Have you been a member of the blue-collar work force

It was a typo...Geez..

Yeah there are some Dems on this board who feel that way but the majority whine about their fate in life thumbing their nose at people who have done well. Open your eyes and read some of the posts here.

 

Open my eyes and read some posts? I've been reading posts in this forum as long as this has been a forum. You say it was a "typo," but then follow with this? Give me a freakin' break.

 

It was a typo and who gives a damn how long you have been reading this. You may read but that doesn't mean you have the ability to comprehend what you read.

 

I decided to take a year off of college and framed houses - quickly decided College was a better option.

If your house falls down and you live in Kingwood, I am sorry.



DD

 

I once had to use a graphite pencil and a manual eraser. You couldn't even just press backspace. Tons of movement back and forth with my fingers and hand. I learned that it can be rough outside of the computer.

 

You think that's bad? I left my smartphone at home one time.

 

i've done sales and blue collar, i prefer blue collar.

 

I've never earned a living as a blue-collar worker, but I've done blue-collar.

My grandfather was a blue-collar worker till the day he died. Worked hard and provided opportunities to my dad so that he wouldn't have to do the same. My dad works in a chemical plant and has done so for over 30 years. He always told me that he wanted more than plant work for me.

I’m a white-collar worker, and am very excited about the opportunities that I plan on providing for my children. Every generation WILL be more prosperous than the last, while remembering and honoring the hard work, sacrifice, and love that made it all possible.

Just my thoughts on the whole Blue/White-Collar discussion.

 

When I was 19 I worked at the Exxon plant in Baytown one summer, grinding pipes 50ft in the air. I was scared of heights, but I sure didn't let anyone there know that. I just dealt with it and did my work.

I was astonished at the attitudes of the workers..let it be know that I'm the first generation of white collar workers in my family, but I was still shocked at how my coworkers spoke like they were in middle school. By that I mean the trash talk and the vulgarities that I hadn't heard since about 7 grade. I cursed, of course..but nothing like them. It was really like a step back in time for me.

It was an election year too, and I was surprised that many of the people had professed their intentions to vote for a certain party..yet they didn't even know who the nominee was. The election was only 3 months away.

don't get me wrong..I have respect for them working the hours and the jobs they do. It is physically demanding, especially in the Baytown summer heat.
But it seemed that only one person there wanted more out of life...he ended up taking night classes. I don't think I could ever just give up hope of getting more out of life like that. I grew up very poor, and I don't want my kids to have to live the way I lived - Not able to have good clothes for school, working 40hrs a week through college, etc. So now everything I do is for the future..mine and my kids.

 

I've worked blue-collar jobs, but I wouldn't say I was a member of the blue-collar work force. I worked as in residential construction/renovation, as a sign-maker, and as a unionized light-bulb changer (lol, seriously; and that union got me an extra $1.47/hour than I could have gotten on my own). But, I always knew when I worked those jobs that I was bound for white-collar or academic work. I wasn't in the same social class as my peers who were in those jobs for good.

So, I wonder about a lot of the responses here. If you're wondering about how posters might be able to identify with the concerns of the working class, does working a labor job for awhile really do the trick? I probably get whatever empathy I may have from a blue collar father, not from any blue collar job of my own.

 

Of course, JV's blue collar father has a Master's Degree in Fine Art

I also worked blue and white collar jobs and currently run a business in a blue collar industry. I think. (Where does the service industry fit in?) My political views are odd, I'll spare you.

I don't know how well I relate to the working class but I don't think the jobs where I was most surrounded with people in that group helped my to identify with them in a positive way. Similarly to JV, I worked those jobs by choice rather than necessity and the social barriers were immense. Some of my coworkers were petty, lazy and generally horrid to work with. Some were kind and hard-working and easy to be friends with. I am committed to NOT letting my personal experience color my politics.

There are principles concerning treating workers with dignity that come from both ends of the political spectrum and I try to meet those principles as an employer.

 

People are people no matter what type of job they choose to do. White collar workers have some of the same issues that are being attributed to Blue Collar workers.

 

I started working when I was 9. My parents were cheap immigrants and thought if I went out and spent $5 I was being wasteful. Even a $1 was a lot and allowance wasn't a concept that registered. So I started selling junk I found on the street to people until I got into trouble. So I started instead washing people's cars and mowing lawns. Then a paper route, then a bag sacker, then I worked in catering in college which let me tell you is the most backbreaking thankless work there is.

How did all that affect my beliefs? Made me realize that if you want to travel, live comfortable, and have security - you can not do it through "blue collar" work. It's ridiculous long hours, little pay, and little freedom. It's not respected, nor mentally challenging. And taxes take out so much that it almost feels unfair. Like why do I pay for other people's health care (medicare tax) when I can't even afford health care for myself. How is that fair?

And I remember other people in those situations arguing on the republican side. And I agreed with them. Until I figured out how the system really worked and that "redistribution of wealth" wasn't about taking the little money I had and giving it to the poor, but actually, giving it to the rich. Knowledge is power.