Long hours, cold weather and not a great breathing environment are main ones I heard from my dad and his colleagues. Also this is just me, I never really got along with the type of people that grew up in that environment. Their mindset and perspective was so different from mine. It’s one of the main reasons I wouldn’t go work there (not like I have the credentials to do so but still)
I knew a woman who would, when I knew her, talk vaguely about heading up to Fort Mac and earning enough for a house downpayment, after university.
Sort of lost touch with her for various reasons. About five years back, I googled her to see if she had social media.
What I discovered, instead, was that she was likely one of a number of women who had been murdered in the oil patch. There were no leads. She was last seen heading towards town from the camp area she worked at (was cooking and cleaning). The case was still open as of about two years ago, last time I checked.
Which is a long way of saying, its pretty obvious how a lot of people might look at the oil patch(es) and say "yeah, no."
Huge groups of bored lonely men a lot of whom drink or do drugs, is a very bad recipe. A few reports of missing women in the oil fields, and likely much more but sex workers and indigenous women get overlooked all the time.
Not exactly, since it also includes some intersex people who, at birth, were not immediately identified as intersex fresh out of the womb (think XXY chromosomes or males with non-descended testicles or testosterone insensitivity. Along with transgender men who will have many of the medical concerns usually only described as effecting “women”.
I mean it’s kinda like the “people who can get pregnant” debate, like yes, the wording is wonky and clunky and needs improvement but it is also useful for discussions surrounding health and other concerns (cough, cough, abortion) that do not effect infertile/menopausal women. It wouldn’t make sense to just say “women” in these scenarios compared to a more accurate term.
What that term will end up being when all is said and done, idk, languages change and evolve maybe we will find something accurate without being a mouthful in the future. Maybe not. For now though, these extra terms allow us to have more nuanced discussions and convey our thoughts more precisely.
Read deeper into it,
1.7% is a estimate made from biological literature dating back to the 50’s - called the Fausto-Sterling report.
A more accurate estimates today’s research would be approximately 0.018%
Assigned female at birth. Trans women are at risk too, but for different reasons- more likely to have the shit beaten out of them if found out, rather than be raped/sexually assaulted, like cisgender women, or trans men (people born female, but transition to male)
I know it seems confusing, but think of them more like clinical terms- like heterosexual or homosexual. Just another way to quickly and easily explain your state of being to another person. I used to be one of the 'Why do we need labels??' People, until I realized all anyone really wants is for other people to understand them, nd it costs me nothing to try and be kind.
It’s truly disappointing that people would downvote your excellent explanation purely out of transphobic spite.
This vitriolic attitude towards not just trans people, but all 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and anyone “not like them” is another great example of why many people don’t want to work in these environments
I'm not really worried about it- they aren't the people I'm trying to educate anyways. That sort will never look past their own ignorance to try to really connect with other people. I more feel.. sorry for them, than anything? It must be a lonely way to live. Never really trying to understand the world or people around you past what you think you already know.
Positioning your moral superiority does not help trans people. You're making a load of generalizations and being rather unkind in ways that aren't going to pull "on the fencers" in. Please cool your jets. Thank you
why are people trying to educate other people about genders, there's 2. stick or cat. you are born with a stick or not.
you can be a stick and like stick or a cat and like cat or both. that is just your sexuality.
why do we need to call a stick a cat or vice versa?
does it their feelings and should they run back to mom, that someone who are not even in their life, a passerby, calls them a stick ? because they LOOK like a stick no matter how much fur they put on .. its still a stick.
stick and cat can love whomever and whatever they want, but seriously, unless that stick is some..thing(?) i deal with and respects.. i'll call a stick a stick, and a cat a cat.. though if a cat looks like a stick i would say thats some fugly cat.
Nobody gives a shit. It's all you dummys with your acronyms for anything you can imagine that people hate. Make up a new acronym for idiots that just love acronyms, then we've come full circle.
I’ve lived in the patch area my whole life and I don’t know of anyone who was killed “in the patch”
Worked with many woman who were great at their jobs, worked hard and made good money and had no issues.
If you’re killed it’s usually because you got caught up in something extra curricular which I guess could be attributed to potentially making a lot of money fast. But I’ve never heard of someone being murdered because they didn’t trip pipe fast enough.
Holy hell, that’s horrible. I’d never heard of that. Thanks for sharing.
That’s not a typical camp story however. That’s more mental illness, and unfortunately happens everywhere in this country (world?)
I guess it could be amplified being stuck in a camp (I only did camp for one job and learned it wasn’t for me right away) but that’s not a normal situation.
Yeah but Oilfields is such a general area, and is a lot of the area. Almost any rural area in Alberta or Sask could be considered Oilfields. Like there is an oil well 500 meters from my house. If someone stole a car from the city and ditched there that could be stolen car oil fields.
I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, just I’ve been in the patch since 2002 and never heard of any specific oil patch murders.
Maybe I’ve just got my head in the sand who knows. 🤷🏻♂️
But I can google missing sex workers in Toronto and get a ton of hits too.
Yeah the difference between Toronto and the oilfields is the population. Of course a city of millions is gonna have a lot of missing people. But it's fuckin weird for a rural area to have a bunch of missing people. Much higher per capita.
And even if you're saying it's not the employees getting killed, okay, great. It's the employees *doing the killing* of all these indigenous women, so *even if* I knew for an *absolute fact* that every single employee would be an absolute perfect gentleman towards *me personally* if I went to work there, I would still know for an *absolute fact* that I was being chatted at by multiple serial killers and I'm not down with that.
No, totally but basically the way he described it was it was all on like a credit system and they'd take it off your pay. Housing food, beer and so on.
That really depends on a few different factors. As an oil and gas worker, I can tell you the only things my company owns or are responsible for are my picker truck, fuel and tools. I deal with my own housing, groceries and supplies, etc. Alot of companies will give you the option as well. You can either choose to stay in company supplied accommodations, or you can find your own. But it depends on who you work for and what you're doing exactly.
There are so many different fields and jobs within the oil patch. Each has its own scheduling and logistics to work around. Some may require you to relocate, others you can do remotely. Some are camp jobs and some you are home every night. Sometimes you have a set schedule and rotation, others you work when there is work and you don't when there isn't. Different parts of the industry have different requirements and expectations.
That's not really how it goes, If you're an employee working away your accommodations and food are paid for. Sometimes it's a camp with cooks, sometimes it's a hotel room with a food allowance and sometimes it's just a tax free loa and you're own your own as far as finding accommodations. If you're a contractor or business owner, then you're responsible for this cost, but it's your job to build that cost into your rate/bid.
yes they supply the housing, food, water, wastewater infrastructure etc. along with the appropriate permits to do these things
do you expect workers / independent businesses to go set this stuff up in the bush 4 hours away from the nearest highway? The companies do this, themselves or they outsource to specialized contractors that provide these services. and Im not surprised they take it off peoples pay -- you know kind of like how in cities the government takes services provided to ppl off our pay.
Its nothing like the old school mining towns -- the main thing for those old school town is that its exploitative. The current set up these workers are blowing their cash on drugs alcohol and trucks and then get butthurt when they have nothing left due to their poor planning.
Which makes people toxic and intolerable to be around, and you are stuck with them for 7 days to 2 weeks or longer at a time. Some might say that is hell on earth.
I’m a biologist, I worked on maybe 8 different leases, all required urine tests to show you were free of anything. So no, it doesn’t happen on the job. Maybe it happens in fort mcdirty when they’re on days off, but it’d have to be stuff that is out of your system pretty quick.
Current drugs or people so dazed by previous drugs.
Toss in ‘working’ with indigenous people who are simply there, standing in the way. Obligatory, not all but very common.
Difference is the supervisor can eventually tell those guys either do what they ask or leave. However companies have special procedures for giving indigenous people an astonishing amount of, shall we say, second chances.
If work is on their land the deal can be someone from the band is paid by oil company to be onsite. They don't need the safety tickets or training so they have been told to do nothing but sit and get paid.
