Journeymen Roofers Declared Incompetent

Journeymen Declared Incompetent 

As of 05/09/12 this text is published on a professional roofing contractor's website. I reprint it here in hopes that someone can possibly point out to me what on earth this individual might be "thinking".

 "Roof Reports and Roof Repair Estimates are usually issued on the same day of the inspection.  Our repairs are performed only by license-quality repairmen, and not by minimum-wage journeymen, who claim to be experts, but in reality have little or no roofing experience. "

Now wait a minute.

First of all there is no such thing as a ""license-quality repairman" this is just one more shell in the shell game.  On another of their advertisements the say they are describing the benefit of having "licensed or license quality repairmen" on the job. Well are they licensed or not? And if not (and I'm quite certain they are not) since the first one is a made up term what does that leave you with?

 And has anyone EVER seen a"minimum wage journeyman"?  I can say with complete  certainty that you haven't, because there is no such thing.  There never has been and never will be,  since minimum wage and journeyman are at opposite ends of the trades food chain. It's like saying "that white piece of black paper."

Quite obviously anyone with even the slightest actual trade experience knows that it is not possible to be a journeyman with little or no experience  in the trade, since journeyman means that you have achieved the highest level of trade experience possible.  As a matter of fact, to be a real journeyman one is actually required to have completed a much higher level of training than that required of a contractor.

How could anyone in possession of a real contractor's license be this ignorant? It's scary.

 This individual's verbal shell game seems to know no bounds.  

What is a journeyman?

Journeyman Roofer, as defined by CSLB:

A journeyman is a person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision. But, that person does not have a license and is not able to contract for jobs that value more than $500 in labor and materials.

Hmmm. That really sounds like a repairman that is good enough to be licensed but isn't.
I wonder why the powers that be don't just call them license quality repairmen? (Not really, I realize that would be stupid).

Or Wikipedia:

In the United States, employment in the building trades, such as an electrician or plumber or carpenter, usually requires that a person holds a state or local (city or county) license as a journeyman or master.

The journeyman license certifies that the craftsman has met the requirements of time in the field (usually a minimum of 8000 hours) and time in an approved classroom setting (usually 700 hours).

 A journeyman has the responsibility of supervising workers of lesser experience and training them, in addition to having the qualifications (knowledge and skills) to work unsupervised himself.

 A journeyman is commonly expected to have a wide range of experience, covering most fields of his trade. For example, a non journeyman worker of some 20 or 30 years experience may have most or all of his experience in only residential, commercial or industrial applications. A journeyman however, has a broad field of experience in residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

Wow, again that sounds like a craftsman that is good enough trade wise to be licensed but isn't.

 So apparently, according to the definitions accepted  by the entire rest of the world (with the exception of the wisdom in blue above) it is actually requires a broader range of actual trades experience to be a journeyman than it does to be a contractor. The main difference being that a contractor has an actual license that can be held accountable in the event of a problem.

JOURNEYMAN TRADES PEOPLE SAME AS NOVICE!

As of 05/09/12 this text is published on a professional roofing contractor's website. I reprint it here in hopes that someone can possibly point out to me what on earth this individual might be "thinking".

 " Roof Reports and Roof Repair Estimates are usually issued on the same day of the inspection.  Our repairs are performed only by license-quality repairmen, and not by minimum-wage journeymen, who claim to be experts, but in reality have little or no roofing experience. "

Now wait a minute.

 Has anyone EVER seen a minimum wage journeyman? Of course you haven't, because there is no such thing, never has been and never will be since minimum wage, and journeyman are at opposite ends of the trades food chain. It's like saying "that white piece of black paper."

And quite obviously anyone with even the slightest trade experience knows that it is not possible to be a journeyman with little or no experience in the trade, since journeyman means that you have achieved the highest level of trade experience possible.

I'm telling you I just don't get it. Can someone please shed some light on this? Why would one print something like this and make himself look so foolish?

 This individual's verbal shell game seems to know no bounds.  

What is a journeyman?

Journeyman Roofer, as defined by CSLB:

A journeyman is a person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision. But, that person does not have a license and is not able to contract for jobs that value more than $500 in labor and materials.

Hmmm. That really sounds like a repairman that is good enough to be licensed but isnt.

Or Wikipedia:

In the United States, employment in the building trades, such as an electrician or plumber or carpenter, usually requires that a person holds a state or local (city or county) license as a journeyman or master.

