at the dock. Temps can’t drive a truck. Every door and gate required badge access so I had to have an escort. The temp wasn’t due to arrive until the next day.
A simple equipment discovery, spreadsheet, and loading plus field wiping turned into a 3 day horror. No access, requiring escorts, needing my contact, the home office calling every hour wanting an update, a jerk manager (never did this job) hassling me over forms that I never got or ever heard of, and nothing being even remotely ready to go had me on my last nerve. This was my first assignment of this type too.
On the last day, after working 12 hours, the jerk manager (also a supposed state trooper too) called me up and told me I had to drive back to SC that night. I didn’t have tamper seals. Nice to know that. I have never seen any of the drivers use seals at my branch.
I finally left the building and called my boss and told him the score, he couldn’t believe it either. I was so glad to be leaving Florida, I didn’t care at the time.
About 30 minutes into my trip, the same jerk manager calls me up with some phony crocodile tears and then started hassling me again ending every sentence with “listen to me” and not letting me get a word in edgewise. When I did, I lost it with him. A first for me. I was angry enough to drive almost non stop.
I got back @4:30 in the morning, got unloaded, sort of settled and home by 8.
It took another week or so to fix all the paperwork and cargo manifests that I got sent to me in the field and conflicting instructions on.
That was one of two big nails in the coffin of my old workplace.
Communist Democrats wanted total dependence/total control — Now FEED and CLOTHE your SUBJECTS you bunch of TYRANNICAL BUFFOONS!
If you need more money, STEAL IT, you bastards! Or print more, but don’t go back on your promise of “hope and change!”
You have dependent American babies to tend to.
SO GET TO IT, COMRADES!
Pitting the politics of elitism vs. the politics of envy. Neither of which is an admirable thing. I see a cat fight coming.
“where do you live? come to Texas...we have only 4% unemployment here in East Texas”
NJ. If I could afford to move my family I’d be there in two days!
“I am selling any redundant and unnecessary items.”
LOL!
I’ve sold everything including the kitchen sink.
This does not constitute an economic recovery.
You may notice discreetly advertised and rather expensive seminars directed at medium to large-sized companies on “how to increase the ROI of your Human Capital”. They are basically teaching the HR executives how to churn their workforce without violating state or federal laws.
Fictitious job posting is usually a shopping expedition to determine if salary bands can be reduced for selected positions. It is cheaper and more accurate than hiring consulting companies to find out. Applications in such queues are almost always discarded.
All of this creates a great deal of noise in the job market, which obscures what is really going on.
The Democrats do not care. Neither do the Republicans. You are on your own.
There are jobs opening up in PA as the gas exploration and drilling industry progresses:
http://sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/541511.html?nav=5011
Excerpt:
Jobs and skills
Doyle and Wolfe discussed the need for skilled workers as drilling progresses.
They agree that it’s quite a challenge, especially for firms that serve as site contractors and suppliers for the exploration companies.
And while the general public might gripe that they’re not seeing the kind of job growth industry experts predicted, there are opportunities.
Reportedly, one local gas field support company advertising for positions including welders, truck drivers, pipefitters, general laborers, electricians and more received 400-plus job applications in a matter of two weeks.
As it stands, site contractors are having to import workers from the southwest and Canada, mostly “roughnecks” who know how to work a drilling rig.
But Louis D’Amico, of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of Pennsylvania, said “that is not our long-term solution.”
Larry L. Michael, executive director, Workforce and Economic Development at Penn College, co-authored the Marcellus Shale Workforce Needs Assessment released last June.
“On average, a drilling rig is on site from three to five weeks. During that time, there are 20 to 30 subcontractors. You have to figure out who those 20 to 30 contractors are to find the jobs. They could be a water hauler, welder, pipefitter, surveyor, logger and, of course, roughnecks or ‘roustabouts’ as they’re also called,” Michaels said.
“Roughnecks by far make up largest percentage of jobs,” he continued. “They are typically general labor but need certain training, including safety. In fact, our largest training need is for roughnecks. They need a basic understanding of the industry, need to undergo rigorous safety training and generally obtain certificates to work in the industry.”
Matt Carmichael, senior public affairs representative for Anadarko, said it’s not just about finding workers to train; recruiting people to do the training is another obstacle.
“There’s no critical mass up here, no (drilling industry) retirees who live here and can teach roughnecks how to work a rig floor, for example.”
Rhonda Engh, human resource manager for Precision Drilling Inc. - a Canadian-based drilling contractor for the exploration companies here -said the firm’s short-term manpower needs are being met by qualified but imported workers “to insure we are operating in a safe and productive manner.
“Our long-term plans include aggressive training for local individuals who haven’t had the opportunity, but have the desire to pursue a career in the oil and gas industry,” she said.
Asked if Precision is finding qualified local people to work, she said, “The definition of qualified depends largely on the position being filled. However, we have hired at the entry level positions with local people who do have the desire to work in this type of industry.
“Entry level positions do require a minimal qualification due the scope of work they must be able to perform,” she added. “However, training is still required for this position, but does not require the level of training as do the more critical positions.”
Desire can’t be overstated, she said.
Roughnecks and associated drill site laborers typically work 28 straight days of 12 hour shifts, with 14 days off under a three-shift rotation, she said. The firm provides housing for each rig, with some housing on site and some off.
“We use local welders and other craftsmen to support the rig needs,” she added.
Though the number likely is higher now, she estimated earlier this year that Precision’s labor force was 160 and counting. Precision drills for Anadarko, Range Resources, Fortuna and Ultra Resources. The firm has opened a field office in the Williamsport area.
“Our investment in office construction and moving full time support staff to the area demonstrates Precision’s commitment to a long-term presence in the area,” she said.
Heck it’s a tough job market yes, our office has been laying people off for 5 years now and sending the work out of the country. It’s frightening and pretty depressing.
But two years of being out of work is not as much the job market, as it is someone who has just plain gotten too comfortable sitting at home.
Two years of unemployment benefits is enough.
That should be the cutoff point. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
Might as well be here.
“roughnecks or ‘roustabouts’”
Thanks. If I was younger than 60 I’d consider it for sure.
I didn’t know your age. It would be tough work for an older guy.
I will keep an eye out to see if they might also be hiring office workers,IT’s, and other types.
I’ll post it here if I see anything.
Where is that Jobs Thread? I can’t find it on SEARCH.
That should be the cutoff point. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
Might as well be here.”
Can't argue with you there. I'll explain it to my 13yo daughter.
I hear you. RE: under/overqualified. I’m 54 and essentially screwed. And then I love interviewing with 30 year olds. I’ll take ANY f***ing thing right now including data entry. [Never mind I was one of the”cold warriors” for GD and SAIC etc. “son, I was doing CAD/CAM work for General Dynamics helping them build the Cruise Missle when you were in rompers....yes, I can figure out a damn spread sheet...even the “new” version. Certs? CERTS? **** they just threw the book at us and told us to RTFM when something new came along...and WE DID. CERTS? We didn’t need any stinking certs.... — Karen
It makes me sad to read how out of touch you are.
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