I'm seeing a lot of comments here where people are quick to put the blame on the companies... It's a handy excuse for poor workmanship but the unfortunate truth behind it is that everyone who made those comments works for those companies.

Your supervisors and managers can tell you anything they want. They can pressure you into doing whatever gets them the biggest bonuses... And they will. They'd be stupid not to, really...

But, after reading through the previous posts of the guys who are so quick to pass the blame to the companies, they're mostly union members. They're my brothers in the IUEC. And, if their supervisor said they had to do a 12 minute maintenance visit (and I'm sure that narrows down which company I'm working for) and they thought they needed to spend more time than that to do work they'd be proud of, I'd stand behind them in any way I could. And I hope, for the future of our union, that their local brothers would stand behind them in this as well.

The companies can't be blamed for our poor work. They're here to make money. That's what they do. But we're here to build and maintain elevators; to keep the public safe; and to teach our apprentices to do the same. If you can't figure out how to either stand up to your supervisor, or just cheat their game, in order to get that done, then give your BA a call. He'll tell you which night he hosts union meetings and you can find a brother there that will help you do your job the way it should be done.

Work safe. Keep the public safe. Show the younger generation what it means to be union strong (because they desperately need it now). And never be afraid to stand behind your brothers, the work they do, and the future they're creating for the rest of our trade.