fabricator/welder

pipe welder

group leader

maintenance person

project engineer

Rhoads Industries, Inc.

This company is really losing its way.
The labor force is divided into two. One side is a union constructed just to go after those contracts that are for union workers only. On paper, they’re a union. In reality they’re not. It’s a bunch of dead end workers doing dead end jobs. Pension and benefits are bad if you’re in this union they made. Then there’s the real union work. This company does hire a select number of people from real unions. Unfortunately, this one of those companies that just meets the minimum standards required by the union. They don’t go above those requirements at all. Whatever the lowest wage the union will allow a worker to work at, and the maximum amount of hours the union will let a worker work for, is generally how it works here. And with all honesty, this company isn’t really a good gateway for getting into a real union either. So if you’re looking to maybe get your feet in the door, this isn’t it. Upper management gets final say on the small few they actually sponsor into the real unions. So even if you do pass the union entry level exam, and you do have a relevant background, and fit the requirements, and are more than qualified, that’s not going to get you sponsored. They want you to hang around in their union they made for a few years working very hard for very little money. You’ll be dependent on someone else to survive during this time. It’s not a good deal. There’s other opportunities to get your feet in the door and land a good paying union job. This company is just not one of them. They went too far awry.
And if you want some proof of that, look at the union they made themselves. Their union representatives are not elected (nor could they win an election) , the upper management picks them out. And one of the main topics at their monthly meetings (if you do wind up attending one) is trying to get more competitive in the contracts they bid which all solutions they want you to vote on generally have wages going down, hours cut, and double pay on Sunday (when you have continuous contracts 24/7) being cut.   It’s not a place I recommend. From my experience, nobody from the real union halls would volunteer to come here. Some union halls have a big list of people wanting to work for certain companies, and this is one of those places that the union had to assign workers to go to.   If you do go here, proceed with caution. 

The rank and file are all super nice people just trying to do their best to maintain stability. The executives are a travesty that found a place to happen. How they all found each other is a miracle in itself…nobody has any idea what they’re doing, the focus changes day to day week to week they can’t get anything done. All deadlines are never met they’re months of not years behind schedule on anything….and they’ll blame you for most things.
They have no loyalty to anyone but their bottom line 

A normal day at Rhoads Industries was fast paced but I followed a weekly task list therefore, I knew what I was going to be doing each day.  I learned how to be a good listener, manage my time in order to complete my everyday tasks.  Management was great but the only person I had to answer to was my boss.  The work place was laid back, friendly, young and always with a professional attitude.  The hardest part of the job was keeping up with a somewhat demanding boss, yet still being able to smile.  The best part of the job was my boss, her patience and how great it was to work for her.

Rhoads is growing very quickly and it can be challenging for some employees to handle. The company has gotten a lot better about communicating especially about COVID protocals.

The regular emails and text messages can be a bit overwhemling at times but the informaiton is helpful.

They are sending out regular surveys about COVID,  Benefits etc which seem to address issues and I have seen changes in benefits offerings (more etc) as a direct result.

Training for office staff  continued during COVID and was really helpful as it touched on communication which was a needed area.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Some of the co workers. Def not upper management 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Jobs being bid from pictures, lack of direction and communication, jobs all over the place. Basically going to different sites daily throughout the week 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Do as I say, not as I do. Complete lack of accountability when it comes to who's responsible for what 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Getting told to go to a job site, then getting there and being told to go to another job site.

I got hired at rhoads a while ago so far they been keeping me busy there a pretty laid back company money's good benefits Are good better then some places the kind of company rhoads is you can learn a bunch of different trades and can gain a lot of knowledge and advance which is one thing I like being in the field you see a lot of new places all the time and sometimes the same place but different people they have a good group of guys I recommend this company to anybody who has a trades backround

The only decent thing is Pay, but you’ll have to fight tooth and nail for that. They expect you to work every second of the day, hard labor, in unfavorable conditions. Your retirement plan is not good, you’ll still have to rely on government assistance when you retire. Most employees are searching for better options constantly. They’ll hinder your career growth at every turn. You are only a laborer at Rhoads. Don’t believe the “we’re like a family,” bull.

Preparing welds for x-rays. Welding flux core with ceramic backing.
A whole lot of grinding. I worked with the millwrights helping them rig stainless and steel plates and pressure vessels. I learned some tig welding with stainless steel and also flux core. I learned how to operate small and large plasma cutters. Hardest part was the grinding but to me it was the easiest part, just hard on your body.
I enjoyed welding the most, especially in the dry dock or on the pier.

Weld stainless steel and carbon steel components together for nuclear waste tank construction. Learned how to use 316-L welding wire in a flux-core suitcase. Management was lacking in all aspects. Hardest part of the job was making sure all joints were 100% X-Ray quality. I enjoyed learning how to weld with the different type of wire.

Rhoads Industries helped me strengthen my technical skills as well as my interpersonal skills. I enjoyed collaborating with coworkers and management to complete projects. I work well on a team and I am always eager to learn new skills and complete new challenges.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Fabricator/welder 4 salaries reported	$36.75 per hour
Pipe welder 4 salaries reported	$34.25 per hour
Group leader 6 salaries reported	$42.32 per hour
Maintenance person 3 salaries reported	$29.20 per hour
Project engineer 2 salaries reported	$80,000 per year

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