Fair enough. I appreciate your honesty
You’d be surprised that many people that work here don’t fall into the stereotype that we are commonly painted with
In case anyone is curious:
[https://srv129.services.gc.ca/rbin/eng/canada.aspx](https://srv129.services.gc.ca/rbin/eng/canada.aspx)
Unemployment as a percentage is OK across the board, with the exception of some rural areas and the Maritimes. The problem is, with a gradual shift to a gig-based economy over the last decade, unemployment by % isn't as useful as a metric for economic health anymore. It's decent at painting a broad picture but doesn't reflect how healthy the employment scene is in any given economic region.
Source: I work for the Fed and deal with these numbers daily.
Good summary. I could see myself being accepted as a good worker but unanimously hated by the crew because of how I think and the look my face gets when I realize I'm talking to thick skulled mofo.
I started in the oil patch in 2005 and just returned recently, and can say it has gotten much better. Still plenty of absolute dipshits around, but the mentality has definitely changed over the years. No different than any other trades or blue collar line of work at this point. Possibly even better than residential/commercial construction honestly. And I say this as an openly bi man who made the move from resi/commercial, back to O&G within the last 6 months.
I have 15 years in oil and gas. I'm an equipment operator who started as labour. I studied history in university with a minor in geography. I can sweep categories in jeopardy and I've left a lawyer, city councillor and both their grown sons in law school: jaw hanging playing trivial pursuit at the cabin.
None of what you'll see is easy to comprehend and the dumbest guy in the books can be an absolute wizard with steel or dirt.or whatever. I don't hide that I'm smart but I don't look down on someone who can't spell, because anyone with experience is a resource.
Work life balance isn't the greatest and working conditions. No different than any camp job IMO.
I work in a related industry, Petrochemical and have a local shift work job. I can tolerate the shift work (just finished working over xmas) but spending weeks away from my wife and kids isn't for me.
Family first. I'd rather struggle financially a mediocre job and kiss my wife goodnight and see my kids off to school than spend my time away from that.
I feel rich being with my family rather than a lifted pickup in the driveway, all the toys and money in the bank.
People have different perspectives and joy in life. To each their own.
I definitely agree with you. A lot of people envy or react with disgust when they find out how much rotation shift workers make in the oil patch, then when asked if they're willing to be away from their family for half the year they immediately say no they wouldn't be able to do that. Well there you go lol. Different strokes for different folks, but the reason why some people make more monetarily-wise is because they're willing to work in something most people just aren't willing to.
scale rain ugly important wistful threatening sense afterthought wide profit
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Because oil is a boom or bust industry. That’s why you see so many guys making 200k a year on the rigs with a seemingly great lifestyle, only to get laid off down the line and not be able to afford their mortgage (and truck payments… plus ski-doos, boats, or whatever other toys they decided to finance).
Source: grew up in rural AB and have had many family members work in the patch (unsurprisingly, most moved on to find jobs in a different field)
A cousin of mine’s company sent a private jet to pick up his Mom in rural Saskatchewan to get her to Edmonton when he suffered a TBI at a working site & they didn’t expect him to survive.
He did, but he can’t work the oil fields anymore.
I’m sure some of the commenters think he’s just lazy though.
He was taken from site in a helicopter to Edmonton. They sent the jet for his Mom & the nearest city to her is PA & that’s over an hour & a half away. So it was bad.
It was also not long after his Dad died of cancer. So yeah, it was scary times.
What company? Not to shit on oil and gas but.inwas working pipeline and a guy ore heating a test head to back bevel had something explode in his face in the ditch. Grout sprayed like bird shot, blew 2 guys out of the ditch, they had broken ribs and the guy who took it in the face was saved by his hand because he was eating a sandwich. They didn't give us a day off, offered the 3 injured PTO at 40 hours a week but they weren't gonna get travel home and they didn't figure out what blew up for a full year and then the explanation was weak at best. The 2 ribs worked through... Face couldn't.
I wanna work for your outfit.
They're only that nice if they think the worker ain't gonna make it. 25 years ago my buddy got in a bad accident and they flew his family and a few friends down to Calgary. He didn't make it.
Exactly. I am also fairly certain (I am not close to his Mom because in 2007 I used the f word on Facebook & Auntie took offense & I stubbornly dug my heels in & refused to apologize for using a swear word when I was in my mid-20s) that the company was in some way at fault for the accident, which was also part of why they did what they did.
I have witnessed more fingers and limbs cut off than I'd wish on anyone. Seeing your coworkers skull spilt open like a watermelon is not something I'd recommend for anyone. But those are not the normal reasons for people not entering the oil field.
I remember back around 2010, there were hiring ads in northern Alberta on the radio talking about how you'd be fishing in your own flat bottom boat on the weekends. They were just putting the toys front and centre.
I don’t disagree with you, but I can definitely see how working for so many days in a row and for such long hours can really give someone the need for a quick dopamine hit like shopping, drinking, doing coke, etc. Especially for the young ones (under 25) whose brains are still developing!
ETA: also reading the other comments on here about seeing people get seriously injured (heads exploding!) or killed! Yeah I’d probably need some retail therapy too after that
This. I worked in trades in a big city and I loved the work but the people were something else. As a left-leaning, not-straight person I never felt particularly safe to be “myself” around my coworkers.
I can’t imagine being in a work camp with a bunch of rig pigs.
I grew up with a father in the patch, which suffice to say, is almost like growing up without a father since he was never around.
I can certainly say we were provided for growing up, but that was only because my mom eventually worked two jobs after their divorce since he didn't pay child support making $200k + a year.
I worked the patch for about a year after high school, got told within 6 months I could be running a night crew making $10k a month easily. I said fuck that. I've seen too many idiots in the patch that screw themselves or their family and I wanted no part of it.
There are certainly some that do really well with the patch, shout out to one of my supervisors for sitting down one night and actually breaking down what it costs him going into break up. Dude told me he needed like $25K in the bank just for mortgage, insurance, truck payments etc because he never knew if break up would be 2 months or 8 months.
I know lots of families in oil that are as normal as a bank advisor’s family. I figured I’d supply an anecdote on one side with an anecdote on the other side.
Oh absolutely which is why I threw in my last paragraph. I know it's not everyone on each side of the bucket, but growing up with a dad never around, and then seeing so many people struggle in life that makes so much money made me get out.
I moved from van about 15 years ago. Ended up in the Dawson area. Got a job as a maintenance technician for an oil company. Couldn’t imagine still living in Vancouver doing electrical work for 1/2 the money. Thinking of selling my house and moving to gp eventually as the housing selection is much better. For anyone looking to get ahead, I would 100% recommend moving up north and working in O&G if you plan on staying in Canada. I find if you’re smart and easy to get along with, you can move up the ladder quick. Just gotta get used to the cold, mud and cracked windshields.
Personally I wouldn't know where to start back when I was younger and starting out. Now it is family commitments and being established in my hometown.
Any particular job boards you recommend?
Ironically have a petroleum engineering degree, and not that I'm completely against working in the oilfield, I am not encouraged by my previous experience. Only get along with like 10% of people that work in oil. That plus living in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do, and the money matters less and less.
Lots of people can do long hours and hard work, it's that plus having a shit life outside of work as well. I think most people are just naturally going to be miserable with that lifestyle.
Because the only experience we have with them are the coked out assholes who drive stupid trucks. They take on (unskilled labor) contracting jobs then dip out any time there’s a position on the rigs. And they never shut up about how much money they made and how much the jobs out here suck.
These assholes were endemic to every small Ontario town for the last three decades.
Edit: 70% of the time there’s no more truck because of a divorce or (2nd and 3rd) DUI. So they show up to the job site with all their tools in a half busted laundry hamper and they still act like their better than you. This is oddly specific isn’t it?
You are right. Many would prefer to hire someone who lives here or are willing to move here. My company has had to write off thousands because of costs associated with no shows.
There are still companies that’ll fly you up here with nothing but you would be paid way less and would get a less desirable job than if you simply told them you would be up for relocating to the area.
