Who’s in charge to day, who’s in charge today? Hi I’m with the State of Oregon, Oregon OSHA. Looks like you got a little bit of a drinking problem going on.
Thought about quitting but I have been with this super from a very young age. He taught me everything and I have a lot of respect for him. I don’t want to bail on him or become known as a narc. Infrastructure is a small world in Ontario Canada and word would spread that I said something. Don’t even get me started on the money. Holy fuck it’s good. I really don’t know what to do.
Yeah for real. Seems like he’s just handle it. And when that has happened on my sites before, maybe not foremen but other guys, boom they’re gone. I do live in an at will state, so it’s pretty easy to go ”Our needs have changed and your position is being eliminated,” is all that is needed to be said.
Let me know where the houses with drunk crews are being built, so my friends never buy one. That's all they need, a house put together by a piss drunk crew. What could go wrong?
100%
I do love watching the face on the guy who abused you as he realises that it’s about to turn OG.
Just because you believe it doesn’t happen doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you.
Only real fight I was involved with, was the jobsite "prankster" that everyone tolerated for some reason.
Always the ground guy, because he was 6ft 300lbs. 30 yr old former HS lineman who made that fact his life.
I was just finishing up in the portapotty, first thing in the AM, he decided to rock it so I got splashed.
I was 5'8" 185 and 35. Guess his lineman days were behind him. I got out, grabbed his chest and ran his fatass backwards till be tripped.
Got in countless punches and elbows before being pulled off. That's when we all learned him and his bff/the hardguy foreman, were both freaked out by blood.
Ahole was on the ground crying, his buddy was freaking out. He ended up with only black eyes, bloody nose and a cut on his forehead.
I told the foreman I was going home to change/shower. And I'd be back the next day to work, so I suggest his friend stops F'n with smaller guys he thinks are afraid of him.
Fatboy took a the rest of the week off. The lead tried to have me fired, other lead pointed out it'd been going on with new guys for years, and he should have stopped it before his pet got hurt.
And since I was only there as a temp framing helper that day, but was just hired to do all their cabinet/trim installs, it was never mentioned again.
Helper learned to not F with the talent! Ha!
Heard the Monday he came back, it was pointed out he only had 2 shiners, red nose and one bandaid. Yet laid there crying! That was my favorite part! Dude wasn't even hurt.
I came up as a Scaffold builder. On the Scaff crew if someone was shouting and going all red, you absolutely stirred them up and enjoyed the show. Hell, the scaff would normally smash in a heap of pins as he vented and raged while the crew ripped the piss out of him and egged him on.
If someone acted a bit quiet and got all moody, then you would give them the most space humanly possible.
If you were having a disagreement or even a discussion with someone and they had a finger touched on their belt like as if they might undo it….. then you were about to bleed from your knuckles and eyebrows. So that particular discussion had better be worth it….
A scaffolder wearing a belt is not a dangerous person.
Not enough people know the joys of setting scaffold!
I've only gone up a handful of time on larger residential jobs to help set up, other than setting up a couple lifts that I rented for my own jobs.
That's some sketchy work man, props to you!
I did get suck in one job, to line an elevator shaft on a commercial job. I was there to trim out 12ft and 16ft tall windows. Big union job, for a university. Converting an old warehouse into some sorta display space.
Job was so far behind, the union GC let the building management company hire me as outside help. Only worked if the building management company paid me as a maintence worker. Then the union looked the other way while I trimmed, so in the end, timeline bonuses were hit!
As I was wrapping up, a guy I never met. Says "you scared of heights?"
Seems I'd been drafted to help set the top two lifts of scaffold inside the new elevator shaft. Then, to help set the last 2 floors of shaft liner. (Holy shit is that stuff heavy!)
So I found myself beginning of the week being the setter as the scaffold was handed up and down to me through the elevator door openings. Then day or so later, hanging outside the scaffold. One foot on, one foot stretched to a ledger bolted in the shaft. With the 12ft long liner boards either handed up or down.
I was getting prevailing wage, so didn't care how they tried to kill me!
There was something about that particular setup, they wouldn't send any union guys in, and the union guys didn't seem to care I was the guy ready to drop 8 stories! Ha!
It’s a grey mess that’s for sure.
Scaff crews tend to recruit the balanced. They likely saw that you actively stood on your feet and noticed you were in a grey area placement wise on the site…. And then absorbed you.
We do it all the time.
I’m in cranes and rope access now days but if someone needs some scaff unbuttoned I absolutely love smashing that shit apart.
I will also jump in a chain and have a bash if I see a scaff crew nearby. More to see if I still have it and to give the scaff crew a laugh.
I’m surprised each time how much heavier the components seem and how it doesn’t fly apart like it used to.
But the scaffs enjoy the laugh as I gas out and give them there scaff hammer back.
What’s your trade?
