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zo3foxx t1_jb08ml7 wrote

Reply to comment by EdgeOrnery6679 in If you’re ever annoyed by service changes because of “Track Repair”, never forget the hard work behind them that keeps our subway alive. by beechcraft10

Nah they're not just standing around. My bf is a construction worker and I asked him about this once. And he said everyone you see is working. The guy just standing around drinking coffee is likely the site manager who may not be actively participating in the hands on work, but has to watch everything, answer questions, has emergency services or other important contacts ready to call in case something bad happens or they accidently break a buried line, etc. There might be a few of them on-site. The others also standing around could be the concrete guys just waiting for the other group of guys who laid the foundation to give the go-ahead to proceed. 2 other guys could be spot-checking another guy on the jackhammer to make sure he doesnt f up or see something he doesnt see. Another group could be waiting for clearance to continue their tasks. Another guy who appears to just wandering aimlessly or standing around could be an inspector monitoring the site. Maybe they're waiting on another contractor to arrive. And so on. And not everyone you see is an actual construction worker, but they could be confused as one since everyone has to wear the same protective gear.

Everyone is doing something which doesnt always involve movement. Theres a lot of checks and balances. In fact I'd really be surprised if there wasn't something in OSHA that says you can't be on-site just chilling because you're a liability. Who wants to be just joking with coworkers off the clock while on-site and get smacked with falling debris when you didn't have to be there in the first place

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DonConnection t1_jb0xnz4 wrote

Copy and pasting from another comment but is your bf in the union?

I also work in construction (non-union pipefitter) and sometimes we work alongside union crews. It's a long running joke that those mfs have it easy compared to us. The same job we do in a day they'll take a week. Their crews are also a lot larger than ours.

The thing is, that's more how it should be. Non-union construction in the city pays shit and treats us like shit. There is a tinge of jealousy and bitterness coming from us non-union tradesmen but the guy you're responding to is not wrong when he's saying they could be more efficient. Not saying they should be worked to the bone like us either. There's a balance.

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nokinok t1_jb3ck1x wrote

Maybe they're getting paid, but they're not working. Union rules dictate what certain people can and can't touch. For example, carpenters work with wood. If there's metal attached to the wood, they won't touch the metal because that's another union's job.

Everyone waiting around is waiting for their work to start. It's incredibly inefficient and VERY expensive.

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