Is This Union Reasoning, Or What?

The place where I do 99.9% of my work is a gated, resort community. It even says, Blablaba Resort and Spa.

There are rooms and villas for rent, privately owned residences, tennis courts all over the place, and I don't know what else. I've never cruised the whole complex. The worker situation in the place is a soap opera, as I'm sure it also is with the lords and ladies of the various manors contained therein.

A snarky bunch, with a few exceptions.

Well, it turns out the people who used to own the place sold all except for a few residences they own there. Their son, and maybe they, too, owns the construction company which built most of the places in the resort. they do the lion's share of remodel work and rebuild work. A lot of stuff is the result of not the best planning and construction work to begin with, but they get paid and swear it is not their fault, ever.

Be that as it may, I get along OK with one of their project managers--think that is what he is.

He was telling me that his subs are pissed because they think I am "taking their work". I'm taking jobs away from them. Geez, I hardly have any work. I know I have been recommended several times by the British oil man and his porno book writing girlfriend, yet no one called.

Reading between the lines of what construction dude said, I figured out one of his subs caught on that there is a teak market and they have told people they have better methods and stuff to treat it with. That may or may not be true. I suspect not. But it would explain why I have received no calls when Brit and his house manager were positive the people who'd asked who did his table would call. Seems more than just a couple of their friends liked my work enough to ask who did it.

Since the matriarch of the resort (and of the construction family) still lives there and is in everyone's business, work may get steered away from me and toward the regular gang.

I don't know. I'm shocked anyone would worry over such small potatoes, except now I know one of his subs got a teak job from someone in the area. Very likely one of the people who was supposed to call me.

Complaining about someone taking your work when they never heard of you and were requested to do the work by a customer, well that is just whiny, wimpy and stupid. That ain't American thinking. Is that union thinking? I'm entitled to this little fiefdom. Wah

Unbelievable. It makes me want to find ways to get more work out there that I may not even want. Of course I can't solicit or post flyers or anything, but there are ways, I'm sure.

I'm impressed with some of the CA customer service people--mostly in Poway. But the trades under companies of any size are almost as sorry as memphis workers. Not quite, but close. memphis has the worst work force I've ever seen. First I thought it was only where I worked but soon found it a matter of city pride in memphis to be the worst.

Anyway. They have more to do than I do, and I am not in a position to obtain whatever licenses and bonding for whatever it is I want to title myself. I suspect one can slide in under the label of artist for a lot of projects, like those crazy santeria garage doors.

Taking my work. I have to admit, those guys have given me work. I have to go in and paint or fix up what they destroy while doing whatever other project it is. Fine with me. I could just follow them around and have work fixing pavers and tile they break, gates they break, paint they screw up, etc.