u/CheBae101

I got into plumbing last year. I previously worked food service, got laid off unexpectedly and was out of work for over half a year. Through an AFL-CIO program that helps low income people get into the trades, although it pays less than I made prior until year three. In the long run it will pay off, or it should.

When I was talking to people in this program I was told I would make $81k a year before taxes, healthcare and pension etc once I turn out. That sounds great, especially given I have no kids.

However I’ve been learning from many guys that a majority of plumbers don’t work a full year, more often than not they are lucky to hit 10 months, bad years only about half the year.

My question is, is it difficult to stay working year round once you hit the last few years of your apprenticeship or turn out?

If I’m going to be paying for and taking classes and paying annual fees for state and city licenses, it just seems reasonable to expect that I’d stay working through most of the year. Otherwise even at 10 months, that’s only $67k before taxes. Essentially you earn about the same as a manager of a grocery store or Starbucks despite the fact that you need certificates, licenses and classes to be a plumber. Just seems a bit low of a return for what you put in. Not hating on grocery store managers, just pointing out that both occupations pay roughly the same but plumbing has more requirements

I like the work, I’ve really enjoyed it over the last year but it seems that all the work we put in to maintain our eligibility to work in our states and cities that we are vastly under-appreciated.

And I recognize the fact that this issue is out of control of the union and even in many cases, the contractors have no control. It’s all dependent largely on if there’s investment in my region that creates work. This summer there is far less work available than last summer and many people are talking about how the “pick up” in work over the last 5-7 years has peaked. So it’s causing a bit of doubt and hesitation heading into my first year of class and I’m looking to see if someone can give me some more realistic expectations on what this career looks like and if I can expect to live comfortably in this field.

It’s at 250k miles. 4 previous owners, and looking at its reports, all scheduled maintenance and repairs have been done with a full complete one this past January with fluid changes, brakes, tires, and a few other repairs. All owners also brought the car to the same Toyota shop.

At $3800, it’s on par with other cars in that same mileage range, and 4Runners have a reputation for longevity. So I’m pretty sold on going with this car. For the Midwest, minimal rust underneath, no rust on the body. No major dents or cracks. Drives smooth. Interior, heavy smell of cigarettes is about the only bad part. Drivers seat a bit worn.

I’m in a bit of a pinch as my other car was totaled in a hit and run a few days ago. So my budget is only $5k. But this 4Runner seems like the best bet.

If I do get this 4 Runner, what are some features or perks I should know about? I’ve always wanted a 4 Runner, huge fan of the 4Runner pickups from the 80’s. So I’m pretty excited to have the chance to drive one!

It’s at 250k miles. 4 previous owners, and looking at its reports, all scheduled maintenance and repairs have been done with a full complete one this past January with fluid changes, brakes, tires, and a few other repairs. All owners also brought the car to the same Toyota shop.

At $3800, it’s on par with other cars in that same mileage range, and 4Runners have a reputation for longevity. So I’m pretty sold on going with this car. For the Midwest, minimal rust underneath, no rust on the body. No major dents or cracks. Drives smooth. Interior, heavy smell of cigarettes is about the only bad part. Drivers seat a bit worn.

I’m in a bit of a pinch as my other car was totaled in a hit and run a few days ago. So my budget is only $5k. But this 4Runner seems like the best bet.

If I do get this 4 Runner, what are some features or perks I should know about? I’ve always wanted a 4 Runner, huge fan of the 4Runner pickups from the 80’s. So I’m pretty excited to have the chance to drive one!

Took a gamble and went with the Legendary Pelagius commander for my KvK2 due to not great cav commanders for kvk2

Right now he’s lvl 59 and 5511 for skill. Don’t want to put anymore GH’s more into him if i don’t need too.

Cav main so I have expertise Baibars and Belasarius to pair with him

CaoCao I have expetised skills, at lvl 58.

And I have fully expertise Aeth.

What will be the best pair? Leaning Aeth/Pelagius or Pelagius/Baibars?

Filled up my hospital so the KD could drop in power for KvK seeding.

Anyways, muscle memory kicked in when I opened the game up and I went to heal them. Wondering if there’s a way to stop that such as with building or training?

I don’t see anything so I doubt there is but figured id ask anyways

I got into the trades last year after working food service jobs for 13 years. I was laid off and while looking for work got into the plumbing helper program. Started at a fab shop for one of the largest mechanical engineering companies. No field work and no prior experience working in construction. Both my grandpas worked construction so I have had family in the trades.

We ran out of work last March and nearly the entire shop was laid off. That same week I found out I got accepted into the apprenticeship program. I got placed with another contractor this past April. Until 2 weeks ago, they had me driving truck and doing deliveries while my other classmates were doing hands on plumbing work.

