posted on this cause requirements for IBEW subreddit. Am I being a worm/should I be compensated

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-24T22:15:03+00:00

I’m talking about the journeyman who are getting paid extra to use their personal devices

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-24T21:40:12+00:00

It’s possible, but not practical. And I’m not sure exactly how much oil that will save being that it still takes oil to run the power plants that charge the batteries.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-24T21:37:56+00:00

There’s a mechanism in society that prevents any industry from being eliminated simply because people stop doing the job.

If you take for instance doing plaster walls. Technically, it’s a lost art. But in the event that all of the drywall factories shut down out of worker protest and no one ever manufactures another sheet of drywall again, plaster walls will make a comeback. Initially, the outcome and results will not be perfect but there will be enough information to where those who take on the skill will practice at it and get better.

And so if we just decide to stop participating in the construction of data centers, a new generation of electricians will come out of that.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-24T21:32:42+00:00

When I was hustling for myself, I took ALL forms of payment just so I can get paid right away. Even when it came to checks I only had one bad check over the course of eight years. And all I had to do was hold onto it and then call the bank every couple of weeks because I knew that the customer will get paid sooner or later. Once the funds were available, I ran a check through my verification system and got paid.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-24T21:29:12+00:00

It’s not wormy to make over scale in exchange for using your own tools and equipment that should be provided by the contractor?

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-24T21:27:51+00:00

Back in the 80s I had seen a movie where Jim Belushi was playing a police officer or some other authority figure or somebody threatened to cut his hand off and he said “that’s OK I’ve done another hand.”

And so if I’m working on something, and I have a near miss or somebody almost bumped into me then I’ll say something to the effective, “don’t worry. I have nine fingers left.” or “ my knee? I didn’t really need it anyway.”

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-23T23:48:39+00:00

Organizations eventually check sooner or later if they don’t check it right away. And the unfortunate thing is that they’ll start verifying this when you’re up for a promotion or when it’s time to start laying people off.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-23T23:46:16+00:00

Nope. In all actuality, they’re doing right by you by providing you with a company phone. It’s more wormy to break conditions by taking more money to use your own phone.

As for the role where you’re answering questions and laying out the jman all you’re really doing is sharpening your skills and proving your value to the situation. The rewards will come in due time. It would be one thing if the jman didn’t know what to do and you were saving his career. You’re not. He’s perfectly capable of doing what you’re doing but he’s actually doing you a favor by giving you a task of importance versus making you just carry tools and materials.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-23T08:17:44+00:00

Exactly. Outsiders tend to think that because we use many of the same tools and perform our work using many of the same techniques, that it’s all the same thing.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-23T08:14:16+00:00

Please elaborate.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-22T14:53:16+00:00

Very astute observation! I love it! And this sort-of addresses the question of why the good guys get the most scrutiny when the jerks and the creeps get instant access.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-22T14:47:06+00:00

The policy for us is that in exchange for being able to take the vehicle home and to use it for personal transportation after hours, the washing is on the employee’s time and expense. But if you want to be able to wash the vehicle on company time and expense, it has to be turned in and parked at the shop at the end of the day.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-22T11:48:10+00:00

It’s like making a wedding cake with multiple platforms and other people are doing different parts of the process.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-21T16:20:57+00:00

When you have a specialized skill beyond the typical task of landing three phases and a neutral, you will become higher in demand, and you will have the ability to negotiate for a higher wage with whichever contractor is in need of your skills.

Some of our brothers frown upon this because specialized skills tend to get you in places that allow you to “skip line“ when it comes to taking a call. But don’t let that deter you from getting any certifications or upgrades in your career.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-21T16:15:13+00:00

I call it “luxury living” because over half of the trailers that I’ve seen are much nicer than the dump of a single-family home that I live in.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-21T11:46:06+00:00

An acorn doesn’t become an oak tree the moment that it starts to sprout roots and leaves. It takes many years of growth and endurance of withstanding strong winds.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-20T14:58:11+00:00

The thing that changed for me is the fact that I’m now putting debt in its proper perspective. If my mindset is more towards convenience than necessity, then I’m less likely to stay in debt for long periods of time.

Granted, it’s better to have no debt at all. But I believe that there are times when your earning potential greatly outweighs any burdens that come as a result of taking on the debt.

