Pros
Consistent, long-term work, based in public infrastructure projects
Pension Fund w/ two tiers
Good/moderate health insurance (for now)
Most PMs keep a 4-10s schedule
Cons
1. Blue collar workers are second class citizens. Literally: new hires for engineering/PM come in off the street and get two weeks vacation; the trades get none (until the end of your first year…and it’s only one week).
2. Tradesmen are essentially blocked from traveling north, or to larger cities, for travel work on the company’s own contracts. They have do not want young workers figuring out pay/benefit differences in pro-union states.
3. PMs outsource/sub work, even if they have the labor internally to complete it. Many ignore what is clearly illegal labor, undercutting their own workers, but they are incentivized to do so by performance bonuses (which the trades are not offered).
4. There is no sick time, no compensatory time, and no personal time offered at all (at least to the tradesmen…that I am aware of).
5. The overwhelming majority of foreman are very immature. The type that “pulled
the ladder up behind” themselves, then complain about this generation’s lack of knowledge and work ethic.
6. Per diem is awful. Site must be 45 miles from the given office, so you will hardly ever get it. If you do, it is approximately $.70/mi, but only for the distance over the 45 mile radius. Hence, wear and tear on one’s vehicle is a lot, with little-to-no compensation.