Metrology Job Standard Discussion

NRA4Life · 11-11-2008 -- 18:25:15

With a decreasing pool of qualified highly trained PMEL killers coming out of the military, contractors have started hiring unqualified incompetent trainees that have no aptitude for this career field. By hiring in these sub-technical wonderlings, they are able to pay them far less than competent experienced technicians. This not only dilutes the true technical expertise of a lab, it also dilutes the average pay for the entire career field. If you want to look at why pay is not comensurate with experience, you need to consider 1. Contractors are being driven to keep their costs down to the point that it is the primary factor in award fees for their contract and 2. By hiring unqualified barely trainable non-technicians, the contractor can keep costs down, thus attaining their desired award fees. So who is to blame for low wages...the "customer" in most cases that would be the Air Force by driving the contractor to reduce costs, and the contractor for folding on their commitment to provide the war fighting effort with the best quality possible by highering low paid personnel who have no business calibrating a hammer much less something technical.

scottbp · 11-13-2008 -- 07:46:39

What I always wondered is why does the government hire contractors who are basically "body shops" (i.e. staffing companies who have nothing to do with calibration other than to put bodies in the lab) instead of awarding contracts to real calibration companies like Davis, Transcat, Sypris, Simco Electronics, etc.?

OlDave · 11-13-2008 -- 08:54:46

Because THEY understand that good technicians can't be paid $15/hour with no benefits!

mdbuike · 11-13-2008 -- 17:06:21

Quote from: scottbp on 11-13-2008 -- 07:46:39
What I always wondered is why does the government hire contractors who are basically "body shops" (i.e. staffing companies who have nothing to do with calibration other than to put bodies in the lab) instead of awarding contracts to real calibration companies like Davis, Transcat, Sypris, Simco Electronics, etc.?

Actually, I'm a bit offended by that..I've been on this contract for 15 years in December, and have worked for three contractors..Raytheon, Bionetics, and now Yulista. We are not a body shop, considering we do all the FMAV, fiber optics, 50 GHz sensors, and a lot of NAVAIDS for ACC and others.

We don't run a body shop, stamp it and get it out the door. If all we wanted was straight calibrations, well, you can train a monkey to do that. If you want applied metrology, and good maintenance, you pay for it.

I can't say how contractors are for other commands or services. But I know how it is where I work.

Mike

mysterymeat · 11-14-2008 -- 21:55:27

One of things that helps keep your lab from being a body shop is that your lab has an excellent CBA in place. I'm happy to say that Robins PMEL is now a union lab as well. We're hoping to have a CBA similar to yours in the near future.

mdbuike · 11-14-2008 -- 22:43:59

Actually, I've never had a problem with Robins' work (I was at the PAVE PAWS from '88 to '91 as SATCOM and Det Chief (you know, that other career field you crosstrain out of and hope never to go back to)..

However, your shipping department could use a lot of help..When I get a watt meter cal'd on 10 Sep 08 and don't get it until 21 Oct 08, and it's a 3 month cal cycle

As for the CBA, that's not what makes us good..it's following 00-20-14 and the K-100, and all the CTO's and what they tell you to do, Making that honest effort when something is drifting close to OOT and taking the time to optimize, and, amazingly, interfacing with the customer.

I know Robins is big, and you take in a lot of off base items, but as everyone should know, it's the attention to detail.

Oh well, rant mode is over..grandkids in the morning, and my grandson and I are going out to the hardware store and local luthier to stimulate the economy (I need to replace a sledge hammer that my son broke, some fret wires for a rehab job on a EKO Concerto classical guitar built in the '60's, and a visit to Dairy Queen to sugar him up for grandma

)

My latest project

Mike

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mysterymeat · 11-15-2008 -- 15:58:22

Unfortunately we haven't got any control over the shipping, thats handled by the govt. After they process the shipping paper work, they send it to another place on base that does the actual shipping. If you can, attach a note to the equipment requesting the date due be extended 30 days per 00-20-14 para 3. 4. 16.

Winterfire2008 · 11-19-2008 -- 21:10:20

I keep hearing rumors that the WG is going away. However, in last few weeks I have been offered several WG11 positions for Electronic Measurement Equipment Mechanic. . . or maybe it's Measurement Electronic Equipment Mechanic. . . it doesn't matter. . . . the compensation is pathetic. No wonder they can't fill these positions. It is better to work overseas as a Metrologist and get paid accordingly. Why the US government can't figure this out is beyond me.