The journeyman license certifies that the craftsman has met the requirements of time in the field (usually a minimum of 8000 hours) and time in an approved classroom setting (usually 700 hours).

 A journeyman has the responsibility of supervising workers of lesser experience and training them, in addition to having the qualifications (knowledge and skills) to work unsupervised himself.

 A journeyman is commonly expected to have a wide range of experience, covering most fields of his trade. For example, a non journeyman worker of some 20 or 30 years experience may have most or all of his experience in only residential, commercial or industrial applications. A journeyman however, has a broad field of experience in residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

Wow, again that sounds like a craftsman that is good enough tradewise to be licensed but isn't.

 So apparently, according to the definitions accepted  by the entire rest of the world (with the exception of the wisdom in blue above) it is actually requires a broader range of actual trades experience to be a journeyman than it does to be a contractor. The main difference being that a contractor has an actual license that can be held accountable in the event of a problem.

VISIT ROOF DOCTOR.

Journeyman Roofers

A roofing contractor in my area posted this wild text and it bears review. Although similar in name,

IT IS NOT ME!!!

No other Roofing Contractor in Northern California inspects more roofs, solves more roof leak problems, repairs more roofs, or issues roof certification on more homes than ROOF DOCTORS. Roof repairs on your home are professionally performed by our license-quality repairmen who must exceed our rigorous roof-repair-quality standards before they are allowed to work on your roof. ROOF DOCTORS never uses any untrained, inexperienced, or unsupervised laborers, nor any apprentice or journeyman roofers to work on the roof of your home which is the common practice among other roofing companies.

And we should be thankful that it is a common practice. As far back as I can remember, my Dad and my Uncles all spoke of journeymen card holders with the deepest respect. As I grew up, I learned that it was actually easier to become a licensed contractor than a journeyman tradesman.  At any rate, being a contractor and operations manager, whenever I was lucky enough to run across an actual journeyman roofer I hired them instantly because they are so rare and valuable.

But don’t take my word for it.

Journeyman Status Part 2 or: "I have a bridge for sale?"

 PART TWO:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

In modern apprenticeship systems, a journeyman is a man who has a tradesman certificate that required completion of an apprenticeship. In many countries this is the highest formal rank (that of master having been eliminated) and allows them to perform all the tasks of the trade within the area where they are certified, to supervise apprentices and to become self-employed.

In the United States, employment in the building trades, such as an electrician or plumber or carpenter, usually requires that a person holds a state or local (city or county) license as a journeyman or master. The journeyman license certifies that the craftsman has met the requirements of time in the field (usually a minimum of 8000 hours) and time in an approved classroom setting (usually 700 hours). A journeyman has the responsibility of supervising workers of lesser experience and training them, in addition to having the qualifications (knowledge and skills) to work unsupervised himself. A journeyman is commonly expected to have a wide range of experience, covering most fields of his trade. For example, a non journeyman worker of some 20 or 30 years experience may have most or all of his experience in only residential, commercial or industrial applications. A journeyman however, has a broad field of experience in residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

And so for these reasons, I do not comprehend the pride the above individual seems to take in not working with any journeyman people.

The only plausible explanation would have to be that he does not know what the term means.

While we are on the topic terminology,  what precisely is a “license-quality repairman”?  If this is not a made up classification, It would be really astonishing. As a matter of fact, I will bet $500.00 right now that this person could not show credentials for 5 journeyman roofers in his employ let alone countless "license quality repairmen."

 And where do all of these people come from? This would mean that this company has gained access to an endless supply of people that could have a contractor’s license if they wanted but would rather work for someone else. An amazing accomplishment that no other roofing company anywhere has ever been  able to attain.

And in addition, please send me a copy of the "rigorous repair standards" manual, handbook or guide, by which all of your licensed quality repairmen are so strictly bound since by definition there must be one otherwise they are not standards. And how could so many rigorous standards possibly be enforced without one when after all: "No other Roofing Contractor in Northern California inspects more roofs, solves more roof leak problems, or repairs more roofs."

That sure seems like a lot to swallow from a three sentence paragraph. What do you think?

Uh Oh, the grammar police are out again! No, and not the physical address police either as was so eloquently put in a reply to me when I mentioned all of the vacant properties they are advertising as their business locations.

I am just pointing out that words have meaning and when the meaning is not in alignment with reality..... you tell me.

VISIT ROOF DOCTOR