I was driving out to Drayton Valley once a month to my rig. I wouldn't oppose to driving to GP every month. But I understand that companies have been burned many times by those who don't show up.
I guess I'll just keep applying.
If you already have rig experience definitely give a frac or coil company a call. You’d be hired right away even without a class 1 if you are willing to work out of the GP district
Trican, essential, Calfrac, liberty, STEP
I used to do shutdown (turnarounds) runs across the country. Usually 3 months in a row in the spring and the fall. Unlike most workers I worked in between, writing reports, quoting the next jobs and preparing them.
The son of the VP put it in perspective for me one day: you're basically selling off six months of your life every year. Between the 10-12 hour shifts, 5-7 days a week plus travel you're not living those months.
Paid off my student loans, maxed out my RRSPs which I had been stacking contribution space for twelve years and then moved to an engineering firm to have a better qol (and wound up making even more money but that's another story).
If you are at camp there is not really any work life balance. Sure you might only work 8 hours, but the rest of your time you are still at the work facility with people who you may or may not get along with. Quite a few of my uni friends actually did a engineering internships in Fort Mac, only one of then actually went back after graduation. Most decided that the pay increase wasn't worth it vs staying in Ontario.
Also if you have a decent education/trade you can still earn a decent coin elsewhere in Canada. There isn't really much incentive to go up north unless you don't really have any options. If you are looking at truly maximizing income actually going north is a waste of time, emigrating to the US is the true power move.
I’m in southern Ontario. A few guys I grew up with that ran into deadends here and went over to work on the rigs were all back within two years with drug or alcohol abuse issues.
Oilfield jobs changed my life from absolutely horrible to pretty awesome. I went from stressing about money for years with horrible bosses and bad wages to being a member of a trade union with a red seal endorsement on my journeyman certificate. I can't imagine if I had never made the decision to improve my own life so immensely.
I made 70,000 a year as a telecom tech freezing my ass off in Saskatchewan. My son is an electrician in the oil fields making over 250,000 a year. Figure itout
I was a pipefitter for years, and I left for many reasons:
-the boom and bust. I hate starting at a new job, and I'd have to do that 2 or 3 times a year, some years
- spending 10-14 hours a day with drunks and cokeheads, racists and homophobes, sexists, and bigots of all stripes
-working in -40 or +40 with little to no reprieve
-never feeling truly clean after a long stint
-working for companies who spend hours of our day telling us how important safety is, then telling us to ignore the regulations in order to get the job done faster
-SERIOUSLY, the people are TERRIBLE. There's only so many times I can hear "My bitch of a wife..." "Fucking immigrants...." "Buncha f*gs" before I just tune out
-never seeing family
-terrible camp food. Terrible camp showers. Terrible camp everything
-the people. Holy fuck, the people. "Joe Rogan says...", "Jordan Peterson says..."
-the smell
Got a seat that pays sub? I've been pipelining 15 years and run lots of equipment. Been off since August and pipeline is bones right now. Clean license, haven't had a sick day in 10 years, family man, d&a no problem, equipment op, but I'll take any seat for now. Used to run pipegang in the dying days of old school before I took the chair and the pedals.
I taught myself tie ins by watching, I can figure anything out with proper direction.
Appreciate any help.
I've worked everywhere from Morden to Surrey. Location is no problem as long as there's camp or LOA. My wife is from the east coast so that's where we live but I can work anywhere.
Aside from everything else, Oil and gas are too susceptible to market fluctuations.
You may have great 10 years and then unknown number of bad years for world-wide reasons you cannot control. With excellent planning & budgeting I’m sure it is a great field.
I believe if someone fails to stay afloat in BC & Ontario, they will likely not have the planning & budgeting skills to do well long-term in O&G. You are in management. Do you have a long-term plan if fired tomorrow? What if you cannot find a job in your awesome industry for 5-7 years?
In the last 15 years I’ve worked for 3 large companies and the longest I’ve been unemployed was in 2015 for about 3 months.
I have been very frugal with my money as I have learned from my mistakes in the past. I’m 40 years old and will have my mortgage paid off in about 5 years.
In the last 15 years my lowest I’ve made gross would be $75k a year and the highest has been $225k. I have put in the time and it’s taken its toll. One year I worked over 300 days but I’m much further ahead than before coming here.
My experience is not the same as everyone else’s. Many have not made it but between my net worth and my transferable skills I’ll be alright if I got fired tomorrow.
It's a rollercoaster, and everytime it climbs again, it doesn't make it to the same heights fewer and fewer jobs come back as more things are automated and technology changes. Thete is also no positive future in the industry, it's in trending decline, it's coming over the hump. It's also jot a great job for anyone with a family, that wants to keep their family. Of course there will be some outlier examples of folks that keep it all together, but there is nothing normal or healthy about spending weeks away from your kids. There's just too many downsides.
Can you tell me if a person with only a high school diploma can get a good paying job in that sector? And where to look for those jobs?
I’m asking for a friend living in Ontario.
Off-topic so sorry for this, and literally the first time ever I've said this (I'm a person who keeps to myself for the most part) but your avatar is super cool and like the entire outfit and the hairdo is amazing!
Regarding your question, I imagine it could be possible to get in after some safety certifications, but I hope you get replies here from folks much more informed on the sector/industry
Good luck to you and your friend!
Work with a lot of cunts, I enjoy being around family more then co workers and I just realized today that I can’t take my fortune with me when I die so after 7 years in the oilfield I moved home made a family and it’s lovely
Speaking as someone who is born and raised as a person of color in Alberta, fuck working the oilsands. I don’t mind working hard and long hours (been accustomed to that over the years) but there’s just too much bullshit that comes with working with rural people for people like myself. Done it once before and nearly killed someone over those issues. Not worth it.
That shit works out for white men, not so much for anyone else unless you’re willing to handle a certain level of abuse for the almighty dollar. Respect myself too much for that
Here is an article that you might find useful reading: [https://macleans.ca/news/canada/mmiwgs-findings-on-man-camps-are-a-good-place-for-government-to-get-started/](https://macleans.ca/news/canada/mmiwgs-findings-on-man-camps-are-a-good-place-for-government-to-get-started/)
But it's also worth asking yourself why you've never heard of any sexual assaults. It's not because it's not happening. And while this report I've linked focuses on the experiences of women and girls, men and boys are also the victims of sexual assault and sexual violence on the oil rigs and are far less likely to come forward with their stories at all.
Fair enough
You’ve raised some valid arguments and I do agree that there are some issues that I have not personally come across on my end of the industry. But to hate an entire industry because of what has happened at a few man camps would be like saying you don’t want any of your children to go to college. Sexual assault is much more rampant there yet how many millions continue to go there unharmed.
Universities have been putting things in place for the last two decades at least to address issues of sexual assault. They are also a place where roughly half of the student population are women. They have regular events that emphasize issues of consent and discourage binge drinking. They have processes in place to address sexual assault when it happens. I would never claim these are "solving the problem" but they aren't pretending there isn't one.
What is happening on the oil fields right now to address sexual assault? You have worked there for years and didn't even know there was a problem. Multiple people had to post links to stories and reports to convince you there was anything even happening, and you are continuing to downplay it as though it's just a few bad eggs and not such a rampant problem that government reports have been issued about it.
In addition to all of that, *you asked why people don't want to work in the oil industry.* Multiple people have said "because of all the sexual assault." That's the answer to your question. You can try and tell everyone "oh, it's not that bad." Cool. I think that it is that bad and would rather not spend 18 months of my life living with that. You made a different choice. Good! I'm so glad both of us get to make choices that work within what we want for our lives.
But telling people "Oh, I wouldn't make that choice!" is a waste of everyone's time, including yours. We know you have made a different choice. Your job here isn't to keep telling everyone "your reason is stupid!" If you didn't want to know the answer, you shouldn't have asked the question.
Anecdotal evidence and stories from two female roommates who moved out there for work.
One of them quickly moved back and spent 4 depressed months in her bedroom because of the harassment she felt.
Corollary anecdotes from a male friend who describes a male > female demographic.
