What job would you prefer? How much of a money whore are you?

[dwightyo39]

TLDR at the bottom

I'm fortunate enough to have some options at my current union job. There is a system where a worker can bid into another department, try it out for 60 days (90 with an extension), and either keep the new job or go back to their previous position. The only penalty for winning a bid is the loss of bid rights for 2 years, regardless if you stay at the new job or go back to your old job.

While considering these jobs, I am trying to look at what position I'd likely be in after a few years, and where I'd potentially be should I stay in that department until retirement (probably have another 25-30 years until then). Keep in mind wages usually go up a few % each year/new contract.

Job A:

My old job. It is a good job that causes little stress. There is just a small amount of physical labor, mostly doing quick fixes to equipment jams along an assembly line. The other apsect is picking up product off the end of the line with a clamp truck (fork lift type vehicle) and loading it into rail cars.

Within 2 years I know enough people will retire here that I'd move into the 2nd (middle) position on the line of progression. Here is where I'd likely be stuck for the next 10-15 years. The job itself is very easy. In fact, on an average day, guys doing this job spend most their time playing solitaire or fucking around on their phones. Basically you are a equipment babysitter, who makes adjustments to how the machine runs. Total cakewalk job. Pays $25.50/hr.

Job B:

The first line of progression I trained at in the new department. The bottom jobs here pay more (starting around $26.50/hr) than the 2nd job in my old department. This job involves covering a large area, indoors/outdoors, and making sure the complex conveyor belt system continues to run properly. If you cannot quickly fix something, there are trained millwrights you can call to do serious mechanical work. Every day you get dirty (covered with sawdust and slight odor from some of the equipment's chemical processes) as there is much cleanup every day. However, you are usually not doing serious work all day long. The main labor is just walking up stairs and to various locations. One could likely walk 10+ miles in a shift. I don't mind this.

On a bad day, you could be shoveling or swinging a sledge hammer for 12-16 hrs. "Bad days" normally happen once the temperature drops below 18 degrees F. That is the magical number for outside equipment to start having issues.

In 10 years I'd probably have a less physically demanding job in the department that pays $29/hr. However, due to the number of people who took this line of progression, I'd probably be 20 years or more away from an operator position (top job).

Job C:

The other line of progression in the new department. The earlier jobs here mainly involve working in a chemical plant, doing tests, and running errands for the operators when they call on the radio. About half the work involves collecting chemical samples, testing them, and reporting the data to the operators. I have to shave for this job because I am required to wear a gas mask in certain areas. The building has lots of stairs to access equipment, but not as much walking as job B. We also hook up chemical rail cars to pump their contents throughout the mill.

There are horrible chemicals and gasses used in this area, as well as an extremely high voltage electrical system that is used to cause a chemical reaction/process. If you notice something drip on you, DON'T LOOK UP. Walk out of the area and then try and see what it was. For the most part you can just wash things off. However caustics have given people chemical burns in this area.

There have been occasional equiment/operator/management failures that caused property damage. There is the potential, however unlikely, to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and have a large tank burst/explode. The result of this would likely be fatal. Either you would be blown up, drowned in caustic chemicals, electrocuted, or a combination of all 3. With that said, it is pretty well known when equiment is trending toward a major failure. This kind of shit is highly regulated.

This department works the most overtime. At the end of your 12 hr shift, you could be forced to stay another 4 hours, go home for 8 hours, and have to come back for another 12-16 hours again. Your "weekend" could be approaching, and in the last 10 minutes of your "Friday" (in quotes because all the shift work is a rotational schedule where weekends could be in the middle of the week), this could be forced on you.

The work is much more mentally demanding, but not so much physical. Most people are intimidated by the "what ifs" from this line of progression and choose the other one. Within a year I'd be making around $29/hr. I'd likely be at the top (and higher paying) job well before retirement.

In addition, Jobs B and C have their busy seasons on the one month I normally take a vacation or two. There is an activity my wife and I enjoy that can only be done in September. I might not be able to do it every year, or hardly at all, if I work B or C. At Job A, I have no problems scheduling vacation whenever I want.

TLDR: What would you prefer?

Job A: $25.50/hr least overtime. Very little actual work. Low/no stress. Can get vacation when I want it.

Job B: $26.50/hr more overtime. Some dirty work, potential physically hard days. Hard to get vacation when i want it.

