Debate: Is 30 years in the trade a milestone or just another Tuesday for a boilermaker?

I hit my 30th year on the job last month working out of the Local 1 shop in Chicago. I thought I would feel some big sense of pride or like I made it, but honestly most days it just felt like another shift with a torch and a grinder. Some of the younger guys slapped my back and said it was a huge deal but I had this old timer scoff and say 30 years is just the minimum if you really know your stuff. He claimed real boilermakers hit 40 or 50 years before they even think about retiring. So I'm wondering what you all think. Is hitting a big number like 30 years something to be proud of or does it just mean you showed up enough to not get fired? Has anyone else hit a milestone that felt bigger to other people than it did to you?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathang672d ago

Is it just me or do old timers always gotta one-up everything? I swear there's always some guy who's been in it since before you were born ready to tell you your 30 years ain't shit.

robinl902d ago

Can I ask what the old timer said his pension looked like after 50 years compared to yours after 30? I hit 28 years last spring and felt the same way you did a lot of quiet pride but also this weird feeling like I just did my job. I had a mentor tell me early on that the guys who brag about 50 years are usually the ones who never learned to do anything else with their hands. Your 30 years means you kept your body working and your mind sharp through some hard, dangerous work. That counts for more than just showing up.