I mention this because classes start in September and I feel like I’m way behind my classmates.

I got sent out to the field two weeks ago, slow start on that project so I only got a couple days of drilling holes in. Then I got called back to drive truck while the other new driver was doing demo work.

Today they told me that they’re running out of work and have no where to place me so they laid me off. Told me they would put in a good word in for me at the hall.

I’m 33, I got bills to pay and doing so on the first year wages has left me on very thin ice. I’m still trying to get caught up on past rent and utilities from my last lay off.

I don’t know if financially I can deal with the low pay and inconsistent work. If this layoff last more than a week, I’m almost certainly going to lose my housing. I’m probably going to need to drop out of the program for this reason.

It sucks. When I graduated high school in 2011, construction was still reeling from the recession where I grew up and trades weren’t a great option then. I tried college, got my degree but never found work. Worked in food service jobs and although I made more money, i still felt unhappy. I wanted to work in the trades because I like working with my hands, problem solving, and it’s work where you actually see your progress. But now I feel like I’m at a dead end.

Not many journeymen or foreman seem keen on working with first year apprentices either. The two weeks I was in the field, my foreman was always cussing me out for not knowing how to do some tasks and was very hesitant to even show me. I was often resorting to YouTube. At the end of the day he always said I did great, so it worked. But I figured “on the job training” involved more than watching YouTube tutorials.

Anyways. Is this a normal experience for a first year?

I have recently joined the union and wanted to learn more about the trade unions and their history and so I found a book called “American Trade Unionism” by this guy named William Z Foster

One aspect in the 1920’s and 30’s that allowed the trade unions to win some huge demands for the workers was due to the size of the unions in that industry in respect to the unorganized/non-union counterpart’s.

At least in my local, the unorganized/non-union plumbers are larger than the unionized and I don’t see much organizing being done. Been a few years since the last filing according to the NLRB website.

I think it would really do us a major favor if the UA made it their goal to try and get a bare minimum of half the pipe trades into the union. We could really get a great contract and would also give the unions far more power to push state and federal politicians to fund more construction projects to keep us working.

Reading this book has really got the wheels spinning in my head and has taught me a lot about the ups and downs in the trade unions.

Hello,

I moved here about a year and a half ago. Upon moving back to Minnesota I was laid off from my job. I moved due to the high coast of living in my previous city. The pay market was the same here as it was where I moved from but cost of living significantly lower. So much that I would have had an extra $700 a month to put towards savings and such.

I was out of work for 6, almost 7 months which wiped out my savings and I even had to sell a lot of my own stuff just to scrape by. During that process all my credit lines were shut down and my credit score went from 790 to now it’s in the 200’s.

I managed to find work, but I had to take a 40% pay cut. Which meant I was barely breathing at all for the last year. Still managing to make ends meet. But then I was laid off this past March, and this was a coup de grâce. Unemployment was only laying out $280 a week meaning I was coming up short for rent and bills. I did not qualify for Emergency rent program the county offers because you need an eviction notice.

April I got back to work, earning less than I was prior to my lay off which meant I was not able to get caught up and fell even further behind. On top of this, I had a fridge break on my and the replacement fridge broke as well. Causing me to throw out all my food, replace it just to toss it back out several weeks later.

As of May 1st, I finally received a pay raise that gave me a decent wage. Still not what I was making prior to moving here but very close. This puts my monthly income above the threshold to qualify for emergency rent relief by a few hundred dollars. I have now also received a threat of eviction due to being unable to get caught up in rent. landlord has not been willing to work with me and crunching numbers, it will take 2-3 months to get caught up on past due rent, utilities and replacing rear brakes on my car (I have no brake pads)

If I lose my housing and am unable to get my car in working condition, I am going to lose my job.

So I’m wondering if there are any other programs in the county that I could reach out too. With my stable income, all I need is a little help to get me out of this hole but unfortunately I do not qualify for county assistance and given I’m fairly new to the area, I don’t know what other programs I could reach out too for help given that time is not on my side here.

I live in an apartment. The nine years I’ve had my dog, have all been in apartments and until recently in the last 8 months, I have had zero complaints and property managers have stated that my dog is super quiet.

However in the last 8 months, I have noticed a huge increase in anxiety when I leave for work or to go out with friends. This has resulted in numerous complaints from my landlord.

I have tried sedative medications the vet prescribed. Gabba and Traz. Both work but it’s not very consistent.

Recently the vet placed her on an a dirty medication, which would take 6-8 weeks to take effect.

