Spoke with Bill at Swift Bullets yesterday

[Firebird]

Did anyone actually say Bill pays lower wages? I suggested that another company doesn’t pay very well but also that you didn’t need to be skilled to work there. So if you barely made it through high school and aren’t gonna go to college, maybe there is a future at Swift or Barnes or whatever local company you happen live near. Barnes by the way is also in a small community but good freeway access to larger areas for a worker willing to make a short commute.
It rather make bullets than sling mcfast food!
I believe sourcing raw products has also affected the ammo industry but cannot remember where I saw that

 

[WAB]

Fun fact, US unemployment is 3.8% below the historical level of 5.7%. It seems like MORE people are wanting to work than usual.

I may be off on this Aaron, but I thought that I understood that the unemployment figures only counted those actually wanting to work? I don’t think it picks up those who have intentionally sidelined themselves.

 

[62flint]

Fun fact, US unemployment is 3.8% below the historical level of 5.7%. It seems like MORE people are wanting to work than usual.

I was always told. Figures don’t lie but liars figure.
Don’t people drop off the unemployment numbers once they stop looking for work.
Another thing I see a lot is people getting disability when they are in better shape than me. Before you tell me I am wrong I have family members on that gravy train.

The field hands make between 15-20 a hour cash.
15-18 if housing and vehicle is provided
18-20 if you just show up to work. No deductions
Now go listen to all those liberal politicians talk about the poor migrant workers being taken advantage of.
I have asked why they come over illegal. The answer is the paper work is to hard to figure out and takes to long. I know hard to believe the govt would make something complicated.
Most here are legal now. They come back every year. They had some help getting their paperwork straight.
None have ambitions to stay.
One wants to make enough to go back and open a butcher shop. Thinks it will take him 3-4 years to save up.
But they all are saving to go back and start their own life in their own country.
The ones that have stayed more than one generation has become “ Americanized”. Lazy and live off the govt tit.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I may be off on this Aaron, but I thought that I understood that the unemployment figures only counted those actually wanting to work? I don’t think it picks up those who have intentionally sidelined themselves.

That is correct. The other figure that seems to be lightly discussed is the Labor Force Participation rate. If you choose not to be in the work force, that number drops. If you choose to be in the work force, the number increases. But if you don't have a job, then that increases unemployment, and of course if you do then vice versa.

When Labor Force Participation drops with all other things held equal, so will unemployment rate.

 

[Ryan]

IF Bill is paying low wages it may be He is trying to control cost therefore reflected in the price of Aframes. Higher wages wil mean higher price of bullets and then this forum can judge him on the fact he should have controlled his costs.
Over my many years I have seen the folks who do not see the flames or feel the heat are the folks who tell you how to put out the fire.
Next thread will be on the high cost of bullets.

Yep, as an example, go to Federals website. They have a small supply of Trophy Bonded Bear Claw in 300 grain 375 caliber, a bullet I have read great things about, for a mere $167.99 per 25. They aren't moving. I have seen a few boxes of those around Alaska, a state with more 375's than most, that went for less than that and they're still on the shelf.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

My company has had a lot of trouble filling positions at the lower end of the bracket in terms of pay. We simply cannot get people to work for us and those that apply have not impressed.

On further inspection these jobs pay about the same or less than say Sonic, McDonalds, WalMart etc. Furthermore for one to afford housing at this pay, they must live far enough out, like a 45-60min commute to make it work. Why do that, if the neighborhood WalMart is paying as well if not better?

I've no clue what Bill pays his employees nor any of the financial information on his company. Could be he's cheap and unwilling to compete with other employers or possibly even the government hand out. Could be he's just doing what he needs to keep the company alive.

Without more information, I'll refrain from making a conclusion.

 

[Jamie D Van Roekel]

So basically he told you that he’s a fairly shitty employer and people have decided to work else where.

People don’t want or need a job. I owned a 5000 head feedlot. 15 years ago I would put an add for help and get 15-20 responses. The last couple years when I put an add out I would get 2 or 3 and they were no good. Got sick of the stress of not enough help and getting to the age I needed someone to start taking over so decided to sell it. Had a dairy that wanted it and they told me they would be putting a bid on it. They had a family meeting, the next day they called me and said they couldn’t do it they had to many openings at the farms they have now and wouldn’t be able to find help to run it. I ended up selling to another lot that has 2 generations and a third coming that wanted to farm so wouldn’t be hiring any additional help.

