Cement Finisher Career Guide and Counseling

Question: i heard that the city of chicago was hiring cement finishers and i want to know where can i get more onfo.? I would like to know if there is a website a could vivit or can anyone tell me where i can get an application and i want to know about salary and stuff I am looking for the city of cicago contruncion work/ cement finishers?

Answer: This site might help you locate whatever union you are looking for. Masons Union is usually where cement workers are out of. http://chicagolandconstruction.com/uanda.asp? This site will give you the info on what the requirements, and what kind of training .... http://www.cisco.org/apprec.htm

Question: How do I get in touch with the local union hall for southen california cement masons? -Transferring from saint louis metro area to so cal -need to find out how to obtain employment once I transfer to the local hall. -Is there work out there in the construction field? -Where can I find out what prevailing wage is for a cement mason/finisher?

Answer: Ah, A phone.....

Question: Do cement finishers often work long hours? LOL skinny guy ur a moron!! =)

Answer: They sure do, they are tied to the setting of the cement that cannot be paused until the next day The cement is poured . everybody can go home but the finisher must complete the job , there and THEN If he leaves it until the next day the cement is hard and beyond further manipulation. which is what the finishing is , smoothing and leveling the surface or maybe even working a design or texture in it whilst the cement is hardening. The speed with which he has to work is too a certain extent determined by the temperature and humidity of the environment

Question: is it ok to use joint compound as texture on cement walls? I am a faux finisher and have a basement that has some type of texture on the cement walls but I want to add more with joint compound, then paint and glaze is there something else I should use that will be better?

Answer: Thank you Shawn... I too do many faux finishes, and while MUD is usually used as a patch and seal, it's properties, once dry, arent hugely different from plaster. Obviously the more bonding/strengthening; agents in whatever medium you use, will probably assure more durability, but My suggestion would be,,,if your choice is MUD,,, find a premix, that is infused with polymers,,,or better yet, purchase fiberglass infused stucco mix. I have it on a house built in 1992 and it's still doing what it was intended to. The issue with usual joint compound is in it's durability to distress, IE: Plaster and mortar, or Stucco mix, get hard enough to withstand more abuses than MUD will. The problem with mortar might be in removal should you change your mind. Steven Wolf

Question: i want get a job in the disators area what company will pay for my relocation there? i am a welder and a cement finisher, i have various skill in construction field, i live in cincinnati ,ohio now

Answer: Unless you work for State Farm or Allstate or Chubb, you will have to travel independently to the disaster areas (Fargo will need you in a few weeks). Once you arrive you can work with someone who is already established or you can offer your skills directly to homeowners..

Question: Careers in Green Building? I'm a Safety and Env. Manager for a mid-sized manufacturer. My boss is interested in me working on LEED certification for one of our buildings. What careers are available to someone that has experiance with LEED certification? I have some experiance with construction I used to be a cement finisher. I was wondering if a person could open their own business with it.

Answer: Go ahead. Good luck.

Question: Everything is happening so soon...? First my bestfriend told me that she's pregnant...at 20. She's never been to college, her bf is about to graduate from college and still living with his mom at 25. When the baby is born she is going to still live with her mom... My baby sister just told me she's pregnant a few days ago at 20....but she's in college getting ready for nursing school, her bf is 28 and never been to college. He's a cement finisher and has a house.They are going to get married this summer before the baby is born. Now. I have all this stuff on me because two the most important people in my life are pregnant and they dont know how their futures are going to be. I'm like driving myself crazy right now...im worried about them. Is this normal? Im the plain one..im 21 and in college...never had a serious relationship or sex. This is scaring me because I have everything planned and their futures are depending on their babies now.

Answer: thats the problem with society today. babies having babies. this can be blamed for alot of problems from drug dealers to prostitution. women! however, my g/f isnt like that and judging from your letter neither are you. i hope everything works out for you and please remember that your friends arent as smart or determined as you are. i understand how you love your sister but id advice you to cut off your other friend, she will only hold you down and give you bad advice. obviously, look at her life. God bless and i have to say i give you more kudos because you are strikingly beautiful!!! Lord knows you had your share of temptations!