I have also learned in the last several months that my neighbor next to me will bang on the wall, which according to neighbors is what tends to really upset my dog. Some days I come home and she’s super worked up.

I don’t believe it’s so much separation anxiety, but it seems that due to my neighbors antics that my dog is conditioned now to know that when I leave, the banging will start.

My landlord has done nothing after numerous complaints from myself and several neighbors. I’m not sure if the anxiety medication is even worth it due to the circumstances that’s causing this barking and howling. To me it seems that any dog would react this way and become agitated.

If I move, will this problem persist? I don’t have much funds to move. But as of today my landlord issued an official warning and the next step will be eviction.

I’m a bit lost as to what I can do to remedy the situation short term and long term and would appreciate any advice.

So context: I was talking to a girl I had just met, we were texting today and had been flirting back and forth in a teasing manner like all day.

At one point she made a comment that I was obsessed with her already to which I replied “let’s not put the cart before the horse 😉😘” and the banter continued with her teasing me some more. Eventually I had made a comment that I liked how she can “go back and forth with me and that she’s special for that” she responded with calling me gross for calling her special? And she was being for real and then following that she was pretty cold. So I ended the conversation and moved on.

I just find it weird because several times she had made comments about being the big sister and I didn’t shoot her down for that, but had pointed out that she’s not my sister and she even agreed that it might be weird for her to say that. So that just even made the whole exchange more confusing.

I have never been told that calling someone special is gross? I’ve been called special many times by other girls so this kind of caught me off guard. So ladies, was I in the wrong here or was she overreacting?

I don’t really use dating apps all that often. Basically I will create accounts and I will get a lot of interest from women but the conversations are always pretty bland and boring. So already, I never have much faith in these apps.

However recently I was messaged by a girl who I thought was incredibly cute. We also shared a ton in common. Like she seemed like the girl I’ve been searching for. It was almost weird how identical we were in interests, values etc. so i messaged her back and we chatted for a day before exchanging numbers.

During this time, she was kind of live bombing me. I’ve never been in that situation quite like this. Not only was she complimenting me and calling me cute repeatedly, which I liked. But she was referring to my parents as her future in laws, talking about our future house and kids. This made me a bit uneasy considering we haven’t even met in person, and had only been talking for two days.

On the second day I also found out she had just moved to the city from another state earlier that week for a job promotion. Good paying job, so I felt secure in that since I know she is financially independent. (My previous relationship, my ex was unemployed and refused to find work and kept expecting me to pay for everything) so things seemed fine on that end but in the back of my mind I was a bit alarmed at how hard she was love bombing me while just being brand new to the city?

Aside from texting, we spoke on the phone for a few days and our phone calls would go on for like an hour or two. Like I said earlier, we were really hitting it off. But she was very reluctant on meeting, stating she wants to settle in first, and she has bad anxiety meeting people for the first time. I understand getting settled in and was very accepting to her reasoning for that, and I also get nervous meeting someone for the first time so none of that seemed entirely unreasonable. But with how hard she was love bombing me but not wanting to meet in person, that part seemed a bit off. Regardless I told her I would give her the time and space needed for her to get settled in.

However, day 4 talking and she just abruptly stopped talking. She called later that day and said she was just overwhelmed with unpacking and that she forgot to text me that day. Again, I was understanding. Reassured her she doesn’t need to text me back right away or anything. She told me on the call she would text me that night after she ate dinner. But I never heard from her. Two more days go by and again, nothing. I sent her a message on her first day at her new job wishing her good luck, and hoping it goes well. Still nothing.

So today, I decided to move on. I took her off my Instagram, after all she was viewing my stories and posting on her story giving updates on her move. So she’s on her phone and looking at my profile etc. but can’t talk to me despite her saying she was going to text me a few days prior.

My main question is, what makes someone go so hard right out the gates like she did with love bombing me and talking about our future family etc. blowing up my phone and calling me to ghosting me in just a few days? Seems like a huge swing from one end to another, right?

I would appreciate some insight on this, did I cut her out too early? Would it be worth even reaching out to her now?

I know it’s just a dating app, and I typically don’t engage with them for the reason that people are flaky. but like I said, we had so much in common.

My hypothesis is she was on cloud 9 moving to a new city, having a new job that paid well and was probably very interested in me and attracted to me, but once she began unpacking, started her new job and feeling overwhelmed with the changes that she was pulled back to reality.

Or maybe she felt I wasn’t an interested since I wasn’t really live bombing her back. But I did make it known that I was interested, that I liked how she had so much in common. I gave her compliments and everything so she had to have known I was.

Anyways, I hope I provided enough details and information.