My wife has a restaurant and after Covid we closed for a year because she was running herself into the ground. Now we are open 3 days a week and running it ourselves. Looking for help. My daughter in law makes $150-200 on top of minimum wage in tips for 3-4 hours on Friday night. And we can’t find anyone to help her. We’re taking $50-70 a hour to take orders and bring out drinks for a part time job. People don’t want to be inconvenienced with a job.

 

[JimP]

My company has had a lot of trouble filling positions at the lower end of the bracket in terms of pay. We simply cannot get people to work for us and those that apply have not impressed.

On further inspection these jobs pay about the same or less than say Sonic, McDonalds, WalMart etc. Furthermore for one to afford housing at this pay, they must live far enough out, like a 45-60min commute to make it work. Why do that, if the neighborhood WalMart is paying as well if not better?

I've no clue what Bill pays his employees nor any of the financial information on his company. Could be he's cheap and unwilling to compete with other employers or possibly even the government hand out. Could be he's just doing what he needs to keep the company alive.

Without more information, I'll refrain from making a conclusion.

What I have seen is that new workers want to start at the top of the wage scale, not at the bottom. They don't care if they don't know what is going on in the business they just want the bucks.

People don’t want or need a job. I owned a 5000 head feedlot. 15 years ago I would put an add for help and get 15-20 responses. The last couple years when I put an add out I would get 2 or 3 and they were no good. Got sick of the stress of not enough help and getting to the age I needed someone to start taking over so decided to sell it. Had a dairy that wanted it and they told me they would be putting a bid on it. They had a family meeting, the next day they called me and said they couldn’t do it they had to many openings at the farms they have now and wouldn’t be able to find help to run it. I ended up selling to another lot that has 2 generations and a third coming that wanted to farm so wouldn’t be hiring any additional help.

My wife has a restaurant and after Covid we closed for a year because she was running herself into the ground. Now we are open 3 days a week and running it ourselves. Looking for help. My daughter in law makes $150-200 on top of minimum wage in tips for 3-4 hours on Friday night. And we can’t find anyone to help her. We’re taking $50-70 a hour to take orders and bring out drinks for a part time job. People don’t want to be inconvenienced with a job.

Years ago I was unemployed and there was a add in the paper every day for workers at a very good pay rate for the time. I was getting desperate and mentioned it to a friend. He told me that he had called the number and it was down at a local feed lot shoveling cow manure. I told him for what it was paying I could buy a pair of boots.

I never did find out what that job was actually about since a company that I had worked for and laid me off called me back to work.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

What I have seen is that new workers want to start at the top of the wage scale, not at the bottom. They don't care if they don't know what is going on in the business they just want the bucks.

I don't doubt your personal experiences. I think the whole situation is a cluster, but with lots of shades of grey between the black/white. Gov't handouts, inflation, cheap companies, companies struggling to hang on, poor worker attitude, etc all come into play.

 

[PARA45]

I was always told. Figures don’t lie but liars figure.
Don’t people drop off the unemployment numbers once they stop looking for work.
Another thing I see a lot is people getting disability when they are in better shape than me. Before you tell me I am wrong I have family members on that gravy train.
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View attachment 598865

The field hands make between 15-20 a hour cash.
15-18 if housing and vehicle is provided
18-20 if you just show up to work. No deductions
Now go listen to all those liberal politicians talk about the poor migrant workers being taken advantage of.
I have asked why they come over illegal. The answer is the paper work is to hard to figure out and takes to long. I know hard to believe the govt would make something complicated.
Most here are legal now. They come back every year. They had some help getting their paperwork straight.
None have ambitions to stay.
One wants to make enough to go back and open a butcher shop. Thinks it will take him 3-4 years to save up.
But they all are saving to go back and start their own life in their own country.
The ones that have stayed more than one generation has become “ Americanized”. Lazy and live off the govt tit.

So true! My wife and I tried to sponsor her niece to come visit for three weeks. I was still wearing the AF uniform and wrote a letter stating that this individual was going to go back and not stay in the US. We paid $150.00 for the Visa application, for this douche bag behind the plexiglass, look at my letter, laugh about it, and stamp a denied on her paperwork. Paying the $150.00 was not a big deal for us to pay, but for those who live in those countries, it's a lot of money. I don't have the answer to this.

 

[rwp315]

It really boggles my mind how lazy people are in this country (USA). We have totally lost our work ethic in this country. Swift has stopped producing .375 AFrames since October. The can has been kicked down the road yet another month. They said they would have ammo coming off the factory line by March. Bill told me yesterday its been pushed back to May because of the lack of people wanting to work.

Its just unbelievable how covid made people lazy.

