work environments

Something that has amazed me after many years in the steel fabrication racket is the personal dynamics of welding shops. For example I have worked in one shop where a "good Morning" was greeted with "What's good about it" or "Shutup!" A year later they were in receivership. Alcoholism, drugs and frequent marriage problems among the people in a shop makes for a bad environment. Another pressure vessel shop was ruled by someone who preferred to be feared. ( his own words to me) At coffee time we would ask the painter what his mood was. The painter would say good morning to him as he came in from the parking lot. The response indicated what sort of day was in store for us. The shop before this present one my foreman would throw temper tantrums and any convenient objects. His problem was alcohol but he had beat it and didn't need the twelve steps... or so he told me. Dope however, was still in his life. I couldn't figure it out until a younger welder told me what was happening after a temper tantrum. The guy would storm out of the shop, jump into his truck and come back in an hour munching on a burger. What he was doing was smoking a joint, getting the munchies and then coming back all mellowed out. He made an art of ridiculing the young guys and then was upset when they quit. I lasted almost a year. The nicer shops include not only morning greetings but some of the Europeans walk across and shake hands every morning even though they don't work next to each other. In this shop I am in I have never worried about locking my tool box. It is comical to see some new guys come in with felt marker warnings about staying away from their tools. When guys ask to borrow a bar or whatever I just say " help yourself, just put it back after." A few weeks ago I started to badmouth the evening shift for not putting my pinch bar back. Yours Truly had put it back in the wrong place and couldn't find it. At coffee I mentioned it and was the brunt of a few good natured "old guy" jokes. If you need help lifting or don't know where something is there is always someone to help. The owners walk in through the shop and will at least give you a nod if not a Good Morning or Hello. I am working in the best shop in my career. It is not that we are the best at what we do. It is that we are all trying to do our best without screwing each other over or shifting blame. The greatest thing about this industry is if you don't like your job, there is another one down the street as long as you have a bit of work ethic and are sober. Randy