Sunday, September 6, 2009

What does Labor Day mean?

Okay, this is not going to be about the history of labor (though that would be a great subject to overview), and it's not going to be about the Hallmark-er-ization of holidays (a rant that isn't suitable for this medium). In fact, it's about the mark of time that Labor Day has become for the US calendar. September = school.

Over the last three years, I have been attending "day school" for the apprenticeship, which means going to school for 8 hours every two weeks without fail, barring a handful of holidays that happened to land on my school day. No summer vacation to speak of, and a winter break that meant we went a month instead of two weeks between classes. (And that was always a bummer because it meant that much more time to forget everything we learned in class, and thus a more difficult time preparing for the next test.)

After these three grueling years of "day school" we finally get a summer break, and with said break, it means Labor Day (and all its symbolic time marking capacity) is upon us in full force. School once again starts the day after Labor Day. For me, that's literally the day after Labor Day. I have been assigned Tuesday evenings for my first class in night school, that being Power Quality. We're apparently using the same text book that we studied during book 5 for Power Quality, which is a very good text. I'm looking forward to delving in a little deeper, and getting a better understanding of all the nuances that occur in the power systems that degrade our energy consumption. It's back to electrons, harmonics, semi-conductors and sine waves. Yipee!

Additionally, this year is the beginning of a new responsibility for me. At the end of book 5 all 3rd year apprentices were given the chance to "run for candidacy". The elected position of 4th year representative for the Appeals Board becomes open every year as the current seat holder graduates to fill the 5th year position as a voting member. I made the decision to run, wrote a letter addressing my fellow classmates, and ultimately was chosen to fulfill this duty. I am excited and proud to take part in our organization in a way that offers my time, giving back to a massive structure that has thus far given me so much already.

A little bit about $$

Last week I was thrilled at seeing my new paycheck. It was a long time coming, and definitely a boost to my budget. The pay grades that are scheduled throughout the apprenticeship have been a gift in disguise. Even though the early stages (1st year through 3rd) were a tough pill to swallow, being somewhat on the low side of the scale, they also gave me the opportunity to really plan and budget for all of my expenses. Budgeting and saving have not been much of a priority to me in the past because I took it for granted that I would always be working. At the very least, all my bills were paid, and if I ever wanted to save for something big like a vacation, or a luxury purchase, it wouldn't be a thing to just put some cash aside for that high ticket item.

Maybe it's my age sneaking up on me (30 in a few months!), or maybe my eyes are just a little wider now because of these "tough economic conditions", but saving for a rainy day has become more important than ever. To be honest, on my 3rd year wages, I was just breaking even with my monthly expenses. I didn't rack up debt, but I wasn't exactly building a nest egg either. However, I do own a home, and that's something to show for. Thanks to the consistent and reliable income, I've been able to routinely pinch a tiny bit off the top to "pay myself first" through automatic savings. Although the actual figures in that savings may look paltry, the most valuable thing of it has been the habit itself.

I loved Ralph's talk in Book 5 about layoffs and savings. Students in my year are fortunate. We've seen the effects of a terrible recession all around us, and yet most of us have not been touched by it personally. We're still considered somewhat cost-effective on the job, and so have a bit more of a safety net with the apprenticeship. One thing is for sure: I don't take it for granted any more that I will always be working. I've talked to mechanics that I worked with from other companies and they've been out of work for months, and one in particular has been out for over a year. I've seen my company lay off workers who have been with them for 10, 15+ years. It is a fact of this industry. You've got to be tough. But more importantly, you've got to be prepared. Luckily the whole being prepared thing is easy enough to learn for anyone!