union slug, God forbid he should put an advert in the paper and try and work for himself...
Posted on 02/16/2010 7:51:43 PM PST by TornadoAlley3
Tim Barker never thought he'd have to live in his truck. Four months ago, the plumber was in a one-bedroom apartment in California's San Fernando Valley, with a pool and a Jacuzzi. Then, on his birthday in October, he and 199 other plumbers were laid off by their union, Local 761 in Burbank. Now Barker's son sleeps on the sofa of his cousin's one-bedroom Hollywood apartment, and Barker sleeps on the roof of the apartment building - or in his 2003 Ford Ranger pickup. "I'm 47, and I've never lived in my car," says Barker, a husky 220-lb. single father with sandy hair and a rapid-fire voice. In January, as torrential rains pelted the streets of Southern California, father and son were sleeping in the truck in San Pedro, next to the Los Angeles Harbor. "We were able to spend four nights in the Vagabond Motel, but for two nights we slept in the car," says Barker. "It was raining, cold, and the cat was jumping on us. We both got sick."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
and who’s the current president from which this horrific situation has escalated? hmmmm,,,,
They call me for work all the time, even labor work, but I can't help them nor send them anywhere.
Thank your lucky stars you belonged to a union,plumber.
(NOT)
Now do what most of us contractors have been doing for YEARS, and go to work for yourself.
You’ll be better off in the long run.
Start with printing about 1000 fliers offering your services
at a non-union price, and see that it’s not all that hard to get plumbing work.
And if you have some extra time, try to get hold of Joe the Plumber by phone and he can tell you about “wealth redistribution”.
How’s that hopey changey working out for you?
Not in California, there isn't anything here for them.
Four months ago, the plumber was in a one-bedroom apartment in California's San Fernando Valley, with a pool and a Jacuzzi.
Well, down there... it's a lot more expensive for those kinds of places. You can find other places in the country where for the same place, it would be 1/3 the price of what it is there... :-)
It might be time to move out of California and to another place where there could be more work.
If I had no home but I had a truck, I think I would get my butt busy and find a job and drive there.
His girlfriend is a bookie and she's doing great.
Jimmy Carter created massive “tent cities” during his administration.
“No work for a plumber in four months? Anywhere?”
1) He’s in California
2) He’s in the Union
3) He’s not MEXICAN
3 strikes and your out, time to load up the truck and work your way up to North Dakota.
Grapes of Wrath in reverse, OUT of California...
I’ve actually heard some dumb asses say that “the union isn’t getting me a job”, and then make no effort to find one on their own.
Wondering if this guy is one of those waiting for the union to “find him a job”.
Don’t understand what you mean. There are no non-union shops anywhere? Or there are no repairs to do? Who’s doing it all?
I have a camp trailer, I consider it as my safety net.
Many times in my life I have had lived hard times but never without a home.
I'm sad for these people.
A small note on that, is that as union, he probably only knows construction plumbing, that means that he is unskilled for service and repair.
As a veteran cop with over 28 years experience … 99.9 of the homeless populace are homeless by choice.
“Don’t understand what you mean. There are no non-union shops anywhere? Or there are no repairs to do? Who’s doing it all?”
Mexican illegals....
Ever visit a California Home Depot around 8am?
It reminds me of a bumper sticker I see on a plumber's truck in my neighborhood: "Work Union, Live Better."
I have plenty of plumbing work I need done but not at union scale.
union slug, God forbid he should put an advert in the paper and try and work for himself...
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