Bring it to Illinois. There’s a ton of retired people I know that would love to be a part of that process.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Regarding Labor Force Pariticipation Rate. It is currently running at about the same level as it was ten years ago at about 62.7%. 2014 rate was where it seemed to have bottomed after dropping from a high at roughly 67%. There was a spike downwards of course due to Covid in 2020 and then a gradual return back to the 62.X level.

Labor Force Participation Rate

View data of the percentage of the total U.S. population that is neither employed nor actively seeking work.

fred.stlouisfed.org

 

[86thecat]

Buddy added up the value of all the benefits a girl (daughter of a friend) is getting from the govt. She is a druggie/sometime prostitute/ with a kid. Gets housing, food, medical, everything for the kid and tons more. His assessment was that the govt supplies her $70,000 a year of goods and seevices. Once they get on the gravy train, why would they consider working???
And guess what- all these new illegal border jumpers are being spoon fed by the govt too. Free housing, debit cards, food, medical etc. Do you really believe they will be the next labor force after being on the dole?

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I was the only white boy around working with migrants/illegals in the Houston area when I was a kid. I busted my butt working the Atascocita and Woodlands areas north of Houston. I was paid $50 a day cash working from can see to can't see during the summer and I learned to speak Spanish as a bonus. If you asked my dad for $1 you would pay him $5 to shut up about it. $50 a day was huge money for a kid used to making 10 cents a bale throwing hay or $20 a day riding and repairing the fence line all day.

One day we were laying sod when one of the Mexicans yelled, "Corres güero, la migre!" I stood up to see what was going on and was quickly tackled by a Border Patrol agent. Oddly, it took them awhile to believe I was just a redneck kid wanting to work and that I was not an illegal.

There is no shame in working whatever the job. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the migrants/illegals that come here to work and be productive members of society. Unfortunately, the new illegals are coming here to be a burden on the taxpayers and continue the criminal ways they lived in their home country.

Safe travels

 

[Scott CWO]

Fun fact, US unemployment is 3.8% below the historical level of 5.7%. It seems like MORE people are wanting to work than usual.

Really? Stupid BS more like it. Lots of lazy azzes not even looking anymore. Lots of them want a “living wage” for menial work after smoking pot and blowing off school. Wake up! Lower paying jobs used to push people to want to work harder and be promoted to higher paying jobs. People used to know that entry level jobs were not a goal but a stepping stone while working your way up the ladder of success.

 

[Jamie D Van Roekel]

What I have seen is that new workers want to start at the top of the wage scale, not at the bottom. They don't care if they don't know what is going on in the business they just want the bucks.



Years ago I was unemployed and there was a add in the paper every day for workers at a very good pay rate for the time. I was getting desperate and mentioned it to a friend. He told me that he had called the number and it was down at a local feed lot shoveling cow manure. I told him for what it was paying I could buy a pair of boots.

I never did find out what that job was actually about since a company that I had worked for and laid me off called me back to work.

Working at a feedlot today is very different. The hours can be long at times but the work really isn’t to difficult. Driving tractors, payloaders, feed trucks. If you like cattle it is a great job. But you have to like animals and being outside a lot. Sounds really bad don’t it. lol. I always said I would pay someone else to be able to do it.

 

[PerH]

Kristianstad, Sweden population 43500. I have skipped all American bullets due to their unavailability and only use bullets available for purchase = made in Europe by North Fork and Wim Degol. I have always found the phenomenon of component shortages strange, if there is a market why not satisfy the need?

Same with many us bullets here In Norway . One can Get depressed looking at store pages , and many euro bullets some stores can’t , don’t or won’t get either . Question is why are they doing all the time

 

[Vintageguy]

I had an HR manager tell me, when I asked about getting a new lineman to replace a retired lineman, that they had gone through 2 rounds of ten. First 10 had all wash out due to no valid drivers license and or failed drug tests. You see it doesn’t make any difference if your state has legalized a substance, no one is hiring anyone who has to operate in a dangerous environment who would test positive should they be involved in an accident. The second group of 10 had the same result minus one and the manager stated they had the job if they passed the remaining written test.
I asked, ok, but what if he’s an a$$hole? Seriously, personality had no bearing whatsoever but it absolutely matters in a crew dynamic.
Our government is turning our young people into unemployable idiots and with medical studies showing a 1 in 4 chance of developing bi-polar disorder with schizophrenia from the modern pot, crazy unemployable idiots!

 

[Firebird]

What if they have an exceptional background in video gaming

 

[Altitude sickness]

Elon Musk says within 2024 artificial intelligence will smarter than any human.

I have news for him. That’s not a very high benchmark