So… it’s been a month or so since this occurred, but allow me to explain…
In august of 2021, I decided to apply at an electrical merit shop (I already know, SHOULDVE went union lol); however it was an opportunity and I wanted to seize it to make it out of my retail job and establish some baseline for myself. A trade seemed like a good place to start.
So, I was hired on the spot. With no experience. (Red flag?) they told me they haven’t fired ANYONE in the history of their 60 years of business. Therefore, I felt secure. I was/am recovering from a debilitating mental illness (bpd) and daily pain cause by chronic stress. I believed, at the time, I was well enough to work. I was optimistic. And truly dedicated.
Anyhow, things start to get challenging. I had already scheduled drs appts before I started the job, and they were In the middle of the day. Commuting was a significant part of time, and I wasn’t gonna waste it going to and fro from job sites and not get work done. Honestly thought I was sparing them a few dimes here, guess not LMFAO (no pto whatsoever)
So, off the bat I’m not lookin too awesome. Throughout my apprenticeship, as it progressed, I worked long and hard. In fact, my first two days were overtime. I was getting paid 10/hr to touch wires I had no experience working with, with minimal advice. The anxiety I had to survive was insane.
I get to the point where I’m taking a day off a month to recover my elbows, hands, wrists, and nerves. I was insane with stress, working 8 hours a day, working out for another 45 minutes after, attending 3 hour night classes for 2 days a week and doing hours of homework on weekends and weekdays. I took a week off nine months into the apprenticeship (only getting paid 11/hr at this point). To heal my mental and physical health as It was spiraling into thoughts of suicide. I let my boss know this, he commended me for being honest, and They approve the vacation. Said I was making great progress. Started to put me on commercial jobs INDEPENDENTLY.
I come back. They fire me for “lack of progress” and “excessive absence.” I’m like okay, confusing, but okay. I only scored 70-100s on all labs and written tests. I could knock out 38 light installs in a day. I could wire switching, load trailers, cut wood and drywall, drill steel, run and strap wire, you name it. They whisked me out, taking all of my tools to boot.
Here’s a few extra things I should mention:
Journeymen of 7-25 years were being underpaid and overworked, joints swollen and hands twisted.
I was in a trailer accident where it swung me around 360 in the intersection of a main road and highway. The fault was their hitch on the truck was so rusted and couldn’t support the weight of the tow motor I was pulling. Multiple times, they’ve pulled equipment on trailers that could not support the equipment. They’ve used defective equipment every day, and had minimal safety encouragement and protocols. I was told that I would “know what to do” if the bottom of a scissorlift exploded into flames. I would often work alone in a warehouse owned by the owners son.
I was encouraged also to put a 4 ft step ladder on top of a 26 ft scissorlift in order to snip down 50 lib hanging fixtures.
I am 5’0 tall and 120 pounds yall.
Anyhow yeah it’s been on my mind. I had tangible medical evidence of my mental disorder, and they knew that. I did let them know that before the vacation. I know it was a liability situation in the end. I did actually contact a lawyer, but he stated there was nothing he could do. I figured so anyway, because of my untimely way of informing them and short time of employment AND obviously the non union situation.
In the end, it just felt like I was wronged. Hard. I feel like mental illness isn’t real in the trades.
I gaslit myself into believing it was no problem until it was.