Job C: $29.00/hr more/most overtime. A lot more mental/situational awareness required. Many hazards. Hard to get vacation.

[dwightyo39]

Work to live, not live to work.

My wife is actually leaning towards this as well. Glad I didn't marry a gold digger, lol. Not that I have any gold to dig.

[Ehrenpanzer]

Those options need massive pay differentials if you expect anything other then 100% A. 3.5/hr more is not worth a many hazard job with lots of overtime and hard to get vacations.

[Dezerte]

The most enjoyable one, so I guess I'll vote the easy one.

[ItachiZaku]

A sounds nice and tidy. In particular, vacation when you want it. The others aren't a good enough bump in pay.

[Cyberowl]

Why you'd chose B over A for one dollar is beyond me.

[Krille]

All three options are bad.

[Lady Dragonheart]

I don't work for money, money works for me.

[Nyoken]

The hardest and most dangerous one. And that pays the least....yea, that sums up my job pretty well.....

[Azadina]

The pay differences aren't really even worth considering B or C.

[dwightyo39]

Why you'd chose B over A for one dollar is beyond me.

True, and its hard for me to fully articulate the jobs on these forums. The really bad times for Job B are just a couple weeks in December or January. On a nice day, you get some sunshine and walk around outside.

Job A is in the basement with no windows. In the winter, if you are working day shift, you do not see sun for days. Easy work though.

[Rampant Rabbit]

Over the year, job B only pays ~1920 (160 per month) more, and Job C ~6720 (560 per month).

The way it sounds Job C is very undesirable, which only makes it logical it pays more. However, I don't feel like it pays enough.

I'd pick A, and look around for something I would actually want to do.

[Independent voter]

C sounds the most manly.

[Vargur]

A can be replaced by automation easier than B, so there you go. Think of the future.

[NED funded]

Job C, you should focus on improving yourself. Job A does not seem to offer that, job B kinda does it, but no as much as C. So I'm inclined to choose C.

[dwightyo39]

Over the year, job B only pays 1920 (160 per month) more, and Job C 6720 (560 per month).

The way it sounds Job C is very undesirable, which only makes it logical it pays more. However, I don't feel like it pays enough.

I'd pick A, and look around for something I would actually want to do.

Also, B and C work more hours. Due to overtime (normal wage x 1.5), I'd make another $15,000 or more a year easily. That's a lot of money that can buy useless toys or go in a 401k/IRA, lol.

[Maletalana]

True, and its hard for me to fully articulate the jobs on these forums. The really bad times for Job B are just a couple weeks in December or January. On a nice day, you get some sunshine and walk around outside.

Job A is in the basement with no windows. In the winter, if you are working day shift, you do not see sun for days. Easy work though.

I would say Job A is the best hands down, except for what you've said here. That sucks. However, I still would vote A. I was thinking B until I read that there's a lot of cleanup and you will smell bad. Personally, I would grow to really hate my job if I stunk going home everyday.

tldr Job A.

[dwightyo39]

A can be replaced by automation easier than B, so there you go. Think of the future.

And that is something I used to think about when doing job A. Of the 3 jobs, A could most likely be replaced/eliminated. With that said, being this is a union job, I won't just get fired. I'd have to start at the bottom of another department. If the new department happened to be the above mentioned job B or C, well then I just set myself behind.

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On a side note, its fun having a discussion here that doesn't revolve around politics or nation bashing.

[Rampant Rabbit]

Also, B and C work more hours. Due to overtime (normal wage x 1.5), I'd make another $15,000 or more a year easily. That's a lot of money that can buy useless toys or go in a 401k/IRA, lol.

Ah yes, of course, I forgot about the overtime.

It really depends on what you want in the future I would say. If you pick the high paying job, which I assume you wouldn't enjoy that much, you can easily end up getting used to your current income (expenses will increase), making it much harder for you to switch to another job that would be more enjoyable in the long run, as it will likely pay much less.

Not to mention that your hours will make it hard for you to to spend your free time finding something else (assuming you don't particularly enjoy this line of work).

[jackofwind]

Risking your life as part of a job is senseless. Jobs only exist for us to sustain ourselves, and risking everything for the sake of a few more dollars every hour just isn't worth it.

Yeah you may not have an accident, but you only have one life so why would you gamble with it?