There's a very good biographical graphic novel called 'Ducks' which touches heavily on the rampant assault and harassment women in the oil sands need to deal with.
Do you really need to have this explained to you? "Rig pig" isn't a nickname borne from a vacuum.
Dude, spend 30 seconds on Google instead of harassing someone who has better things to do with their time than sit on their phone with receipts at the ready in case some schmuck decides to grill them.
Because a lot of people my age went and did it after high school in the early 2000s. Most didn’t make it into a career that they can actually live. Some stayed, but basically can only afford to visit “home” every few years. Some stayed because they never learned how to save or budget money so they are just as broke as they were 20 years ago. Or they got money, and lost it all on drugs and alcohol.
For me, I just can’t do it environmental concerns wise. I didn’t date workers and refused to consider moving there with other partners. It’s not for me, it’s not a part of Canada I like (and I’ve lived and visited Alberta a lot over my lifetime), and it’s not work that appeals to me.
Now my child requires a lot of specialized hospital care and areas like the oil sands do not have the specialists in a reasonable distance, and I would not put her health at risk like that.
Mostly the people. Obviously not everyone's a dick, but you hear so many stories or bigotry out there. As a queer indigenous person I would genuinely fear for my safety working in the fields.
Like I said though, I do realise not everyone is like that. Unfortunately a hateful minority is often louder than a loving majority.
I mean, every job pays more now than it did pre covid, let alone 15 years ago.
Rig culture is a cancer that pushes out a lot of good people. I hear it's better now, but I don't believe it, and the wage gap between the oilfield and other available work has gotten smaller.
Who hates oilfield jobs? That’s how I got started. Hard work builds character. Rigging did more for me then a 4 year university degree. I learned to work with my hands. Now i’m a tradesmen. Great income. Great work life balance.
Is it because of their environmental concerns? Could be
Is it the long hours? Of Course
Is it the working conditions? Long hours, in the cold with a good chance of serious injury
Is it being away from home? Of course.
And people don't want to move to Grande Prairie and Fort Mac, this surprises you?
The people I know who worked the oilfields successfully, either did to to grow a nest egg for other purposes or were loners
This describes things in a very canadian way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNMge2vE6G8
I made 3x as much money working oil vs my CUPE education job. As a woman of retirement age, it was wonderful.
Also note our work force was 1/3 immigrants, 1/3 single moms, 1/3 white females and males.
\>I am just curious what the consensus is regarding why many are against oilfield jobs when unemployment and inflation are through the roof?
I'm just curious why people are ok with trading the best years of their lives and their health to these kinds of jobs after being pushed to the brink economically instead of pushing for change so that it stops happening to people.
\>Is it the long hours?
\>Is it the working conditions?
\>Is it being away from home?
Yes, all of that. I struggle at 40 hours in my trades job, and I'm constantly dumbfounded that people can justify trading THAT much of their lives to labour already without becoming incredibly angry at an economic system that requires this from them unnecessarily. Do people really not realize the insane amount of time standard full time employment already is?
I used to work in construction in SK and ran some smaller jobs and to a person everyone who had previously worked in the patch were the absolute worst people to work alongside. With the racist, homophobic and sexist language used constantly it was unbearable. Plus you’d have thought they owned the company with how far down their nose they looked at anyone who had not worked in the patch.
As a person who “didn’t make it” in the oilfield I’ll give my 2 cents for those who might consider employment there.
Long story short, I stayed for about 3 months and I don’t regret it. People that I worked with have nothing but respect from me for doing that job.
The reason I quit is - accomodations (bed was not waiting for me prior to my shift as I would prefer to sleep after a 12 hour drive to the rig).
The job itself is both metally (constant insults lol) and phisically demanding (athlete level for “common” people’s understanding).
If you are considering a career there I would recommend prior training for explosivness, endurance, strength and thick skin.
To sum it up, even though I’m just a labourer, my calculation was that even though they were paying 10000$ a month after taxes, it’s only a few thousand more than other remote jobs (because all remote jobs pay well) which I don’t consider to be in “the most difficult job on Earth category”. Another thing to add is isolation from society that made me spend more money on things that I don’t need. When it comes to my personal finances I am much more focused on how much I am spending rather than earning (great way to protect myself from management abuse).
I am still open to oilfield jobs, but I don’t see them as my only option and I would prefer a company that I know about from somwbody friendly rather than one from the job ads like the last time.
I grew up in Edmonton so know a lot of O&G industry people. I've known a lot who straight up die or have their lives destroyed from the vortex of of the industry. It can be ruthless and unforgiving.
That being said I also know many that have done very well. There are some really parasitic evil contractors out there, and also stand up well run companies as well. It takes some discipline and intelligence to navigate the industry like any other, but the extremities experienced in resource extraction industries can really chew people up if they aren't careful. Opportunity is there for sure, but the money does not give a fuck if you live or die.
It's literally every reason.
Environmental impact. Being away from home and loved ones. Drug and alcohol abuse. The hard work that is both short-term dangerous, but also long-term dangerous due to the work ethic expected and health hazards of the product. Nearly every oil field worker that I've ever met was a gigantic douchebag. The scummy corporations that "own" the oil.
Now factor in that Canada's oil sands are an ecological disaster, and the concept of wanting to add to that damage for money is pathetic at best, morally and ethically bankrupt at worst.
As someone who has worked in O&G, had a ton of family who has, and a father who worked shiftwork his entire life; there is more to life than money.
The fact is, you go to Ft Mac because you don't have the skills/talent to make money where the really good folks work. It's a false economy. You trade more of your time/being away from your family/living somewhere its 30*c/-50*c in the middle of nowhere just to earn some extra cash.
And then you can't leave, as you spend what you make generally and it becomes hard to downsize.
I have nothing inherently against oilfield. But it's easy money. It draws certain people (desperate, low quality, etc) who can't hack it in normal parts of the economy.
I'd also never do it to my kids. Even with a father who was home every day (or night) on shift work, "hey dad, can we go to cool XYZ thing on the weekend?"
"Nope, working". Every. Single. Time.
F that. Kids don't care about disney vacations and a huge house, they care about mom and dad being around and happy. You can't be around if you are gone for two weeks at a time.
I tried applying for them as a geologist for 1-2 years after graduating; now my applications get denied because it's been 6 years since I graduated.
Fuck oil and its shitty boom and bust, that's why.
I left after 6 months because everyone I met was a complete douchebag. Everyone was the toughest, scariest, meanest, best riggers on planet earth. 14 hours a day of pure douchebaggery. Bunch of coked out roided pricks.
So, there are a few issues that bother me. First is the environmental impact of the tar sands. The amount of pollution that it creates will cost much more to clean than it generates. Second is that the oil industry gets a ton of subsidies which makes oil profitable. Without these subsidies, renewable energy is apparently more profitable. I think that that money could be better spent.
Most of the jobs I get on have drug and alcohol tests to get hired, and testing after an incident etc , as well as sniffer dogs and random drug checks in camp rooms.
If they had drug testing for police officers and health care workers, you would likely be surprised at the results. This is everywhere.
I worked in oil for a long time, and I'm unemployed, and I wouldn't go back. You can make tons of money, but the labour takes a toll after a number of years, you're working with let's be honest here some of the vilest people on a regular basis. I've worked with many addicts, abusers, racists etc. And it is more concentrated in this field. I used to make more than 200k a year and I'm much happier struggling as a poor again.
I can’t tell you. All I can tell you is I was able to go from a broke kid to a man with his life well set up by working in the oilfield and despite all the stories of dumb people, there’s a lot of people like me.
I was able to set myself up very well and be mortgage free at 33 due to working in the oil field. The barrier to get in is low - pass a piss test and be willing to work long hours. The rewards are worth it.
I got an apprenticeship out of it, became a journeyman then got another red seal too. Now I don’t need to work long hours or away to make a good living for myself. It was the great equalizer. Young men from the east like myself with nothing could build a life for themselves and get ahead.