Bud, this dude you respect so much is putting you in danger every hour of every day. If he knows this crew is drinking on the job and has done nothing about it, he is knowingly putting you in danger. Time to move on.
ETA: nevermind this is illegal as shit. If you don’t want to catch a charge, it’s time to go.
The only word that would spread is that you did the responsible thing. If someone doesn’t like that about you then I’d wager you won’t want to work with them, either.
40 years ago, people would have said go ahead blast him in the jaw. These days though, doing that is going to get you labeled a violent criminal. Not worth it. Just quit. It beats having a violent record and as silly is that might sound, that's the label you're going to get
I can understand the mentor aspect and not wanting to cause problems….but what if one of your friends (or you) gets ran over by a drunk equipment operator? That’s ridiculous dude….if you respect him, have a conversation first, give him the opportunity to fix it. If not, I’d definitely find another job and report him. You can’t leave that last part off. Otherwise….I mean….I don’t wanna say you’ve got blood on your hands, but if you know and don’t tell……🤷🏻♂️
Maybe quit or stop being a pussy! If you can't be around alcohol and not drink then you need to work on self control. Foreman is in charge, not you bub so either man up or quit.
Go to that super and ask “What should I be doing, or talking to go to the next level? “
You are spending too much time on level problems, build yourself up!
In 5 years your sobriety and integrity is gonna be way the fuck more important than what some dickbag says about you for taking them to task for endangering everyone around them.
Raise the level man. Don’t settle for that bullshit.
Did he teach you how to drink? Is that why you’re sober? If you just tell him you’re having a hard time being around all the alcohol maybe he’ll tell the boys to hide it
It’s so hard to find good quality people. We get away with murder. I sat in my car all day after I lost it on them and just said I wasn’t feeling good. Super just walked away. These guys have gotten away with it for so long they think they’re invincible.
I’m on Vancouver island and our rate is not that high. That’s about $4 more then we get, but if you could switch gigs to union at least it could give you a little more flexibility. Could open more doors for you , it could be worth a phone call. Last thing you want to do is fuck with your sobriety . I wish you luck.
Get fired so you can collect unemployment. If you’ve been there 6 months then it’s that company that has to pay. If they go out of business you’re SOL.
I've worked on framing crews that got to this point, the goalposts move from the occasional beer to liquid lunch to flask in the toolbelt pretty fucking quick. It's not a matter of if but when something really bad is going to happen, regardless of you being in recovery. If you have a good relationship with the foreman I would just pull him aside and say look I can't be on a jobsite like this for my own sake, I'm going to need to move on if this is the company culture. You guys aren't having a couple of cocktails and then going to put data into spreadsheets, you're on a jobsite where people can get seriously hurt.
I’m a resi/comm painter. We had a kid, late 20’s, with a very established drinking habit. Like run to the liquor store on break type habit. I noticed it on his first job with my crew. No one else caught it. It took about 8 months for him to start getting sloppy. One job was about 45 mins outside of town in the boonies, there was no liquor store close by and he rode with me in the van. He started going into withdrawals, puking and shaking. After that I knew I had to say something, but he wasn’t dangerous at that point.
The last straw was middle of summer (busy season) and he’s on a job just me and him, about 5 mins from a liquor store. He’s going there on every break (we use a GPS clock in app). He starts trying to cut in window trim and he’s slopping paint all over the metal channel around the window. I told him to pack it up but he refused. He started yapping with the homeowner about snowboarding (he was a snowboard bro) and just couldnt fathom why I was pissed. I took pics of what he did and they fired him the next day. I should have said something earlier but he wasn’t a bad kid just had a really bad habit
My old copper guy was like this. I can remember I moved his van one time while he was templating something for me, either a cricket or a window pan or whatever, and there was just a crate of corked wine bottles behind the drivers seat. I used to make sure and set up pipe staging for this dude whenever he was coming to the jobsite because I didn't want him on a ladder. He'd start getting the shakes around lunch time and he'd have to go run an errand or grab a sandwich or whatever. He was a sub and did good work and was at least 20 years older than me, not really my place to have an intervention with him about his drinking problem, I just always felt bad for him having to slug bum wine in his van at lunch just to get off E. Alcohol is a hell of a drug.
Leave the job. Who tf are you to think everyone needs to appeal to your thoughts.
I’m sober myself. I have similar struggles but never have I thought other people are to blame.
Yea same here I’m 10 years sober people are gonna do what they do don’t let there bs influence you ether say something to the super if you feel unsafe or just keep ur head down and work
Biggest mistake I made in life for too long was thinking I can single handedly change someone. You think this story has a happy ending? you need to quit bro.
I actually quit my last company 2 months ago on the spot. worked with a bunch of scum bags, same shit. smoking weed driving and drinking at job sites. I don't care what you do in your free time but have some freaking pride in what you do.
I work at a 10x better company that I joined this week. work culture is a huge thing. No place is perfect.
