"Jobs Go To the Locals" Attitude re: Cookeville & Tri-Cities Area? (Cleveland: apartment, rent)

[Shenandoah]

I'll just bring my question over from another post:

It's to be expected, and honestly understood, as it's that way in alot of areas, even here, where the jobs go to the locals. You want to supply jobs to the native TN's and locals before you give a job to someone from out-of-state.

Is that attitude prevalent to anyone's knowledge in the Cookeville area, also? And how about the Tri-Cities area?

Or with both areas growing so much, with so many 'outsiders' coming in, is that attitude only with a few die-hards?

Cleveland Ohio is about a one hour drive from here, but when my hubby worked there, he was given the crappy jobs, or no jobs - just because he's a Pennsylvanian, so that bias has been experienced by him as a heavy equipment operator. But, that was with one contractor that he worked with there for one summer, before coming back to PA. And yes, he's with the union here - so the $22/hour wages won't be expected in TN, but a longer work year may make up for the lower wages. He gets laid off from mid November thru mid April. Which brings to mind another question about unemployment wage amounts, but that I can research on the state website.

blessings, Shen

[Rcm58]

Originally Posted by shenandoah

I'll just bring my question over from another post:

It's to be expected, and honestly understood, as it's that way in alot of areas, even here, where the jobs go to the locals. You want to supply jobs to the native TN's and locals before you give a job to someone from out-of-state.

Is that attitude prevalent to anyone's knowledge in the Cookeville area, also? And how about the Tri-Cities area?

Or with both areas growing so much, with so many 'outsiders' coming in, is that attitude only with a few die-hards?

Cleveland Ohio is about a one hour drive from here, but when my hubby worked there, he was given the crappy jobs, or no jobs - just because he's a Pennsylvanian, so that bias has been experienced by him as a heavy equipment operator. But, that was with one contractor that he worked with there for one summer, before coming back to PA. And yes, he's with the union here - so the $22/hour wages won't be expected in TN, but a longer work year may make up for the lower wages. He gets laid off from mid November thru mid April. Which brings to mind another question about unemployment wage amounts, but that I can research on the state website.

blessings, Shen

I can't speak for everyone but our experience was positive, when We first left Florida to here our applications went to the top where ever we applied, I was actually hired while still in Florida, I was told if you have a degree, don't have a drug problem and don't call in sick all the time that your in the top 10% for getting a job in the Tri-Cities.

[sliverbox]

I've never heard of this preference for locals before. My dad worked as a PR manager for decades and He never mentioned anything like this. He also got many out of staters.

It is a totally case by case situation. In the case of Unions and that kind of professional relationship, anyone from a region heavily reliant on Unions should realize that the old form of industrialized era labor and so forth doesn't really exist in TN and most of the South. So this should be taken into account. In regards to construction, This industry has always been tied to the whims off the economy. When the housing market goes bye-bye, so too does the work. It is impossible to predict what will happen. Some might say that the billions of baby-boomers and priced-out middle class relos will place demands on housing and construction. But the opposite could be true as the housing market crumbles in the places they live, hence preventing a move.

A move- any move is going to have calculated risks. If you can swing it either way, then you'll probably be fine. Do research. Check out the bls.gov site and do some cross references.See if you can find construction industry info regarding the status of it in TN and other areas. Perhaps see if you can contact a few companies and get some feeler info.

Lastly- I don't believe the preferential treatment thing at all. My dad's personal opinion was that many from out of state were enthusiastic and happy to work mainly because they were striving to make their lives better.

[Shenandoah]

From my, and Lou's own experience, I think that it's depended on the individual contractor who hired the workers. Large corporations, of course, won't show that type of favoritism, but when it comes to a contractor who has 20 men, then there's a difference in attitude.

I've done the research on the BLS website, as well as spoken with other people, checked on a few things, etc. Wage info is not the problem, really. The question was primarily if anyone had experienced that type of bias or not, and it's good to hear, not.

When we come down, it'll come to personal face to face meetings, as part of our time will be spent with Lou talking with contractors in different areas. If someone wants to hire him right then, great - he'll rent an apartment, I'll fly home and settle a few things here, bring the dog down, etc. We'll rent for awhile to see how we like a certain area. We even talked about just being 'Snow Birds' in Tennessee for a couple of winters, trying out different areas, plus to see if we'd really honestly like to move there, before making the final cut by selling.

If he doesn't get hired down there when we're down there, no problem, he collects unemployment all winter anyway, we'll just come back home and finish fixing up the house at our leisure prior to selling.

Nothing is in stone. I love what I hear about TN, I love the photo's, and I love talking with everyone here - but the reality is, when we come down, and visit, see the different areas, experience the areas, Then and only then can we make an intelligent and informed decision on moving.

blessings, Shen

[hilly7]

You know it's funny but locals say all the good jobs go to outsiders. I guess it's all in the perspective on that.

[hiknapster]

And I think the griping on both sides is due to there being more people than jobs.

[KC38506]

I had a student who moved to Cookeville as a heavy equipment operator from Long Island. He looked for a job for over a year, finding nothing. His expectations for compensation as well as a union bias by employers made it hard for him to find a job. Although they loved the cost of living and lifestyle here, they eventually moved to Ohio. It wasn't technically out of town bias, but you will find folks in some professions who consider someone coming from a union environment "tainted".

[KC38506]

Let me fix that - his DAD was a heavy equipment operator! Sorry!

[daniellefort]

I think it all comes down to the Job in question whether it goes to a local or outsider. I mean, yeah, if it's a general job like grocery store, shopping center or something like that then i do believe it will be given to a local which i think is perfectly fine to support their own but then again if your talking about a job that takes on some sort of skill, i think those will be the competing jobs and whoever has the most experience would probably get it. No matter what, the company is going to look at the person with the most skill and job performance whether they are insiders or outsiders so i guess when we read that jobs are giving to insiders first, i think we need to keep in mind the kinds of jobs we're talking about.

[hiknapster]

I got someone on here a job. He was use to getting $26 to $27 an hour. Even the big box stores didn't want to hire him. My company wasn't thrilled about hiring him, either. They were convinced that he was going to leave. Guess what? He did.