I am FIRST a DIVER, second, an employer. When I bid a job I do a cost annalisis (what's it gonna cost) I consider the potential compitition, Who the client is, the difficulty of the project, time, equipment, expendables, wear and tear on equipment, overhead, amount of man power. As near to perfect as possible. The entire job is cost out plus a 5 to 8% error factor, a profit for the company to grow and a wage for myself as a diver.
There is no way ANY CONTRACTOR SHOULD PUT THE MARGIN OF PROFIT ON THE BACKS OF HIS DIVERS OR CREW. Now days more so than ever. There are clients and contractors trying to do this and if you, me and the rest of us let it happen it will happen. The pay for what we do and if you really, really think about the risks, costs and sacrifices we as the bottom dwellers face and experience. What we get is what is well earned. I have only met a slight hand full of divers who I thought didn't earn his keep and sooner or later he is weeded out of the pool. So ....... Dont' let any one tell you times are hard, times are anything, the owners, cities, states , governmental purchasing agents all have to save money yes, indeed but not on the backs of divers and tenders. ANY DIVER WHO SCABS A JOB FROM ANOTHER DIVER DUE TO SLASHED WAGES isn't worth much in my book. I loose jobs rather than tell a guy go down there risk your life for 2/3rd pay. or not scale pay. Contractors too, who cut their bids in half to keep guys working are going to cripple the industry for decades. The Florida diving industry is just an example of that. How can a diving co. bid a job 75 % of the rest of the bids with out stepping on his divers and crew or not have insurances? These days are rough but keep in mind the bottom line in most bidding hasn't dropped that much because the costs to do the work hasn't dropped that much. So make your minds up... SCALE! , STAND UP OR GO HOME? you can post the scabs name all over the net. and the company. If you want to see offshore divers or inland divers pay drop to $15/hr and 0 depth pay. don't stand up. I am a DIVER first! Your wearing a hat? your in the pool and responsible for the present day industry and the next generation of divers. This is my oppinion and maybe no one elses. I've been the odd ball more than once. AND FOR GOD SAKES STOP DOING ENTRY FLIPS FOR THE U-TUBE.