Trade unions aren't really "union shops". Normally, when you hire a journeyman, you know that he's gone through a rather decent training and apprenticeship program. If they don't fill the bill ... the contractor can cut 'em loose, that day. Just have to cash him out, on the spot. Seven out of ten are good carpenters, they know that requisite trigonometry, geometry, calculus, etc. Carpentry ain't just sawin' wood.

Since this is a home dopey thread ... interesting story. I had this hotel remodel contract, individual owner (which normally means "Patel"). In any event we had around eleven thousand linear feet of crown to run, throughout the hallways ... every floor. Real simple colonial, cheap ass four inch paint grade. Our trim supplier wanted TOO much for budget ... so, I thought I'd give home dopey a whirl ... had used their trade desk for quick run 'n gun pickup crap in the past. In this particular store, they told me that they could get this stuff (at least it wasn't MDF) for me, within the week. Moreover, they had around two thousand linear feet, in stock. I looked at it ... it wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected.

When we ran crown, in large production mode, I'd have a four miter saw cut station .. cut 'n run. So, in order to whip that out, we need to have two saws cutting on the flat, as opposed to nested ... Far easier to set stops and have production accuracy.

So, I asked what the spring angle on it was ... Didn't feel like measuring ... just asked. The guy at the pro desk asked, "What's spring angle?" ... Home dopeys did back then .. they'd try to have retired guys from specific disciplines ... So, I asked him if their finish carpenter was in. He replied, "I AM the finish carpenter." So, I started laughing ...You must be one of those "Chuck with a truck" guys. TOO funny. A self-proclaimed carpenter that didn't even know what spring angle on crown was.

So, I showed this "finish carpenter" how to measure a spring angle .. after I explained what it was. TOO funny. When I told some of my trimmers that story ... they laughed so hard that one of them fell on the floor.

I still talk to some home builders, from days gone by ... none from this area. But, some from Callyland, still use union carpenters. These guys are ten plus million dollar home builders ... they need competent skilled carpenters. They don't use union for any of their other trades, but they won't use anything but union carpenters ... they don't even grumble about the burden of pension, health insurance, and annuity contributions.

I guess if I was building ten million dollar homes, and higher, I wouldn't be that concerned either.

Until I discovered the Young Leader's Program ($600 per semester, no ROTC, let your hair grow .. just boot one summer and Quantico between junior and senior year), I worked for a finish carpenter. Then, during law school, I worked for him again. He got me into the union, when I was but an undergraduate ... and that was when there was union work, a-plenty. I, to this day, owe him a great deal.

It's fun to make sawdust.