The legend of Rivethead alive and well

Years ago I read a scary and revealing book about a 'typical' UAW worker called "Rivethead". Ironically, I learned about this book and the author from our old pal Michael Moore. Anyway, it describes the daily life of an assembly line worker in a GM plant of the 1980s, which is to say much of the story is about taking naps in the plant, avoiding work and doing a lot of drinking to take your mind off the numbingly dull job. Well, here's proof that the Rivethead legend is alive and well: Ford plant workers on "lunch" break

Rivethead was an er... riveting read. The bad old days were pretty bad. I wonder how much this sort of thing goes on. It's hard to imagine it's very frequently, but you never know.

interesting story. dad-in-law and i were discussing on Christmas eve how much "internal" business he did at GM Fisher Body.

He ran an plant coffee service and sold about $90.00 a day of coffee/hot chocolate and soup. Not much until he said he charged ten cents a cup or 900 cups a day.

He had to stop because the cafeteria service was complaining how much they were losing to him.

pete240z wrote: He ran an plant coffee service and sold about $90.00 a day of coffee/hot chocolate and soup. Not much until he said he charged ten cents a cup or 900 cups a day.

And how many people worked at this plant?

Twin_Cam wrote: And how many people worked at this plant?

about half of them. (crash - boom)

Fisher Body located in Chicago Suburbs - three full shifts punching out floor pans = thousands of guys working.

pete240z wrote: interesting story. dad-in-law and i were discussing on Christmas eve how much "internal" business he did at GM Fisher Body. He ran an plant coffee service and sold about $90.00 a day of coffee/hot chocolate and soup. Not much until he said he charged ten cents a cup or 900 cups a day. He had to stop because the cafeteria service was complaining how much they were losing to him.

LOLz. at the GM van assy plant in Wentzville MO, on second shift there's a woman on the chassis line who brings in a big box of home-baked goodies every day. she's not allowed to sell them, so she has a "donation" can with a "suggested donation" list. she told me that the donation rate is 100% over several years, and amounts to about $250 per week, cash, after expenses. she was paying her kids' elementary and high-school tuitions with it. i applaud her industrious attitude.

on an unrelated note, she was installing brake tubes, so not a job where only one out of ten vehicles requires her effort.

While my opinion of UAW workers isn't that high, its really a case of a few bad apples ruining the bushel. 50% of the workers I've dealt with in auto plants have done their jobs well, and would have no problem busting their butts and going above and beyond to get the job done. 45% do just enough to get by, but its the last 5% who really ruin the perception. They'll get pissed at the other 95% for working hard, they'll file a grievance if you even touch one of their parts, they'll call in sick three or four times a month, they'll have to go to first aid once a week because the job is too hard and makes their joints ache, they'll get high in the parking lot/mezzanine/bathroom/cafeteria, sell whiskey out of their lockers, grow weed in the mezzanine, etc, etc, etc.

With that said, it's not just union workers. I've seen many non-union workers do the same thing. I had a boss who would take 2 hour lunches and at least once a week would come back drunk, there were sales guys who would always have customer visits on friday afternoons, but couldn't actually be found at the customer, a fellow engineer who would "work from home" every friday but wouldn't answer his cell phone or emails. But these are just the 5%; 50% of the people I worked with had no problem putting in extra hours to get things finished, despite being on salary, while the remaining 45% did the absolute minimum needed.

Bob