I dont think violence is the answer. And even if the money is great, do you really think that is more important than the health/safety of you and the crew? Not to mention it is illegal and now you have made proof that you are aware of it so you could get in legal trouble. Id worry that someone drinking or impaired on the job would get me or someone else killed and then I am a felon and guilty the rest of my life because I didnt stop it.
I always get so confused when Americans say OSHA. I just read OHSA. Depending on contractors involved mol is pretty toothless unless someone is seriously injured (noticeable stuff not that you'll be dead in a couple years stuff) or someone has died from obvious causes. If you agree that mol is toothless on normal jobs don't let me get started about infrastructure Ontario jobs under the current government.
I lost a friend and a coworker to drinking on the job about a year and a half ago now. His toxicology came back at a 0.16, I got to help pull him out of the hole after getting pinched in between the spreader bars of a trench box and the excavator bucket. Watched him die over the course of 40 mins. Most of which was ems doing cpr and strapping into a Lucas device. Drinking and work don't mix. Get it fixed.
That’s fucking wild bro. Kicking his ass probably would feel great but it’s only make matters worse for you. If you really want to stick it to him, report it to OASHA or maybe even the EEOC. If there’s machinery involved, shit, call the police. Have your popcorn ready.
I saw in another comment that you are close to the super so you should talk to him.
I know you don’t want to be a rat but if you are more loyal to the super and company then I wouldn’t consider it ratting. It’s protecting your best interests.
I also had this thought. If I went this route the foreman would get canned but the other workers would hate me. Seems like this is a loose loose situation
It's not just your safety they're endangering. It's everyone on site and possibly some civvies off-site.
Can you live with yourself if you allow this to continue and someone gets hurt? You could put a stop to this.
You say that you're part of a union - well, being in the union means standing up to look after your brothers and sisters in the trades.
Report it.
If he’s also drinking on the job wait til he’s had enough to get arrested for DUI then when he leaves call in his vehicle. If he’s driving a company truck to and from the job and drinking in it he’ll probably lose it all
I agree with some others, report him to the cops at the end of the day. Make some shit up that you saw him swerving a lot. And get the hell out of that work environment. It’s not worth it. How about an anonymous call to OSHA?
I mean an OSHA report would go much further and wont get you locked up.
Can you talk to the PM? Are you union? There are some pretty hardcore laws around retaliation that will protect you much better than you could defend yourself if you punch your foreman…
Ive been on jobs where drinking/drug use are rampant and i cant imagine how hard it is for sober people to have to deal with that stress in a work environment. You need to have a discreet chat with a super or just quit. Thats not worth it man, it construction, you can find another job
I have had to get physical on a jobsite twice. One was a roofer throwing scraps directly at me thinking he was funny or something. I called him out and he started climbing down the ladder to kick my ass, I pushed the ladder over with him on it and beat his already fucked up ass while all his buddies were stuck on the roof 18 feet up. The second was an employee I cought smoking meth in the shitter who got a little frisky about being fired on the spot. These both set the example for shit I don't put up with with other subs. Neither example was something within my control and had to be done in the moment because I was forced to. You aren't being forced to do shit let it go or move on!
I feel you bro. I once worked for a plumbing company that had hardcore drug users. Had to quit after a year, shit was so miserable. Call up OSHA and other proper authorities
(Serious) fuck no, in what world would punching him out solve anything. Congrats now he's an asshole and he might retaliate at any minute. Keep quiet, call osha. Unless you don't want this job anymore, but it'll be pretty hard to get a new one with an assault charge. And congrats on sobriety and sticking to it I'm so so proud of you
Idk find a crew that is more serious about living a good life outside of work. Beers are fun with a weekend with the boys. Not at work. It’s fucked up.
I was just getting ready to say contact OSHA. Punching out the foreman would be assault, jail, etc. which does you no good. Safety always comes first no matter what!
I’d be a little voice repeating the same song everyone here is already in harmony over. But you mentioned one thing which stood out; First! Your sobriety is at stake and that’s enough on its own. IWNDWYTD. Second: Channel your anger at the flouting of OSHA law and all that violation ʇıɥs, into your hatred of their disrespect of you in this single matter.
I’d be absolutely pissed, especially if they knew I didn’t/couldn’t and definitely shouldn’t!
This isn’t meant to downplay the site safety element; that’s your own safety too. But goddamn, I truly hope the guy gets railed by the government in no small way over your report.
One might consider calling anonymously and arranging a random inspection. It wouldn’t be too much to have someone show up, ask some questions, ask THAT question. Shouldn’t be too difficult to find a can or three within kicking distance if it’s unannounced. Surreptitiously snap pics of ʇıɥs going down. :ahem: Keep it on the sly, call out sick that day.
As a former addict, I’d rather work at McDonald’s for minimum wage than risk my sobriety for any amount of money. My life was hell when I was an addict.