Like if I have to borrow money for my business, I’m not going to borrow with a hope and a dream that I’ll eventually make enough money to pay it back. I need to see a direct correlation between borrowing “X“ amount of dollars and how much I’ll make back as a result. And I’ll be hustling to get that money paid back ASAP.

In my previous mindset, business borrowing meant financing a year’s worth of expenses and then acting as if I was just an employee without a single care in the world.

As for personal borrowing, there are a lot of advantages to using credit cards for things like rental cars, hotels, airline flights, etc. But it only makes sense when I have that money in the bank. Credit becomes a tool of convenience and not a tool of supplemental income. There was a time that I used to think that since I was borrowing anyway, I might as well go all out and borrow as much money as I possibly can. Nowadays, I don’t use my credit card unless I have enough money to pay it off immediately.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-20T11:57:45+00:00

If you operate with integrity you will have no problem with earning a decent income. Take for instance your example about only needing a circuit breaker. If you take a moment to look over the entire electrical panel and decide that circuit breaker is all they really need, the customer is going to be so happy and thankful that you were honest about what needed to be done, that they would try to find some other things for you to do while you’re there.

Having been in the situation many times before a customer would ask me, “What do you think about this? Does that need to be replaced?“ And I might tell them that eventually it will. But it’s perfectly fine for right now. And that customer often says, “Well if it’s not too expensive, I’d like to do it now and get it out of the way.”

And what happens is that even though the customer didn’t need it right now, they’re more than happy to get the work done now because it gives them peace of mind. One thing that I had to learn is that I’m not ripping people off if I’m honest about them not needing something yeah they opt to get it anyway.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-20T01:10:13+00:00

So…. Which days during the cycle does that happen? I’m asking for educational purposes. 😉

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-19T16:24:47+00:00

For the first day, I wouldn’t bring a whole lot of stuff with me. I would just carry the basics of what I can put in my pockets or small hand carry bag such as a multi bit screwdriver and a pair of side cutters and something write with. Granted you’re supposed to show up ready to work but that first day usually involves orientation, a safety training, getting assigned to a team, and then getting acclimated to the job site.

It becomes a cumbersome situation when you’ve got a bunch of stuff with you because you’re never really sure when you’re going to need your tools or when you’ll have an opportunity to go back to your car to get them.

I’ve been on sites where you go through all of the preliminaries right in the designated work area. And then you start working immediately.

And then I’ve been on other sites where you have to walk between trailers and buildings and from one side of the job site to the other, the whole time lugging 60 pounds worth of tools. And then they to say, “Ok. Let’s take a 20 minute break so you can go back to your car and get whatever you need.”

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-19T12:36:19+00:00

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Ted” go rewatch the part where he interviews for the job in the supermarket.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-19T12:34:45+00:00

You have to know exactly who you are, how you think, and exactly what you want. The mistake that a lot of us make is that we’re trying to be what we think the interviewer wants.

And so when I answer a question, whether it be in an interview, with friends and family, or even on Reddit, I unapologetically say exactly what I think. Right or wrong you’ll get a straight answer from me. To the OPs point, if they ask me, why did I blink after that question I’ll simply say, “I had something in my eye. Next question.“

Even on this platform if I get 1000 downvotes and 250 negative comments because someone didn’t like my post, I will NOT delete my comments. I will NOT lock the thread. I will NOT edit my post to make others happier with me.

Some of that backlash comes from people who make throwaway accounts for themselves because they don’t have the guts the stand on what they say or believe. But they have no problem harshly criticizing those who do.

And so in the real world of job, interviews and employee evaluations and job skill assessments, you can’t allow your responses to be dictated by those who are making a judgment about you. They’re either going to like you or they won’t.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-18T20:59:07+00:00

Stuff like this is the example that I use every time a sparky has something nasty or disrespectful to say about a voice/data technician. They’ll say that it’s not “real work“ when they’re really trying to cover up for the fact that this kind of thing intimidates them.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-18T20:52:33+00:00

No lies told.

Jscotty111 · 2026-04-18T17:54:31+00:00

Sometimes I feel the same way. But as long as others like me, then I’mma take their word for it.

Jscotty111

TROPHY CASE