This is simply the economic law of supply and demand at work and there's nothing that can be done about it, except to ride it out the same way we've had to do before.
When there are more splicers than work, prices go down. When there is more work than splicers, prices go up. It's just that simple.
For me, that sometimes meant working a factory job back home till things opened up again. Sure it paid less, but after factoring in motels, truck repairs, insurance, food and all the other on-the-road expenses, it actully paid more to just stay home and do something else for awhile. You HAVE to figure in all that stuff, or you'll find yourself starving. YOU have to make economic choices too. I know it sucks, but starving yourself and your families sucks more.
We've ALWAYS had to roll with the punches in this business. We were ALWAYS the under-dawgs, the ex-cons, the bikers, the undeducated, the transients. In most cases, we CHOSE to get into this or simply FELL into it because it was the best thing we COULD get into, given our backgrounds. The proof is: Make a list. What ELSE can you do that will make you anywhere near the kinds of money we got used to in the 90's? (If you have something on that list, you might want to think about going to do it - at least for awhile, till things open up again!)
You younger dawgs that AREN'T, or never have been, the under-dawgs, the ex-cons, the bikers, the undeducated, the transients, mostly got into this biz in the 90's cause you saw all the money us older dawgs were making. Well, this is the flip-side of that coin. (Older dawgs, you should already know this by now)
In case some of us haven't been paying attention, the MSO's are ALL big boys now, ALL driven by stock markets that go up and down in price, ALL being run by college-educated, business-degreed people who know that saving 1 tight dollar here and there a million times means saving $1,000,000.00 for the companies they work for. That's called good business sense, and any of us with a brain in our heads do it all the time on a smaller scale, even if it's just your wife using coupons at the grocery store.
On this side of the business, we tend to buy the BEST tools for the job, even thought they cost more, because we know they are dependable and will make us our money back 1000 times.
But you have to remember that on the business side of that fence (remember, that's where this train is driven from...) they're OBLIGATED by the law of supply and demand to use the LEAST expensive tools (workers) to get the job DONE. They save MILLION$ doing it.
They expect other managers (the people from the MSO's that we deal with) to ensure that the quality is still there at that lower price. Now, we all know how that works out (not well), but that's the way it is anyway. That's the way it's done. We all know they are saving MILLION$ now, but will upgrade and rebuild sooner, which will actually cost them more in the long run.
But the simple truth is: They don't look at it that way, their stock holders don't look at it that way, and you can argue till you're blue in the face that's it's the wrong way to do business, but you ain't gonna change that simple economic truth. Doing business that way has earned them BILLION$ or TRILLION$ of dollars in profits. That's called a successful business plan, and it's going to keep on happening, like it or not, so get used to it.
Trying to factor in who's good and who's a hack is a fruitless exercise and a waste of our good time and energy because it's all driven by the economic law of supply and demand anyway. Because of that, there is nothing here that any of us can change, other than to somehow start up more jobs or kill off some hacks! ;>)
My $ .02... Your mileage may vary...
Buckster
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>this site sucks anymore for splicers we are not needed if were are needed we are not appreciated at all pay is just not enough quality doesnt matter all that matters is who kisses better ass to the worthless looters who are getting the prime contract and shitten all over sub-contractors ////who cares i say fuck you sorry primes you dont know the value of a qaulity splicer why dont you bastards go rob a bank they can afford it
Re:whats the use
Member #: 2702
Registered: 1996-2001
Posted:
38
Name:
Buck Cash
Name:
Buck Cash
Occupation:
Project Manager
Location:
Detroit, MI
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