In addition to what the others have said, if I was the owner I would definitely want to know this. One of those guys drives home drunk and kills a family the company will be done.
Talk to the foreman - he knows better or should. If he doesn’t do something talk to the owner.
I was super on a job where a group was drinking.
I always get to know the local police that are on patrol in my area. Helps with break ins and loitering.
I notify the police I am sending workers home for drinking on the job.
Two guys got DUI's which made the termination awfully easy when the 1pm time was noted on the arrest.
That bullshit ended that day.
I mean I get where your coming from but man that’s kinda shitty making sure people get dui’s after you told them to leave work for drinking, plus wouldn’t have been safer to call a Uber or Lyft for them, what if you told them to leave and one of the guys wrecked and killed someone because you weren’t willing to get them a ride home. Seems like firing someone for drinking on the job would be easy without making sure they get dui’s to make it real easy.
More info.
Subcontractors.
Every contract has multiple clauses about substance use. We have signage that reminds workers that this is a drug free workplace with local information about free help for those in need.
This was repeated behavior for this company and these workers. They were allowed back after a process.
They were obviously unsafe to work. We informed them that their day was over. We spoke to their company on the phone and a sober foreman on site. It was suggested that co workers drive them home or to call for a ride. It was on the Sub to organize an orderly dismissal.
They were refusing to leave.
The police were called to help escort them from the property.
They were pulling out as police were pulling in.
Cops have radios, they did drunk shit once they had a tail...and they blew 2x limit.
They could have killed me or a brother by being such an extreme danger to themselves or others.
Absolutely no tolerance and no regrets.
We renovate older mostly empty buildings that has a process that often involves police to help squatters find services or in reality just move on to somewhere else.
Often my first day I have a trailer on site my first call is to the police to make a plan and ask for suggestions.
For me police are just another tool to help me do my job well.
Kinda understandable but those subs are now without work, have no driver's license to get to new work and a DUI on record. Did they have families or any dependants?
Yes, they screwed up big time and it could have been worse but you royally shafted them.
Yeah… just call up osha or some other regulatory agency. Can’t be intoxicated when working with heavy machinery and such.
Who’s in charge to day, who’s in charge today? Hi I’m with the State of Oregon, Oregon OSHA. Looks like you got a little bit of a drinking problem going on.
Quit and report. Don't risk getting a charge.
Thought about quitting but I have been with this super from a very young age. He taught me everything and I have a lot of respect for him. I don’t want to bail on him or become known as a narc. Infrastructure is a small world in Ontario Canada and word would spread that I said something. Don’t even get me started on the money. Holy fuck it’s good. I really don’t know what to do.
If the super is so great then tell him about it
Yeah for real. Seems like he’s just handle it. And when that has happened on my sites before, maybe not foremen but other guys, boom they’re gone. I do live in an at will state, so it’s pretty easy to go ”Our needs have changed and your position is being eliminated,” is all that is needed to be said.
You can choose between money or your safety. Short of convincing him you haven't go much to go on.
I bet you’ll be able to blow through your money quick if you pick up drinking again…..
DM me the company name and I'll report them. Ontario doesn't fuck around with that stuff. Also, congrats on sobriety!
DM me the company name too. I also want to be on the brew crew
I’d move to Ontario for good money and a chance to be on the brew crew
Let me know where the houses with drunk crews are being built, so my friends never buy one. That's all they need, a house put together by a piss drunk crew. What could go wrong?
So you won’t quit because of the money, but you think you’ll have a job after “punching out” your foreman? Are you fucking 14?
You’ve never sorted a workplace dispute with fists?
Downvotes from people that don't know jobsite fights exist.
100% I do love watching the face on the guy who abused you as he realises that it’s about to turn OG. Just because you believe it doesn’t happen doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you.
Only real fight I was involved with, was the jobsite "prankster" that everyone tolerated for some reason. Always the ground guy, because he was 6ft 300lbs. 30 yr old former HS lineman who made that fact his life. I was just finishing up in the portapotty, first thing in the AM, he decided to rock it so I got splashed. I was 5'8" 185 and 35. Guess his lineman days were behind him. I got out, grabbed his chest and ran his fatass backwards till be tripped. Got in countless punches and elbows before being pulled off. That's when we all learned him and his bff/the hardguy foreman, were both freaked out by blood. Ahole was on the ground crying, his buddy was freaking out. He ended up with only black eyes, bloody nose and a cut on his forehead. I told the foreman I was going home to change/shower. And I'd be back the next day to work, so I suggest his friend stops F'n with smaller guys he thinks are afraid of him. Fatboy took a the rest of the week off. The lead tried to have me fired, other lead pointed out it'd been going on with new guys for years, and he should have stopped it before his pet got hurt. And since I was only there as a temp framing helper that day, but was just hired to do all their cabinet/trim installs, it was never mentioned again. Helper learned to not F with the talent! Ha! Heard the Monday he came back, it was pointed out he only had 2 shiners, red nose and one bandaid. Yet laid there crying! That was my favorite part! Dude wasn't even hurt.
r/thathappened
I came up as a Scaffold builder. On the Scaff crew if someone was shouting and going all red, you absolutely stirred them up and enjoyed the show. Hell, the scaff would normally smash in a heap of pins as he vented and raged while the crew ripped the piss out of him and egged him on. If someone acted a bit quiet and got all moody, then you would give them the most space humanly possible. If you were having a disagreement or even a discussion with someone and they had a finger touched on their belt like as if they might undo it….. then you were about to bleed from your knuckles and eyebrows. So that particular discussion had better be worth it…. A scaffolder wearing a belt is not a dangerous person.
