"F. George McDuffee" wrote

An example
of this was the severe shortage of "rough necks"/"floor workers"
during the last U. S. oil boomlet a few years ago.


Unka George (George McDuffee)

I worked as a crane operator on a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The
starter job roustabouts (laborers) in my crew could take classes, and move
up to the floor for about $200 a week more. Most took it, but some didn't
want anything close to that floor. A good "hand" (worker) takes a while to
train, and IF they don't get mangled first, figure out fast that it ain't
all it's put up to be on TV. Cold. Wet. Dirty filthy work. They then may
go up to pump man, derrick man, or even driller or mud man.

It's hard to find men who are willing to put up with conditions like that
even for what they pay. Which is pretty decent, yet with the disruptive
on/off scheduling, and working two weeks out of four, it doesn't add up to
as much as a decent job onshore. And then there's going away from wife and
kids for a week or more at a time.

I'm speaking of the time frame I was there from '74 to '80 when it was like
Gold Rush Days, and jobs were plentiful.

Never knew who would show up, who would stay, who would get hurt, so you
just managed from there and did the best with what you had to work with.

It's very easy to lose body parts on a drill floor. The heavy metal is
unforgiving, and everything is heavy.

And today, it is VERY difficult to find people who want to work HARD. I'd
underscore HARD, but can't. It's hard to comprehend unless you've been
there.

Steve