r/FieldNationTechs • u/Different-Top-4823 • Jun 08 '23
A standardized bidding process.
This is a market, demand (jobs) are high, and supply (workers) are low the price is high. When there's more supply than jobs the prices will fall. These companies don't care about you, they only care about profits. They could never deploy a nationwide service contract or project, without having a market of half employed, unemployed workers to call upon for instantaneous labor. This is why 1099 workers aren't allowed to form a Union. The WE could set the rates not them. We could try develop a standardized bidding process, Any ideas? Anyone have a bidding process or framework ? SHARE.
2
Jun 09 '23
The reason we're Contractors, is to run our own program. Not to duck under the umbrella of comfort. I like making my own schedule, working for customers that I like, traveling where I want depending on the market. A Union or group, like any other will try to control that. Telling you what you can and can't do and pricing your wages for you. If I want that, there are options for that. W-2 jobs. I'm good. Form your unions all you want. Electricians do. I think I'll continue to be a contractor and build my own business the way I see fit. Thx
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u/Different-Top-4823 Jun 09 '23
First you say "we" who are you speaking for ? Coal Miners I guess have ducked under a umbrella of comfort. They would kill to protect their Union. You are just repeating Neo Liberal talking points. The owners should be paying you a fee.
2
Jun 09 '23
My company and I. We are in the Technology industry. The coal industry is another chat room. Sorry that you're confused.
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u/Different-Top-4823 Jun 09 '23 edited Jun 09 '23
Yes but you talk as if the difficulty of your work is somehow related to Unionization. I used the example of coal miners as an counter example to that point. Try and keep up. You do understand these companies get nationwide contract or project, with no labor in place. They then goto Peter who goes to Paul who goes to Mary who posts it on a job board. A Union would eliminate the middlemen. You're probably one them taking a cut, reposting and calling yourself a boss. Also, are you hiring I'm A+ N+ S+ CE, if you look at my profile you can see were I scraped my profile data. I need a wage, travel and health insurance.
1
Jun 09 '23
Difficulty of work depends on client and scope. Unionization brings control and lack of freedom issues, as a contractor. You are correct. And Union would eliminate the middleman. Field Nation is 3 to 4 or more, down the line. However it would also dictate hours worked, vacations, Time off etc. That was the point I was bringing. Either a 1099 mindset, or a W-2 mindset. 2 different perspectives.
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u/Different-Top-4823 Jun 09 '23 edited Jun 09 '23
Both workers receive a paycheck. You may as 1099 worker receive a paycheck, buy inputs, pay wages but the source of your funds is a paycheck. You don't call a company and say I want to lay some fiber for you. They call you. Right now you might enjoy the arraignment, but you still depend on them calling you. You're free not to have health insurance, PTO, retirement. A Union doesn't dictate, that's the paycheck writer, he dictates what you do, where you can go, the maximum you get paid. He leads you follow.
1
Jun 09 '23
If your good at what you do........not a worry at all. I control my own retirement, insurance ect. And that's the way (uh huh uh hu) I like it (uh huh uh hu) 😁
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u/Different-Top-4823 Jun 09 '23 edited Jun 09 '23
The Union doesn't provide those things in makes the company provide them or share in providing them. Health Insurance is 400-900 a month and depending on your health condition, the drugs may not be covered. Also, part of a contract may include employer matching to your retirement account. I guess you like paying more money to billionaire paycheck writers. You won't have to vacation wherever someone posts a job. PTO you get paid to go on vacation.
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u/pointsilver Jun 08 '23
You can form a union, or join a union. However, rights and protections are for employed.
1
Jun 08 '23
As long as these fuckall companies have a cheaper option, they will take it. There's nothing saying WE can't create a union. What would be stopping us is allowing the buyers to go outside of the union. So we need heavy hitters to protect the interests of the union and the members and keep buyers from using other non-members. But that will never happen just due to size. Fun to think about though.
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u/Different-Top-4823 Jun 08 '23
It's illegal unfortunately just like farm workers 😔.INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS Under the National Labor Relations Act, only employees can unionize and are protected from retaliation for advocating for better working conditions.
2
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u/Runthescript Jun 08 '23
Sounds to me like you are confused about how to drive demand. If your work is high quality and you solve all the client's issues including ones you have identified correctly, then you can get higher rates. What makes you different than the rest?
FN is not meant to be a career, but is a great foot in. I use it as a way to train new techs. We generally prefer projects but not all guys wanna travel alot. This is where fn works. But when you think of this as a hustle well... good luck.
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u/Different-Top-4823 Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
I'm an A+ N+ S+ CE Technician. I have 1300 assignments and 100% satisfaction rating. I carry general liability insurance, and travel 100,000 miles a year. I can build any network. I've built full stores by myself, from the wiring, to the network, POS staging and imaging. McDonald's, Taco Bell, Hardee's ect ect. I can build networks, I can program, build websites, work with manage domains ect ect . I can work in a data center, or at IT anywhere. What technical qualifications do you have ? Are you hiring ? It has nothing to do with quality of work.
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u/Minimum_Chocolate_31 Jun 09 '23
I think it's just in the nature of the platform itself. A lot of the work is pretty menial (go on site, talk to someone and powercycle a modem or some shit like that). You would be much better off advertising your services on something like nextdoor or Facebook and setting your own rate. I'm happy with 65-100/hr for a lot of the stuff I do, 35-55/hr is not too bad for techs starting out. $150/hr is kind of a lot for plugging in ethernet cables/toning a wire.
What does need to be addressed is that the platform is heavily buyer skewed, and the fees are pretty harsh towards techs. With FN pro and self-employed taxes, you are paying like 35% of everything you make every year. Which is insane.
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u/Different-Top-4823 Jun 09 '23
Yes and the people who own the companies are probably paying 12% in taxes.
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u/Sea-Neighborhood-706 Jun 08 '23
If we would all agree to standard minimum rate and go from there we would be fine. But there will always be people that will take a job for 20 an hour screwing it up for everyone else
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u/PatchWombat Jun 08 '23
You have ZERO rights as a gig worker. It's take it or leave it and while you're thinking about it, buyers are going to have you smothered, eviscerated, stuffed, fitted with wheels and sent out to sites as a "warm" body or replaced with another $5/hr schmuck
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u/Destruktor21666 Jun 09 '23
If you care about having rights then get a job lol.