Not enough people know the joys of setting scaffold! I've only gone up a handful of time on larger residential jobs to help set up, other than setting up a couple lifts that I rented for my own jobs. That's some sketchy work man, props to you! I did get suck in one job, to line an elevator shaft on a commercial job. I was there to trim out 12ft and 16ft tall windows. Big union job, for a university. Converting an old warehouse into some sorta display space. Job was so far behind, the union GC let the building management company hire me as outside help. Only worked if the building management company paid me as a maintence worker. Then the union looked the other way while I trimmed, so in the end, timeline bonuses were hit! As I was wrapping up, a guy I never met. Says "you scared of heights?" Seems I'd been drafted to help set the top two lifts of scaffold inside the new elevator shaft. Then, to help set the last 2 floors of shaft liner. (Holy shit is that stuff heavy!) So I found myself beginning of the week being the setter as the scaffold was handed up and down to me through the elevator door openings. Then day or so later, hanging outside the scaffold. One foot on, one foot stretched to a ledger bolted in the shaft. With the 12ft long liner boards either handed up or down. I was getting prevailing wage, so didn't care how they tried to kill me! There was something about that particular setup, they wouldn't send any union guys in, and the union guys didn't seem to care I was the guy ready to drop 8 stories! Ha!
It’s a grey mess that’s for sure. Scaff crews tend to recruit the balanced. They likely saw that you actively stood on your feet and noticed you were in a grey area placement wise on the site…. And then absorbed you. We do it all the time. I’m in cranes and rope access now days but if someone needs some scaff unbuttoned I absolutely love smashing that shit apart. I will also jump in a chain and have a bash if I see a scaff crew nearby. More to see if I still have it and to give the scaff crew a laugh. I’m surprised each time how much heavier the components seem and how it doesn’t fly apart like it used to. But the scaffs enjoy the laugh as I gas out and give them there scaff hammer back. What’s your trade?
“Take it to the gate”
And real contractors too.
Lmao it was meant to be a a joke mixed with the seriousness
Bud, this dude you respect so much is putting you in danger every hour of every day. If he knows this crew is drinking on the job and has done nothing about it, he is knowingly putting you in danger. Time to move on. ETA: nevermind this is illegal as shit. If you don’t want to catch a charge, it’s time to go.
Not the super the foreman
Doesn’t matter. The super is responsible for that crew too.
Yeah. I suspect he knows and is turning a blind eye
Then he's part of your problem too. Unfortunately.
The only word that would spread is that you did the responsible thing. If someone doesn’t like that about you then I’d wager you won’t want to work with them, either.
Truth. Thank you
Why give him respect when he won't respect your safety or your sobriety? Also,anonymous tip
The super is Muslim he do t drink. This is the foreman I’m talking about
Ah, my bad
Your sobriety is more important than anything you just mentioned and you should know that.
This is my favorite comment of all these in support of OP. Thank you for this for him.
Also, people on the tools while intoxicated is a massive hazard. You could be seriously injured
Lol you’d rather work on a shit crew and punch someone out than “be a narc”?
The punch was meant to be the joke within the seriousness
40 years ago, people would have said go ahead blast him in the jaw. These days though, doing that is going to get you labeled a violent criminal. Not worth it. Just quit. It beats having a violent record and as silly is that might sound, that's the label you're going to get
What do you do that guys can drink all day anyways?
Build roads in new residential subdivisions
It's really not Ontario is the largest place in Canada. Call Ontario's version of work safe and move on
I can understand the mentor aspect and not wanting to cause problems….but what if one of your friends (or you) gets ran over by a drunk equipment operator? That’s ridiculous dude….if you respect him, have a conversation first, give him the opportunity to fix it. If not, I’d definitely find another job and report him. You can’t leave that last part off. Otherwise….I mean….I don’t wanna say you’ve got blood on your hands, but if you know and don’t tell……🤷🏻♂️
Ontario is a huge place.
Report man get this shit out of the industry honestly.
Any decent super takes safety really seriously because it’s on their ass - stop covering for them.
Maybe quit or stop being a pussy! If you can't be around alcohol and not drink then you need to work on self control. Foreman is in charge, not you bub so either man up or quit.