Question: Who realizes that The Great Khali sucks? The diseases of stupidity and ignorance appears to be going around in this section as people are saying that Khali is a great wrestler. This guy has cemented his status as one of the top 5 worst wrestlers ever! His finishers include a chop and a chokebomb that he evens does ineffectively. How dumb can people be?

Answer: I could care less about Khali one way or the other. Is he great in the ring? No. But it's about what I'd expect from a man of his size. He's not gonna move like a cruiserweight. I don't think Big Show is that good either but when these guys get put in the ring with someone that can "work" a match it carries them to a decent looking performance. So I think the real question is what should we really expect from Khali.

Question: Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant for MVP? Are you serious? Kobe and Crhis Paul should never, I repeat, never be included in any discussion pertaining to the MVP award. Kobe for one is the league's biggest ball hog who chucks up shots with reckless abandon and in process makes only 40% of his shots. He is very fortunate to have the likes of All Star's Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom and proven veteran Derek Fisher. Also, take a deep look at his bench; Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic and Ronny Turiaf! These people are starters/borderline all stars on most NBA teams and they come from the bench on Ko-Me's very deep team for crying out loud! Just proves how overrated Kobe Bryant is! Without Shaq, he was exposed as a trigger happy, mediocre NBA starter. Now with a solid team he's the MVP? Stupid! As for Chris Paul, he has All Star's in the likes of West, Stojakavic and Chandler backing him up. Three All Stars in the starting unit and he's MVP? Much more stupid than giving Kobe the MVP award. Now, you may ask, who then is the league's MVP? The answer is clear. He is the Rocket's Tracy McGrady. McGrady has been solid the rest of the season, leading the Houston Rockets with an injured Yao Ming and a supporting cast that should be playing in the D-League. With his veteran leadership and selfless play, McGrady has catapulted the Houston Rockets into title contention because of his leadership and basketball genius. Unlike Kobe, McGrady distributes (shares) the ball with his teammates casting aside personal glory for team success. And unlike Kobe and Paul, McGrady takes over when the game is on the line cementing his status as the game's best and most clutch finisher, a feat unseen since the days of the great Michael Jordan. And this is the reason why McGrady will win this year's MVP and lead the Houston Rockets to the 2007-2008 NBA title and in the process leave no trail of a doubt as to who the best player in the NBA is. Tracy McGrady is the new Michael Jordan. The true air apparent and as such should be crowned this year's MVP.

Answer: i have to agree tracy mcgrady is single handedly carrying a team of below average players look at the ohter mvp canadites out there remove them from their teams and they are still play off teams remove tracy from the rockets and they become a twolves/ miami heat caliber team

Question: What do you think is the reason why able bodied people who are able to work, don't or won't? I know with the situation with the economy like it is, unemployment is up. But I work in construction, I drive a ready mix (cement) truck. And one of the customers I pour concrete for, last year got busted for having illegals working for him. Concrete finishers and laborers is not an easy job, it's hard work. And for me I find it upsetting when I hear people who sit on their butts expecting a hand out, say that work like in the construction field, or in agriculture as well is too hard or that it would be beneath them to do that kind of work, or they are too good to do that kind of work. My dad worked in and around farming almost all of his life, he worked VERY hard every single day, and never complained once that the work he did, that he was too good to do that work. I'm very thankful that he instilled in my brothers and I, that same work ethic. It just sickens me at how lazy we have become that when there is good work out there, even if it doesn't pay the greatest, people think they are too good for it, and would rather have someone who's here illegally do the job instead. Personally I feel that those who are able bodied and CAN work, but instead sit on their butts and get a govt. handout need to have that handout taken away. My wife, kids and I have had economic assistance, and as much as it helped us, either my wife or I were working also, but we tried very hard to get off those programs as well. Ignorance, what I'm talking about is people who get food stamps, and govt. paid medical coverage. People who are able bodied and can work jobs but refuse because they think that they are too good to do those kinds of jobs that I mentioned.

Answer: I worked as a Case Manager for DSS doing wellfare. The reason people who can work and don't is because the govt gives people no reason to work. Tou can get free cash, food, health care, housing assistance, education, basically any of your needs. Why work when everything is handed to you and you sit at home watching Oprah? My wife recently lost her job and has been working her ass off to find employment, all the while living off my paultry salary but still getting by.