I work for an electrical contractor during the day and for the past 6 or 7 years I have been working steady at a manufacturing plant as the resident voice and data tech. We had a great thing going there and I did my best to provide the best service I could going above and beyond much of the time. About 2 months ago they hired a new finance guy who came from, of all places, one of the big three auto makers. I cannot understand why anyone would hire a finance guy from a company that has been begging billions from the US Government and is still about to go under. I have (or had) a sparkling reputation there. Received many comendations and letters of thanks from the management over the years. I worked hard to consoladate as many of the jobs as I could to give them extra bang for the buck and save money time and time again.
This new guy requested to speak with me and had "questions" so I was forthright with all my answers and basicly a good doobie. He took the things i said and imedeiatly sent out an email requestion to get my pay reduced, suggested I was unqualified to do parts of the work (programming the phone system) and suggested that we were charging them no matter if I was there working or not!! Of course when I confronted him with this he denied it and said I was out of line and that he was very complementary of me. It has been a long long time since i have met such a lying SOB as this guy. Now they have brought in his pals to try and take over my job. All the people that I had worked for there are begining to run for cover to save their ass's. It is a sad end to a great place. I made many friends there that i shall cherish and miss; Walter, Madeline, Ann, Sue, Cindy, Barb, Jeannie, Pat, Bill, Gerry, Linda, Brad, Chuck, Jennie, Clem, and even some of the plant people like Greg, John, and Chuck. You all made me feel so welcome and like I really belonged somewhere for the first time in my life. I shall cherish the feeling as long as I live and be greatful to you all forever. My wish for you all is that you can survive this man who seems to hold everyone's fate in his cold lying hands. He has a couple of helpers in all this too. For the time being they will reign supreme but things always change and they will fall from grace. When they do it will be a friendless cold fall. I will celebrate silently when I hear the news.
To my good friends; Love and luck.
Mark
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Jobber Musicians
I hate to use this forum to vent and I know I will probably take a beating for this one. I live in St Louis Missouri. Over the last few years I have had to search for replacentments for my band now and then when a player decides to move on. Reguardless of the position each time I place an ad I would get answers from what I call 'jobbers'. These are musicians that are like hired guns. They will play with anyone anytime anywhere. Some of them are players in weekend bands and try to get fill in gigs whereever they can during ther band's off days. So why, you might be asking, do I have a problem with this/
I will tell you. These are musicians that could not make it as a professional but didnt want to join society and get a regular job. Many of them work part time in a music store or giving lessons but play for a living. My problem is that guys like me go to work, earn money to buy the PA equipment nessessary to do the gigs and do all the legwork to book the jobs and whatever else is required to put a band together and keep it busy. The 'jobber' player shows up just to make his/her money and thats it. They share no risk or responsibility. What'a more, they have a personal schedule that they are constantly trying to fill so while you are working to put money into everyone's pockets by booking work they are actually working against your interests by booking their own personal schedule that will in all likelyhood conflict with yours. And when it does conflict with yours guess who will get the short end of things? Well, It wont be them, I can assure you. The the majority are drummers and to a man they are really great guys. It's a livestyle for them. I feel a little sorry for them because sooner or later father time will catch up with them and they will have to join the working world. They will be old with no skills, no pensions living in an apartment or trailer somewhere eking out a living hand to mouth.
None of the bands I know around town job out with 60 plus year old guys unless its the symphony.
I will tell you. These are musicians that could not make it as a professional but didnt want to join society and get a regular job. Many of them work part time in a music store or giving lessons but play for a living. My problem is that guys like me go to work, earn money to buy the PA equipment nessessary to do the gigs and do all the legwork to book the jobs and whatever else is required to put a band together and keep it busy. The 'jobber' player shows up just to make his/her money and thats it. They share no risk or responsibility. What'a more, they have a personal schedule that they are constantly trying to fill so while you are working to put money into everyone's pockets by booking work they are actually working against your interests by booking their own personal schedule that will in all likelyhood conflict with yours. And when it does conflict with yours guess who will get the short end of things? Well, It wont be them, I can assure you. The the majority are drummers and to a man they are really great guys. It's a livestyle for them. I feel a little sorry for them because sooner or later father time will catch up with them and they will have to join the working world. They will be old with no skills, no pensions living in an apartment or trailer somewhere eking out a living hand to mouth.
None of the bands I know around town job out with 60 plus year old guys unless its the symphony.
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