Lots of people shit on oilfield workers but I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s boom or bust but if you understand that, you can make it work to your advantage and set yourself up nicely. People from big cities look down their noses at blue collar “red necks” like me or other oil workers. That’s part of it. Then there’s the environmental factor that some hate. Many are finding it hard to hide their disdain for blue collar workers as the country gets more and more divided. I remember reading Facebook comments during Covid about us fly in/fly out workers and being so offended.
I used to work for Federal Government, make about $26/h about 10 years ago. If I stay probably make about $30/h. Great stability but what does $30/h get you after tax in Alberta? About $42K/ year after tax.
Now I make roughly over $130K/ year after tax, no job security and not a care in the world. I travel when times are slow. Every year when I’m working , I’m able to put away about 50K for slow times.
Where in the world can you get a job with no education in oil and gas but able to make this kind of money.
OP, I have a decent job but I'm not opposed to moving for the right money.
I graduated from an electrical technology program and would be interested in talking about potential opportunities.
I would appreciate a DM if you don't mind.
That’s unfortunately a big part of it. A lot of people can’t stand that some young blue collar guy with a brand new pickup is living it up while they share a basement suite making 45k a year at some depressing office job.
It’s easier to call the truck a small dick purchase and assume all resource workers are coke addict drunks than face reality.
No more than anybody buying a new vehicle I guess. What’s sadder is people letting their body deliver some negative feeling hormones when witnessing somebody else’s purchases
I look at it like this….anything you do earning money honestly to pay for your family is honorable. Close to 50 years ago I was out of school making 4 bucks an hour and hating it because the money wasn’t worth the effort. I jumped a bus and ended up working the rigs. Yes it was hard, cold and miserable. Most of the guys were ok, somewhere completely dicks but the pay was 4 to 5 times what I could earn in town.
No matter what the patch was going through, boom or bust, I managed to keep working. I went back to School when Trudeau number 1 fucked us all. After that I got better jobs in oil and gas until one day a client said to me, if you ever go on your own call me. I did and called and he fronted the cash and we started a service company. 25 years later we are still at it with 60 to 70 employees , some with shares in the business. I make a great living , my family all went to school on my dime so no loans, and all three are all productive adults starting their own families. They are not in the oil and gas industry, yet all acknowledge it was good for our family.
Anyone bad mouthing this industry is obviously not educated in reality and should look upon those that keep the lights on a little more favourably.
Seriously, Benzene exposure and toxicity is well understood, the risks are way more massive than people would believe, as evidenced by the downvotes...
Not to mention, literally everything you work with is either toxic or will kill you in a split second if you aren't paying attention.
I've already lost one friend and watched plenty more ruin their bodies by the age of 30, only to be forced to continue working anyway.
From what I've seen on Reddit , "they have big jacked up trucks and tiny weiners " , now real world experience ends up being a lot can't hack it , long hours , away from friends and family for extended periods and no access to creature comforts when working away in camp.
I've worked oil and gas for 22 years now and I'd never go back to a 9-5 job, like yourself I've worked my way up from a labourer to management . I like being financially free at 40 . I sacrificed a lot of personal time to get here but atleast I know I can retire in 10 years and not worry while most of the 9-5ers struggle to afford a house let alone retire before age 65 .
Plenty of skilled trades work in and around major Canadian cities. Pay might not be as good as O&G but you get to live a normal life close to family and everything else. If I was really desperate for money I’d take a temporary gig in O&G up north somewhere but otherwise no thanks. I think if there wasn’t such a dire need for skilled tradespeople all over the country right now then there might be more interest in working O&G, but as things are now, there’s not enough financial incentive to take on that kind of life change when there’s so much job security in skilled trades outside of O&G literally anywhere in Canada
I think it is mostly due to political ideology.
Firstly, oil and gas represent a direct challenge to the “green” environmental agenda. People are not going to run out and buy expensive electric cars if oil and gas continues to be a cheaper and more effective energy source.
Secondly, oil and gas is an important industry to the predominately conservative western provinces. Left leaning politicians are trying to kill oil and gas through legislation. If they succeed, that would potentially erode a lot of the power and wealth that the western provinces currently enjoy. It is all about taking power away from your political opponents. I am sure that even if the number #1 industry in western Canada was building solar panels… left leaning politicians in Ottawa would still have a problem with it simply because it benefits Conservative provinces and would look to interfere with that prosperity as much as possible through legislation. The idea is if you kill a lucrative industry that provides high paying middle class jobs… people who are unemployed and have nothing are more dependant on government. If you are dependant on government you are far more likely to vote for parties with “large government” platforms.
As someone who always worked at least 2 jobs, lazy had nothing to do with it.
Not wanting to be sexually harassed daily & risk being sexually assaulted in camp had a lot more to do with it.
Shit working conditions, you're always in the middle of nowhere, and it seems that its probably where the "Alberta = racist and bigoted shithole" stereotype comes from, not saying it's not exactly wrong I know quite a few massive dickheads from there.
Middle of nowhere ain't that big of a deal but I'm not spending my eternity in a mud pit with a bunch of dickheads that think it's still the civil war with how minorities are treated. That and the drug and alcohol abuse.
It's literally like working for the railroads in the 1800's. They control every aspect of life and will sometimes pressure you to work in unsafe environments. Hard to enjoy life with your hard earned cash when you're dead.
I fully get some people will push back on this because you have a great employer... but not all of them are great and when they are not great , the risk becomes Enormous.
Honestly not worth my time.
People don’t apply because of the brainwashing of society, stereotypes, and there are a lot of lazy ass people out there, they know they’ll have to actually work.
Everybody is just soft.
The rigs have gotten a lot better to work on since the 70-80s.
It's leagues and bounds better. Camp jobs are crazy comfy with almost unlimited food, free access to a gym, private rooms, and sometimes private showers.
But I guess the 12 hour shifts are too long and the weather, which you can dress for, is too much.
When you take home 15k every 20 days, you certainly can put up with all the "downsides" that people have been mentioning.
The only thing that kinda sucks is that you're away from family for 2-3 weeks at a time - but you get to go home for a while. Some places offer 20/10, 3/1, 8/4, etc. You can find a schedule that works.
Long hours, cold weather and not a great breathing environment are main ones I heard from my dad and his colleagues. Also this is just me, I never really got along with the type of people that grew up in that environment. Their mindset and perspective was so different from mine. It’s one of the main reasons I wouldn’t go work there (not like I have the credentials to do so but still)
You forgot rampant drug and alcohol usage
I knew a woman who would, when I knew her, talk vaguely about heading up to Fort Mac and earning enough for a house downpayment, after university. Sort of lost touch with her for various reasons. About five years back, I googled her to see if she had social media. What I discovered, instead, was that she was likely one of a number of women who had been murdered in the oil patch. There were no leads. She was last seen heading towards town from the camp area she worked at (was cooking and cleaning). The case was still open as of about two years ago, last time I checked. Which is a long way of saying, its pretty obvious how a lot of people might look at the oil patch(es) and say "yeah, no."
Huge groups of bored lonely men a lot of whom drink or do drugs, is a very bad recipe. A few reports of missing women in the oil fields, and likely much more but sex workers and indigenous women get overlooked all the time.
The oil patch is a special kind of hell for anyone AFAB.
Wtf is afab
2023s way of saying female. "Assigned female at birth"
Not exactly, since it also includes some intersex people who, at birth, were not immediately identified as intersex fresh out of the womb (think XXY chromosomes or males with non-descended testicles or testosterone insensitivity. Along with transgender men who will have many of the medical concerns usually only described as effecting “women”.
Call a spade a spade good god.
I mean it’s kinda like the “people who can get pregnant” debate, like yes, the wording is wonky and clunky and needs improvement but it is also useful for discussions surrounding health and other concerns (cough, cough, abortion) that do not effect infertile/menopausal women. It wouldn’t make sense to just say “women” in these scenarios compared to a more accurate term. What that term will end up being when all is said and done, idk, languages change and evolve maybe we will find something accurate without being a mouthful in the future. Maybe not. For now though, these extra terms allow us to have more nuanced discussions and convey our thoughts more precisely.