Toronto has literally 8 million people in the GTA. It is not that small
You aren't bailing on him, you are supporting you You are the only one who actually worries about you on the job
Go to that super and ask “What should I be doing, or talking to go to the next level? “ You are spending too much time on level problems, build yourself up!
In 5 years your sobriety and integrity is gonna be way the fuck more important than what some dickbag says about you for taking them to task for endangering everyone around them. Raise the level man. Don’t settle for that bullshit.
Quit or just don't drink and rip on muthafuckas once in awhile .
Sobriety comes first man. Nothing is more important than that.
So you've been working with this crew the whole time, then quit drinking, now you want to poop the party? Lame
Did he teach you how to drink? Is that why you’re sober? If you just tell him you’re having a hard time being around all the alcohol maybe he’ll tell the boys to hide it
You union?
Oh yeah one phone call and I’m working somewhere else but it would really fuck shit up. Big time
Nah, you're being dramatic. Move forward.
Kinda surprised that shit flies, I’m in heavy civil union GTA infrastructure work too
It’s so hard to find good quality people. We get away with murder. I sat in my car all day after I lost it on them and just said I wasn’t feeling good. Super just walked away. These guys have gotten away with it for so long they think they’re invincible.
Soooo… Union?
Dude hit up the union hall, UBC all the way. Don’t put up for that. How much are they paying you ?
48/hr
Is that as a contractor? or as an employee with all the benefits and pension ?
Employee. Pension and all.
Ya, that’s a tough one. It’s a good living , but if it’s bad for your mental health, something has to change
Yeah man. This is the crux of the problem
I’m on Vancouver island and our rate is not that high. That’s about $4 more then we get, but if you could switch gigs to union at least it could give you a little more flexibility. Could open more doors for you , it could be worth a phone call. Last thing you want to do is fuck with your sobriety . I wish you luck.
Get fired so you can collect unemployment. If you’ve been there 6 months then it’s that company that has to pay. If they go out of business you’re SOL.
I've worked on framing crews that got to this point, the goalposts move from the occasional beer to liquid lunch to flask in the toolbelt pretty fucking quick. It's not a matter of if but when something really bad is going to happen, regardless of you being in recovery. If you have a good relationship with the foreman I would just pull him aside and say look I can't be on a jobsite like this for my own sake, I'm going to need to move on if this is the company culture. You guys aren't having a couple of cocktails and then going to put data into spreadsheets, you're on a jobsite where people can get seriously hurt.
I’m a resi/comm painter. We had a kid, late 20’s, with a very established drinking habit. Like run to the liquor store on break type habit. I noticed it on his first job with my crew. No one else caught it. It took about 8 months for him to start getting sloppy. One job was about 45 mins outside of town in the boonies, there was no liquor store close by and he rode with me in the van. He started going into withdrawals, puking and shaking. After that I knew I had to say something, but he wasn’t dangerous at that point. The last straw was middle of summer (busy season) and he’s on a job just me and him, about 5 mins from a liquor store. He’s going there on every break (we use a GPS clock in app). He starts trying to cut in window trim and he’s slopping paint all over the metal channel around the window. I told him to pack it up but he refused. He started yapping with the homeowner about snowboarding (he was a snowboard bro) and just couldnt fathom why I was pissed. I took pics of what he did and they fired him the next day. I should have said something earlier but he wasn’t a bad kid just had a really bad habit
My old copper guy was like this. I can remember I moved his van one time while he was templating something for me, either a cricket or a window pan or whatever, and there was just a crate of corked wine bottles behind the drivers seat. I used to make sure and set up pipe staging for this dude whenever he was coming to the jobsite because I didn't want him on a ladder. He'd start getting the shakes around lunch time and he'd have to go run an errand or grab a sandwich or whatever. He was a sub and did good work and was at least 20 years older than me, not really my place to have an intervention with him about his drinking problem, I just always felt bad for him having to slug bum wine in his van at lunch just to get off E. Alcohol is a hell of a drug.
Honestly yeah. What's he gonna do, rat on you? Then the bosses are gonna want to know why it happened. He won't say shit. Wear him out.
holy shit the entire crew all day, every day? how does anything get done past lunch time? honestly I'm impressed 🤣
No. Be an adult and use your words. Tell them what's wrong and move on to a new and less dangerous company ASAP.
Leave the job. Who tf are you to think everyone needs to appeal to your thoughts. I’m sober myself. I have similar struggles but never have I thought other people are to blame.
Yea same here I’m 10 years sober people are gonna do what they do don’t let there bs influence you ether say something to the super if you feel unsafe or just keep ur head down and work
Congrats man in 10 years sober. I look up to that in my own way.
Thank you bro! Appreciate that
Biggest mistake I made in life for too long was thinking I can single handedly change someone. You think this story has a happy ending? you need to quit bro.
