Toshiba Summer 1986

After about six weeks off, my first vacation/layoff in years, I went to work for a contractor at the Toshiba plant in Elmira. I had taken the time off to get my house in order. I had been living in Poughkeepsie when I got the call to start my apprenticeship in March. While I had moved over Memorial weekend my house was still in boxes! I found Toshiba to be challenging to say the least. My boyfriend Dan was on the job as well as his best friend, Jack. They liked to go out for lunch(and beers), but when I went with them I was invariably late to get back. My foreman spoke to me about it in no uncertain terms. Apparently, apprentices and journeymen seem to operate under different rules. I decided no more lunches out for me, at least on this job! In retrospect, it was s a good thing I was never partnered up with Dan or Jack because it gave me a chance to see how others worked. On the other hand, I did end up with a “bought book” mechanic. That is what we call members who are brought into the local based on non-union work experience and who don’t serve an apprenticeship. They are supposed to take an exam to prove their abilities, but I am not sure this one did. As an apprentice it is very frustrating to work with someone from whom you don’t learn. I guess in this case, I was learning what NOT to do! One day we were supposed to be installing a tee in a DI (de-ionized) water line to provide cooling for one of the machines. What I didn’t know then (but do now) is that these systems are usually big loops with branches leading to different equipment so that the water is continually moving to prevent stagnation or cooling off of the water. While I could see that the nearby valve was closed, the water was being fed in both directions. A competent journeyman and foreman should have known this. However, we cut the line and water poured out, all over me and the computer desk that was under us. It took forever to find another isolation valve to stop the water. Never again will I wear white to work. I definitely won the wet tee shirt contest that day!