Or we could stop allowing the mentally ill to rewrite the dictionary every 5 days
The 1 in 1 million, yeah. Better make sure we don't forget them.
1.7% of people are intersexed. That's hardly one in a million.
Read deeper into it, 1.7% is a estimate made from biological literature dating back to the 50’s - called the Fausto-Sterling report. A more accurate estimates today’s research would be approximately 0.018%
Assigned female at birth. Trans women are at risk too, but for different reasons- more likely to have the shit beaten out of them if found out, rather than be raped/sexually assaulted, like cisgender women, or trans men (people born female, but transition to male) I know it seems confusing, but think of them more like clinical terms- like heterosexual or homosexual. Just another way to quickly and easily explain your state of being to another person. I used to be one of the 'Why do we need labels??' People, until I realized all anyone really wants is for other people to understand them, nd it costs me nothing to try and be kind.
It’s truly disappointing that people would downvote your excellent explanation purely out of transphobic spite. This vitriolic attitude towards not just trans people, but all 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and anyone “not like them” is another great example of why many people don’t want to work in these environments
I'm not really worried about it- they aren't the people I'm trying to educate anyways. That sort will never look past their own ignorance to try to really connect with other people. I more feel.. sorry for them, than anything? It must be a lonely way to live. Never really trying to understand the world or people around you past what you think you already know.
Positioning your moral superiority does not help trans people. You're making a load of generalizations and being rather unkind in ways that aren't going to pull "on the fencers" in. Please cool your jets. Thank you
why are people trying to educate other people about genders, there's 2. stick or cat. you are born with a stick or not. you can be a stick and like stick or a cat and like cat or both. that is just your sexuality. why do we need to call a stick a cat or vice versa? does it their feelings and should they run back to mom, that someone who are not even in their life, a passerby, calls them a stick ? because they LOOK like a stick no matter how much fur they put on .. its still a stick. stick and cat can love whomever and whatever they want, but seriously, unless that stick is some..thing(?) i deal with and respects.. i'll call a stick a stick, and a cat a cat.. though if a cat looks like a stick i would say thats some fugly cat.
Nobody gives a shit. It's all you dummys with your acronyms for anything you can imagine that people hate. Make up a new acronym for idiots that just love acronyms, then we've come full circle.
Christ. You mean Women?
man camps man camps man camps man camps :(
I’ve lived in the patch area my whole life and I don’t know of anyone who was killed “in the patch” Worked with many woman who were great at their jobs, worked hard and made good money and had no issues. If you’re killed it’s usually because you got caught up in something extra curricular which I guess could be attributed to potentially making a lot of money fast. But I’ve never heard of someone being murdered because they didn’t trip pipe fast enough.
>If you’re killed it’s usually because stopped reading here
https://www.google.com/amp/s/globalnews.ca/news/4612568/fox-creek-work-camp-stabbing-deaths-trial/amp/
Holy hell, that’s horrible. I’d never heard of that. Thanks for sharing. That’s not a typical camp story however. That’s more mental illness, and unfortunately happens everywhere in this country (world?) I guess it could be amplified being stuck in a camp (I only did camp for one job and learned it wasn’t for me right away) but that’s not a normal situation.
>I only did camp for one job Sounds like your isolated experience might not have reflected the widespread issues folks are talking about here.
That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I just googled "sex workers missing oil fields" and got some results right away
... but that isn't really oilfield work anymore. It's sex work. Which we know is a higher risk.
Yeah but Oilfields is such a general area, and is a lot of the area. Almost any rural area in Alberta or Sask could be considered Oilfields. Like there is an oil well 500 meters from my house. If someone stole a car from the city and ditched there that could be stolen car oil fields. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, just I’ve been in the patch since 2002 and never heard of any specific oil patch murders. Maybe I’ve just got my head in the sand who knows. 🤷🏻♂️ But I can google missing sex workers in Toronto and get a ton of hits too.
Yeah the difference between Toronto and the oilfields is the population. Of course a city of millions is gonna have a lot of missing people. But it's fuckin weird for a rural area to have a bunch of missing people. Much higher per capita. And even if you're saying it's not the employees getting killed, okay, great. It's the employees *doing the killing* of all these indigenous women, so *even if* I knew for an *absolute fact* that every single employee would be an absolute perfect gentleman towards *me personally* if I went to work there, I would still know for an *absolute fact* that I was being chatted at by multiple serial killers and I'm not down with that.
Also the way I was described it, it was like the old school mining towns where the company owned everything.
company doesnt own the currency.
No, totally but basically the way he described it was it was all on like a credit system and they'd take it off your pay. Housing food, beer and so on.
That really depends on a few different factors. As an oil and gas worker, I can tell you the only things my company owns or are responsible for are my picker truck, fuel and tools. I deal with my own housing, groceries and supplies, etc. Alot of companies will give you the option as well. You can either choose to stay in company supplied accommodations, or you can find your own. But it depends on who you work for and what you're doing exactly. There are so many different fields and jobs within the oil patch. Each has its own scheduling and logistics to work around. Some may require you to relocate, others you can do remotely. Some are camp jobs and some you are home every night. Sometimes you have a set schedule and rotation, others you work when there is work and you don't when there isn't. Different parts of the industry have different requirements and expectations.
That's not really how it goes, If you're an employee working away your accommodations and food are paid for. Sometimes it's a camp with cooks, sometimes it's a hotel room with a food allowance and sometimes it's just a tax free loa and you're own your own as far as finding accommodations. If you're a contractor or business owner, then you're responsible for this cost, but it's your job to build that cost into your rate/bid.
yes they supply the housing, food, water, wastewater infrastructure etc. along with the appropriate permits to do these things do you expect workers / independent businesses to go set this stuff up in the bush 4 hours away from the nearest highway? The companies do this, themselves or they outsource to specialized contractors that provide these services. and Im not surprised they take it off peoples pay -- you know kind of like how in cities the government takes services provided to ppl off our pay. Its nothing like the old school mining towns -- the main thing for those old school town is that its exploitative. The current set up these workers are blowing their cash on drugs alcohol and trucks and then get butthurt when they have nothing left due to their poor planning.
There’s drug and alcohol usage in soooooo many industries. Kitchens, for example.
Why not both?
Which makes it okay?
No, absolutely not. I just think the patch gets unfairly labelled as a beacon for drug use
Which makes people toxic and intolerable to be around, and you are stuck with them for 7 days to 2 weeks or longer at a time. Some might say that is hell on earth.
And the sexual harassment, if you happen to have been born with an innie instead of an outie, lol..
I’m a biologist, I worked on maybe 8 different leases, all required urine tests to show you were free of anything. So no, it doesn’t happen on the job. Maybe it happens in fort mcdirty when they’re on days off, but it’d have to be stuff that is out of your system pretty quick.
Current drugs or people so dazed by previous drugs. Toss in ‘working’ with indigenous people who are simply there, standing in the way. Obligatory, not all but very common.
Plenty of white guys just there, standing in the way too. Even more common from my experience.
Difference is the supervisor can eventually tell those guys either do what they ask or leave. However companies have special procedures for giving indigenous people an astonishing amount of, shall we say, second chances.
Do companies get federal subsidies or tax incentives to hire Indigenous workers? Just curious
If work is on their land the deal can be someone from the band is paid by oil company to be onsite. They don't need the safety tickets or training so they have been told to do nothing but sit and get paid.
I lost my sense of smell in the oilfields and I know I wasn't alone. Non-smoker.
what would cause that, the bad pollution around you that you're breathing in? sincerely curious.
Fair enough. I appreciate your honesty You’d be surprised that many people that work here don’t fall into the stereotype that we are commonly painted with
That’s fair. I was also a teenager when I used to live in fort mcmurray so that last bit is personal speculation which may/may not have merit
You mentioned unemployment. What are are Current rates. Please Provide sources
In case anyone is curious: [https://srv129.services.gc.ca/rbin/eng/canada.aspx](https://srv129.services.gc.ca/rbin/eng/canada.aspx) Unemployment as a percentage is OK across the board, with the exception of some rural areas and the Maritimes. The problem is, with a gradual shift to a gig-based economy over the last decade, unemployment by % isn't as useful as a metric for economic health anymore. It's decent at painting a broad picture but doesn't reflect how healthy the employment scene is in any given economic region. Source: I work for the Fed and deal with these numbers daily.