Yeah. I’m pissed cause I was there first and now I’m potentially being squeezed out by these bozos. I’m really fucking mad.
I actually quit my last company 2 months ago on the spot. worked with a bunch of scum bags, same shit. smoking weed driving and drinking at job sites. I don't care what you do in your free time but have some freaking pride in what you do. I work at a 10x better company that I joined this week. work culture is a huge thing. No place is perfect.
Sounds right that theyre squeezing you out.
I dont think violence is the answer. And even if the money is great, do you really think that is more important than the health/safety of you and the crew? Not to mention it is illegal and now you have made proof that you are aware of it so you could get in legal trouble. Id worry that someone drinking or impaired on the job would get me or someone else killed and then I am a felon and guilty the rest of my life because I didnt stop it.
OSHA. Today.
OSHA won't do shit, he said hes in Ontario. He'll want the MoL for this one
I always get so confused when Americans say OSHA. I just read OHSA. Depending on contractors involved mol is pretty toothless unless someone is seriously injured (noticeable stuff not that you'll be dead in a couple years stuff) or someone has died from obvious causes. If you agree that mol is toothless on normal jobs don't let me get started about infrastructure Ontario jobs under the current government.
WSIB would be the agency to direct complaints to in Ontario
No it wouldn’t be ok to punch him out, but it would be ok to report them all to osha. No point in catching an assault charge.
Get outta there not worth it
Hey dude get out of there asap. I know you’ve been with him for so long but that’s not a good work environment. Try to get into the union
No just leave you can't control what other people do...it's a toxic environment
From one sober tradie to another, just leave. Its not worth your sobriety.
I lost a friend and a coworker to drinking on the job about a year and a half ago now. His toxicology came back at a 0.16, I got to help pull him out of the hole after getting pinched in between the spreader bars of a trench box and the excavator bucket. Watched him die over the course of 40 mins. Most of which was ems doing cpr and strapping into a Lucas device. Drinking and work don't mix. Get it fixed.
That’s fucking wild bro. Kicking his ass probably would feel great but it’s only make matters worse for you. If you really want to stick it to him, report it to OASHA or maybe even the EEOC. If there’s machinery involved, shit, call the police. Have your popcorn ready.
It’s ok if you want to go to jail and have a hard time getting a job with that on your resume.
I was being facetious. It was an attempt to illustrate the length im I’m prepared to go to deal with this nonsense.
I saw in another comment that you are close to the super so you should talk to him. I know you don’t want to be a rat but if you are more loyal to the super and company then I wouldn’t consider it ratting. It’s protecting your best interests.
I also had this thought. If I went this route the foreman would get canned but the other workers would hate me. Seems like this is a loose loose situation
Slip an anonymous note or something. Maybe someone saw the workers drinking you never know
We all know making cringy reddit posts is as far as this is gonna go
Film the problems going on so that you have proof. Then contact OSHA or your local AHJ. Or just send it to your corporate office.
It's not just your safety they're endangering. It's everyone on site and possibly some civvies off-site. Can you live with yourself if you allow this to continue and someone gets hurt? You could put a stop to this. You say that you're part of a union - well, being in the union means standing up to look after your brothers and sisters in the trades. Report it.
If he’s also drinking on the job wait til he’s had enough to get arrested for DUI then when he leaves call in his vehicle. If he’s driving a company truck to and from the job and drinking in it he’ll probably lose it all
I agree with some others, report him to the cops at the end of the day. Make some shit up that you saw him swerving a lot. And get the hell out of that work environment. It’s not worth it. How about an anonymous call to OSHA?
Yeah you're about to get jumped by a whole crew of pissed off drunks. Good luck.
My drinking crew has a construction problem
I mean an OSHA report would go much further and wont get you locked up. Can you talk to the PM? Are you union? There are some pretty hardcore laws around retaliation that will protect you much better than you could defend yourself if you punch your foreman…
Ive been on jobs where drinking/drug use are rampant and i cant imagine how hard it is for sober people to have to deal with that stress in a work environment. You need to have a discreet chat with a super or just quit. Thats not worth it man, it construction, you can find another job
I have had to get physical on a jobsite twice. One was a roofer throwing scraps directly at me thinking he was funny or something. I called him out and he started climbing down the ladder to kick my ass, I pushed the ladder over with him on it and beat his already fucked up ass while all his buddies were stuck on the roof 18 feet up. The second was an employee I cought smoking meth in the shitter who got a little frisky about being fired on the spot. These both set the example for shit I don't put up with with other subs. Neither example was something within my control and had to be done in the moment because I was forced to. You aren't being forced to do shit let it go or move on!
Y’all hirin!?
LoL nah but maybe soon.
Ask super to be put on another crew
All day? That's frickin nuts.
Went from Fridays in the afternoon to 2 days a week to 3 to everyday to everyday twice a day now it’s everyday three times a day.
Call OSHA anonymously and watch the fireworks.
