>>When I started on my career that lasted 36+ years, we did whatever it took to get the plant up and running regardless of “trade”. Once the union got firmly established, you would have to call an electrician to change a bulb, or a plumber to tighten a leaky faucet etc. I had already become evil management by then and some of the folks I had worked side by side with became increasingly hostile over the years and lazier as well. “Not My Job.” Pretty sad.
I agree. That is the ugly side. On the other hand, I had a co-worker get electrocuted because he thought he knew how to reset an overload, so instead of calling the plant electrician (me), he opened the cabinet door and did it himself. He pressed the reset, the motor starter pulled in and his knuckles brushed the load side of the starter sending single phase 480 (277 to ground) through his chest and out through his other hand, which he was using to steady himself by gripping the steel cabinet.
He watched me do it a hundred times and never noticed that my other hand was always behind my back...and that I pressed the overload reset with a screwdriver handle.
Like you, I did everything I could do to improve my skills so I am now a supervisor of SCADA Techs, electricians, and mechanics for a utility company. In a technical world, you have to have some specialization. Do you want a single doctor/banker/accountant/plumber to take care of your needs?
Good on you. Some things need specialization and some things are in the category of knowing your limitations. If I had any doubt about something I was considering taking on, I’d double check with someone who knew. Hope you maintain your career and sock everything you can away to get to retirement. We ain’t livin’ large but we’re pretty darn comfy. And a whole lot better off than my buds who are existing on union pensions.
Your post brought back memories of when I was an electrician’s helper in a chemical plant. One day me and another guy had worked about 30 hours straight so we were sent out on a “make do” job to check the contacts on motor starters. As you know you can tell when it’s engaged because the solenoid indicator is recessed. My buddy told me to reach in and feel the contacts and see if they were pitted. I started to reach in then saw it was engaged. I said “Jim? Isn’t this running?”
He freaked and threw the breaker and shut down half the plant. Then he said “We’re too tired. Let’s go home.”
Not long after that I found out it was a lot easier selling that equipment than it was working on it. And the pay was a lot better.