Talk about manual labor...

[AZjeff]

A year ago our next door neighbors didn't have their back yard landscaped before all the fences, 6 foot walls really, got built as the new houses got done. They have a huge back yard, the middle lot on the outside of a 90 degree turn. We've been wondering what they were going to do as only access is a 4 foot side gate. This week we found out, 80 tons of 1 inch landscape rock was wheelbarrowed into the back by 5-6 laborers in just more than 2 days. Steady pace all day long. Yes they spoke Spanish and no they weren't all young bucks. Props.

 

[Mr Nice]

Not surprised. Lots of hard working folks that want $$$ will work even if older.

OT:
Immigrants helped build America.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

The things that can be accomplished when there is pride taken in the work being done. Impressive!

 

[csandste]

My condo has had Hispanic lawn care since I moved in fifteen years ago. A year ago my gf's condo announced they were canning the Mexicans and going with real Americans. Place looks worse and her monthly fees went up.

 

[splinter]

"The kind of work Americans won't do."

Except I'm a Yank and wasn't too proud to dig ditches for a living.

 

[SeaJay]

My wife and I went to the local mine several times, each trip we got about a ton and a half of 3/4 blue stone. Did this three times over a few weekends and spread it around the back yard ourselves. Saved some money and got some exercise. At 60+ years old, we can use all the exercise we can get.

 

[IndyIan]

Its only 7 trips per ton, and easy shoveling. I wouldn't want to move gravel like that every day, but my Dad put in 4-5 tons of sand into our sand box in an afternoon. 100' run each way.

 

[DoubleWasp]

When I was younger, I took a 3 week gig rebuilding industrial furnaces. Manually lifting and loading onto pallets 110-160 lb. iron plates by hand. Only 3 of us were allowed to lift the larger ones (end pieces of the rows) by ourselves.

Got off of the bus and into a car that way. No shame in it far as I am concerned.

 

[JeffKeryk]

All work is honorable. I used to do tree work. Manual labor is real work. What I do, programming, is nothing in comparison.
That's my experience.

 

[Kjmack]

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
All work is honorable. I used to do tree work. Manual labor is real work. What I do, programming, is nothing in comparison.
That's my experience.

Yes you are right , people that look down on others for their field of work are the real losers .

 

[Malo83]

Originally Posted by AZjeff
A year ago our next door neighbors didn't have their back yard landscaped before all the fences, 6 foot walls really, got built as the new houses got done. They have a huge back yard, the middle lot on the outside of a 90 degree turn. We've been wondering what they were going to do as only access is a 4 foot side gate. This week we found out, 80 tons of 1 inch landscape rock was wheelbarrowed into the back by 5-6 laborers in just more than 2 days. Steady pace all day long. Yes they spoke Spanish and no they weren't all young bucks. Props.

Wonder if they offered any drink or food, whenever i have work done around my home i'll offer sports drinks or buy them lunch, the least i can do when watching them work busting a sweat.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Kjmack
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
All work is honorable. I used to do tree work. Manual labor is real work. What I do, programming, is nothing in comparison.
That's my experience.

Yes you are right , people that look down on others for their field of work are the real losers .




Yep. Nothing wrong or disgraceful about honest manual work. One can get good exercise doing it instead of spending off work hours exercising in other ways.

 

[Duffyjr]

I worked construction most all my life, built houses, farrowing barns, feed bunks, Harvestore silos and finally was a mason for 20+ years. Went back to school for associates, got the job I have now, customer support mostly over the phone and emails but I couldn't believe someone would pay me to sit on my rear and talk on the phone.

 

[Lyman]

When I was young I worked at a rock plant. I shoveled rock inside of tunnels when the conveyors would break or had issues. I would also grease ALL the rollers on the conveyor systems through out the plant.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Yep. Nothing wrong or disgraceful about honest manual work. One can get good exercise doing it instead of spending off work hours exercising in other ways.
I feel like I was lied to about how dangerous it was, honestly. I was told it would trash your body, but I think it is the lifestyle of blue collars that is the real killer. Beer guts have trashed the backs of many a blue collar. My Dad as well as others I have met walk around like Frankenstein at 60+ because they just couldn't be bothered to exercise or lay off the booze.

Sedentary lifestyles get everyone. It doesn't matter if you sit in an office during work hours or sit in front of a TV/computer after work.

 

[Andrew1972]

These jobs are fine however employers need to realize that jobs where brains not critical but brawn/stamina is a skill in modern US economy.

I did manual labor in 1993 in Denver area digging/clearing trenches for sprinklers for a summer with cousin for just above minimum wage. Not much fun to work 8 hrs then eat dinner, drink a beer, conk out at 8:30 pm and wake 5 am and repeat.

 

[PimTac]

Regulations and medical costs might be making some changes to manual labor jobs too. I had a water line that had leaked last year. A crew of three came out but they had one of those hydro jet trucks. Hardly no digging at all. The truck did most of the work.

So there are always two sides to everything.

 

[Eddie]

I worked at a JI Case tractor factory in the 60s, as a balancer for the big 20 inch shivs used for harvesting wheat out west. I did a calculation one day and to make "day rate" I was required to lift 4,250 lbs and average of 3.5 feet off a pallet and put it on a drill press table and then to a balancer. The next job was to move cast iron engine blocks. 200 blocks per/day, lifted by hand from a pallet on the floor, onto a conveyor about 30 inches higher. I4 thick wall cast iron blocks weighed ~170lbs = 34,000 lbs. No wonder I dragged my shoes when the day was over and no safety rules in those day. I did it because I needed money for an education. I did this for years but, felt sorry for those who did it for a lifetime. Ed

 

[Imp4]

Originally Posted by splinter
"The kind of work Americans won't do."

Except I'm a Yank and wasn't too proud to dig ditches for a living.

An anecdote is not data.

 

[marine65]

My son in law had 3 medium size dead trees he wanted removed.
He got estimates from three tree companies from $2000 to $2400.
He owns a Le Peep restaurant and one of his Mexican cooks gave him a number to call.
One tuesday morning two Mexicans showed up with a trailer full of tools.
They said $1200 cash.
He said when can you do it?
They said right now.
He went to the bank and got the cash.
They took down the trees and cleaned up the grounds.
All done in one day.
$600 each for one days work.
Cash so no taxes paid probably.