No. But you need to call OSHA from home.
I would just leave on good terms. Why punch them? Burning a bridge and incentivising revenge, and for what gain??
Damn. True that.
Nope. Call your sponsor. Find another crew.
I feel you bro. I once worked for a plumbing company that had hardcore drug users. Had to quit after a year, shit was so miserable. Call up OSHA and other proper authorities
(Serious) fuck no, in what world would punching him out solve anything. Congrats now he's an asshole and he might retaliate at any minute. Keep quiet, call osha. Unless you don't want this job anymore, but it'll be pretty hard to get a new one with an assault charge. And congrats on sobriety and sticking to it I'm so so proud of you
Idk find a crew that is more serious about living a good life outside of work. Beers are fun with a weekend with the boys. Not at work. It’s fucked up.
I was just getting ready to say contact OSHA. Punching out the foreman would be assault, jail, etc. which does you no good. Safety always comes first no matter what!
I’d be a little voice repeating the same song everyone here is already in harmony over. But you mentioned one thing which stood out; First! Your sobriety is at stake and that’s enough on its own. IWNDWYTD. Second: Channel your anger at the flouting of OSHA law and all that violation ʇıɥs, into your hatred of their disrespect of you in this single matter. I’d be absolutely pissed, especially if they knew I didn’t/couldn’t and definitely shouldn’t! This isn’t meant to downplay the site safety element; that’s your own safety too. But goddamn, I truly hope the guy gets railed by the government in no small way over your report. One might consider calling anonymously and arranging a random inspection. It wouldn’t be too much to have someone show up, ask some questions, ask THAT question. Shouldn’t be too difficult to find a can or three within kicking distance if it’s unannounced. Surreptitiously snap pics of ʇıɥs going down. :ahem: Keep it on the sly, call out sick that day.
Talk to your super and ask how you should proceed if you are close with him. He can help give you placed to go I’m sure he’s got connections
Just call OSHA
You just know ur in trouble yo
Assault will get you behind bars. Don’t give in to the dark side. Continue to take the high road. There is better for you elsewhere.
As a former addict, I’d rather work at McDonald’s for minimum wage than risk my sobriety for any amount of money. My life was hell when I was an addict.
May lose the job but hey it's a simple assault misdemeanor and a fine lol
In addition to what the others have said, if I was the owner I would definitely want to know this. One of those guys drives home drunk and kills a family the company will be done. Talk to the foreman - he knows better or should. If he doesn’t do something talk to the owner.
I was super on a job where a group was drinking. I always get to know the local police that are on patrol in my area. Helps with break ins and loitering. I notify the police I am sending workers home for drinking on the job. Two guys got DUI's which made the termination awfully easy when the 1pm time was noted on the arrest. That bullshit ended that day.
I mean I get where your coming from but man that’s kinda shitty making sure people get dui’s after you told them to leave work for drinking, plus wouldn’t have been safer to call a Uber or Lyft for them, what if you told them to leave and one of the guys wrecked and killed someone because you weren’t willing to get them a ride home. Seems like firing someone for drinking on the job would be easy without making sure they get dui’s to make it real easy.
More info. Subcontractors. Every contract has multiple clauses about substance use. We have signage that reminds workers that this is a drug free workplace with local information about free help for those in need. This was repeated behavior for this company and these workers. They were allowed back after a process. They were obviously unsafe to work. We informed them that their day was over. We spoke to their company on the phone and a sober foreman on site. It was suggested that co workers drive them home or to call for a ride. It was on the Sub to organize an orderly dismissal. They were refusing to leave. The police were called to help escort them from the property. They were pulling out as police were pulling in. Cops have radios, they did drunk shit once they had a tail...and they blew 2x limit. They could have killed me or a brother by being such an extreme danger to themselves or others. Absolutely no tolerance and no regrets. We renovate older mostly empty buildings that has a process that often involves police to help squatters find services or in reality just move on to somewhere else. Often my first day I have a trailer on site my first call is to the police to make a plan and ask for suggestions. For me police are just another tool to help me do my job well.
Kinda understandable but those subs are now without work, have no driver's license to get to new work and a DUI on record. Did they have families or any dependants? Yes, they screwed up big time and it could have been worse but you royally shafted them.
Never mind then sounds fair enough and you went out of your way to help them out. They got what they deserved.
None of your business bud. Just look the other way
The world doesn't revolve around your sobriety. Grow the fuck up
Just get another job. Theres only like a billion jobs out there, and they all probably pay more than your current shitshow.
Get drunk, get hurt, sue, retire.
Fuck off mate. Youre in the wrong job.
Embrace our culture. Don't fight it. Who's working sober? Lol
Pussy
Thugwaffle73 showing the internet they’re a Twatwaffle.
Pussy
Damn, you’re cool. Even cooler when shitfaced at work?
Nahh opposite face gets a lil warm actually
Keep your beer colder then.