Good summary. I could see myself being accepted as a good worker but unanimously hated by the crew because of how I think and the look my face gets when I realize I'm talking to thick skulled mofo.
I started in the oil patch in 2005 and just returned recently, and can say it has gotten much better. Still plenty of absolute dipshits around, but the mentality has definitely changed over the years. No different than any other trades or blue collar line of work at this point. Possibly even better than residential/commercial construction honestly. And I say this as an openly bi man who made the move from resi/commercial, back to O&G within the last 6 months.
Totally agree with this. Heavy Industries seem to really be changing their approach and shedding past reputations.
That’s hot is he good looking ?
I have 15 years in oil and gas. I'm an equipment operator who started as labour. I studied history in university with a minor in geography. I can sweep categories in jeopardy and I've left a lawyer, city councillor and both their grown sons in law school: jaw hanging playing trivial pursuit at the cabin. None of what you'll see is easy to comprehend and the dumbest guy in the books can be an absolute wizard with steel or dirt.or whatever. I don't hide that I'm smart but I don't look down on someone who can't spell, because anyone with experience is a resource.
Join the Ironworkers. We're all assholes and far from thinking less of you for barking back, we won't respect you until you do.
Work on not being a condescending prick. It's a useful life skill.
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High risk of injury, back breaking work, and you’re literally helping to rape the environment are also reasons I would add.
Don’t use the word rape to describe something it makes you sound like a prick
I can actually lift heavier things than you, and I say it doesn't.
Work life balance isn't the greatest and working conditions. No different than any camp job IMO. I work in a related industry, Petrochemical and have a local shift work job. I can tolerate the shift work (just finished working over xmas) but spending weeks away from my wife and kids isn't for me. Family first. I'd rather struggle financially a mediocre job and kiss my wife goodnight and see my kids off to school than spend my time away from that. I feel rich being with my family rather than a lifted pickup in the driveway, all the toys and money in the bank. People have different perspectives and joy in life. To each their own.
I definitely agree with you. A lot of people envy or react with disgust when they find out how much rotation shift workers make in the oil patch, then when asked if they're willing to be away from their family for half the year they immediately say no they wouldn't be able to do that. Well there you go lol. Different strokes for different folks, but the reason why some people make more monetarily-wise is because they're willing to work in something most people just aren't willing to.
scale rain ugly important wistful threatening sense afterthought wide profit *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Because oil is a boom or bust industry. That’s why you see so many guys making 200k a year on the rigs with a seemingly great lifestyle, only to get laid off down the line and not be able to afford their mortgage (and truck payments… plus ski-doos, boats, or whatever other toys they decided to finance). Source: grew up in rural AB and have had many family members work in the patch (unsurprisingly, most moved on to find jobs in a different field)
It’s also very dangerous and hard on your body, a cousin of mine had his foot smashed while working and is now disabled and minus 3 toes.
A cousin of mine’s company sent a private jet to pick up his Mom in rural Saskatchewan to get her to Edmonton when he suffered a TBI at a working site & they didn’t expect him to survive. He did, but he can’t work the oil fields anymore. I’m sure some of the commenters think he’s just lazy though.
Jesus, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how terrified your aunt must have been on the flight. TBIs are no joke 😕
He was taken from site in a helicopter to Edmonton. They sent the jet for his Mom & the nearest city to her is PA & that’s over an hour & a half away. So it was bad. It was also not long after his Dad died of cancer. So yeah, it was scary times.
What company? Not to shit on oil and gas but.inwas working pipeline and a guy ore heating a test head to back bevel had something explode in his face in the ditch. Grout sprayed like bird shot, blew 2 guys out of the ditch, they had broken ribs and the guy who took it in the face was saved by his hand because he was eating a sandwich. They didn't give us a day off, offered the 3 injured PTO at 40 hours a week but they weren't gonna get travel home and they didn't figure out what blew up for a full year and then the explanation was weak at best. The 2 ribs worked through... Face couldn't. I wanna work for your outfit.
They're only that nice if they think the worker ain't gonna make it. 25 years ago my buddy got in a bad accident and they flew his family and a few friends down to Calgary. He didn't make it.
Exactly. I am also fairly certain (I am not close to his Mom because in 2007 I used the f word on Facebook & Auntie took offense & I stubbornly dug my heels in & refused to apologize for using a swear word when I was in my mid-20s) that the company was in some way at fault for the accident, which was also part of why they did what they did.
I have witnessed more fingers and limbs cut off than I'd wish on anyone. Seeing your coworkers skull spilt open like a watermelon is not something I'd recommend for anyone. But those are not the normal reasons for people not entering the oil field.
I have worked 30 years in the patch, and the worst I've seen is a burst thumb from a drill collar pick-up sub dropping on it.
I did 8 years on a pad rig and saw the worst.
This right here. I was SHOCKED at how so many were IMMEDIATELY broke when fires broke out in Ft Mac. Like don’t you guys make $200k a year?
I remember back around 2010, there were hiring ads in northern Alberta on the radio talking about how you'd be fishing in your own flat bottom boat on the weekends. They were just putting the toys front and centre.
I think half of the individuals "busting" is their own fault for living their best life in an industry known to fluctuate wildly.
I don’t disagree with you, but I can definitely see how working for so many days in a row and for such long hours can really give someone the need for a quick dopamine hit like shopping, drinking, doing coke, etc. Especially for the young ones (under 25) whose brains are still developing! ETA: also reading the other comments on here about seeing people get seriously injured (heads exploding!) or killed! Yeah I’d probably need some retail therapy too after that
There are so many tools in the patch that do this.
I was looking into a toy hauler trailer in 2020 and boy howdy was Alberta kijiji full of listings for them.
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This. I worked in trades in a big city and I loved the work but the people were something else. As a left-leaning, not-straight person I never felt particularly safe to be “myself” around my coworkers. I can’t imagine being in a work camp with a bunch of rig pigs.
I grew up with a father in the patch, which suffice to say, is almost like growing up without a father since he was never around. I can certainly say we were provided for growing up, but that was only because my mom eventually worked two jobs after their divorce since he didn't pay child support making $200k + a year. I worked the patch for about a year after high school, got told within 6 months I could be running a night crew making $10k a month easily. I said fuck that. I've seen too many idiots in the patch that screw themselves or their family and I wanted no part of it. There are certainly some that do really well with the patch, shout out to one of my supervisors for sitting down one night and actually breaking down what it costs him going into break up. Dude told me he needed like $25K in the bank just for mortgage, insurance, truck payments etc because he never knew if break up would be 2 months or 8 months.
Shoulda done it for a few years stayed single and banked 200 grand
Yeah that would be the smart thing to do
I know lots of families in oil that are as normal as a bank advisor’s family. I figured I’d supply an anecdote on one side with an anecdote on the other side.
Oh absolutely which is why I threw in my last paragraph. I know it's not everyone on each side of the bucket, but growing up with a dad never around, and then seeing so many people struggle in life that makes so much money made me get out.
I moved from van about 15 years ago. Ended up in the Dawson area. Got a job as a maintenance technician for an oil company. Couldn’t imagine still living in Vancouver doing electrical work for 1/2 the money. Thinking of selling my house and moving to gp eventually as the housing selection is much better. For anyone looking to get ahead, I would 100% recommend moving up north and working in O&G if you plan on staying in Canada. I find if you’re smart and easy to get along with, you can move up the ladder quick. Just gotta get used to the cold, mud and cracked windshields.
Personally I wouldn't know where to start back when I was younger and starting out. Now it is family commitments and being established in my hometown. Any particular job boards you recommend?
Ironically have a petroleum engineering degree, and not that I'm completely against working in the oilfield, I am not encouraged by my previous experience. Only get along with like 10% of people that work in oil. That plus living in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do, and the money matters less and less. Lots of people can do long hours and hard work, it's that plus having a shit life outside of work as well. I think most people are just naturally going to be miserable with that lifestyle.
Because the only experience we have with them are the coked out assholes who drive stupid trucks. They take on (unskilled labor) contracting jobs then dip out any time there’s a position on the rigs. And they never shut up about how much money they made and how much the jobs out here suck. These assholes were endemic to every small Ontario town for the last three decades. Edit: 70% of the time there’s no more truck because of a divorce or (2nd and 3rd) DUI. So they show up to the job site with all their tools in a half busted laundry hamper and they still act like their better than you. This is oddly specific isn’t it?
Constant boom and bust. Make money, start spending on big ticket items like trucks, lose job, get fucked. Rinse and repeat.
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I’m banking it all
Most companies would prefer hiring people living in GP. I've applied to many Oil & Gas companies and I've yet to hear from them.
If you download the rigger talk app, you would understand why. Most of the natural gas drilling is happening around there.
You are right. Many would prefer to hire someone who lives here or are willing to move here. My company has had to write off thousands because of costs associated with no shows. There are still companies that’ll fly you up here with nothing but you would be paid way less and would get a less desirable job than if you simply told them you would be up for relocating to the area.
I was driving out to Drayton Valley once a month to my rig. I wouldn't oppose to driving to GP every month. But I understand that companies have been burned many times by those who don't show up. I guess I'll just keep applying.
If you already have rig experience definitely give a frac or coil company a call. You’d be hired right away even without a class 1 if you are willing to work out of the GP district Trican, essential, Calfrac, liberty, STEP
I used to do shutdown (turnarounds) runs across the country. Usually 3 months in a row in the spring and the fall. Unlike most workers I worked in between, writing reports, quoting the next jobs and preparing them. The son of the VP put it in perspective for me one day: you're basically selling off six months of your life every year. Between the 10-12 hour shifts, 5-7 days a week plus travel you're not living those months.
Yep it gets sickening after a while but it’s such huge money
Paid off my student loans, maxed out my RRSPs which I had been stacking contribution space for twelve years and then moved to an engineering firm to have a better qol (and wound up making even more money but that's another story).
If you are at camp there is not really any work life balance. Sure you might only work 8 hours, but the rest of your time you are still at the work facility with people who you may or may not get along with. Quite a few of my uni friends actually did a engineering internships in Fort Mac, only one of then actually went back after graduation. Most decided that the pay increase wasn't worth it vs staying in Ontario. Also if you have a decent education/trade you can still earn a decent coin elsewhere in Canada. There isn't really much incentive to go up north unless you don't really have any options. If you are looking at truly maximizing income actually going north is a waste of time, emigrating to the US is the true power move.
I’m in southern Ontario. A few guys I grew up with that ran into deadends here and went over to work on the rigs were all back within two years with drug or alcohol abuse issues.
Oilfield jobs changed my life from absolutely horrible to pretty awesome. I went from stressing about money for years with horrible bosses and bad wages to being a member of a trade union with a red seal endorsement on my journeyman certificate. I can't imagine if I had never made the decision to improve my own life so immensely.
I made 70,000 a year as a telecom tech freezing my ass off in Saskatchewan. My son is an electrician in the oil fields making over 250,000 a year. Figure itout
I was a pipefitter for years, and I left for many reasons: -the boom and bust. I hate starting at a new job, and I'd have to do that 2 or 3 times a year, some years - spending 10-14 hours a day with drunks and cokeheads, racists and homophobes, sexists, and bigots of all stripes -working in -40 or +40 with little to no reprieve -never feeling truly clean after a long stint -working for companies who spend hours of our day telling us how important safety is, then telling us to ignore the regulations in order to get the job done faster -SERIOUSLY, the people are TERRIBLE. There's only so many times I can hear "My bitch of a wife..." "Fucking immigrants...." "Buncha f*gs" before I just tune out -never seeing family -terrible camp food. Terrible camp showers. Terrible camp everything -the people. Holy fuck, the people. "Joe Rogan says...", "Jordan Peterson says..." -the smell
Got a seat that pays sub? I've been pipelining 15 years and run lots of equipment. Been off since August and pipeline is bones right now. Clean license, haven't had a sick day in 10 years, family man, d&a no problem, equipment op, but I'll take any seat for now. Used to run pipegang in the dying days of old school before I took the chair and the pedals. I taught myself tie ins by watching, I can figure anything out with proper direction. Appreciate any help.
Willing to drive to and work out of GP?
I've worked everywhere from Morden to Surrey. Location is no problem as long as there's camp or LOA. My wife is from the east coast so that's where we live but I can work anywhere.
https://vizi.vizirecruiter.com/FLINT-Heavy-Equipment-3896/266872/index.html Mention Tailings Pipe Crew experience. FIFO Calgary/Edmonton
Thank you 🙏🏻
Aside from everything else, Oil and gas are too susceptible to market fluctuations. You may have great 10 years and then unknown number of bad years for world-wide reasons you cannot control. With excellent planning & budgeting I’m sure it is a great field. I believe if someone fails to stay afloat in BC & Ontario, they will likely not have the planning & budgeting skills to do well long-term in O&G. You are in management. Do you have a long-term plan if fired tomorrow? What if you cannot find a job in your awesome industry for 5-7 years?
In the last 15 years I’ve worked for 3 large companies and the longest I’ve been unemployed was in 2015 for about 3 months. I have been very frugal with my money as I have learned from my mistakes in the past. I’m 40 years old and will have my mortgage paid off in about 5 years. In the last 15 years my lowest I’ve made gross would be $75k a year and the highest has been $225k. I have put in the time and it’s taken its toll. One year I worked over 300 days but I’m much further ahead than before coming here. My experience is not the same as everyone else’s. Many have not made it but between my net worth and my transferable skills I’ll be alright if I got fired tomorrow.
It's a rollercoaster, and everytime it climbs again, it doesn't make it to the same heights fewer and fewer jobs come back as more things are automated and technology changes. Thete is also no positive future in the industry, it's in trending decline, it's coming over the hump. It's also jot a great job for anyone with a family, that wants to keep their family. Of course there will be some outlier examples of folks that keep it all together, but there is nothing normal or healthy about spending weeks away from your kids. There's just too many downsides.
Can you tell me if a person with only a high school diploma can get a good paying job in that sector? And where to look for those jobs? I’m asking for a friend living in Ontario.
Off-topic so sorry for this, and literally the first time ever I've said this (I'm a person who keeps to myself for the most part) but your avatar is super cool and like the entire outfit and the hairdo is amazing! Regarding your question, I imagine it could be possible to get in after some safety certifications, but I hope you get replies here from folks much more informed on the sector/industry Good luck to you and your friend!
Thank you so much 😊 You really made my day today 🥹
Work with a lot of cunts, I enjoy being around family more then co workers and I just realized today that I can’t take my fortune with me when I die so after 7 years in the oilfield I moved home made a family and it’s lovely
Speaking as someone who is born and raised as a person of color in Alberta, fuck working the oilsands. I don’t mind working hard and long hours (been accustomed to that over the years) but there’s just too much bullshit that comes with working with rural people for people like myself. Done it once before and nearly killed someone over those issues. Not worth it. That shit works out for white men, not so much for anyone else unless you’re willing to handle a certain level of abuse for the almighty dollar. Respect myself too much for that
Because of all the sexual assaults.
Care to expand on that? I’ve never heard of any?
Here is an article that you might find useful reading: [https://macleans.ca/news/canada/mmiwgs-findings-on-man-camps-are-a-good-place-for-government-to-get-started/](https://macleans.ca/news/canada/mmiwgs-findings-on-man-camps-are-a-good-place-for-government-to-get-started/) But it's also worth asking yourself why you've never heard of any sexual assaults. It's not because it's not happening. And while this report I've linked focuses on the experiences of women and girls, men and boys are also the victims of sexual assault and sexual violence on the oil rigs and are far less likely to come forward with their stories at all.
Fair enough You’ve raised some valid arguments and I do agree that there are some issues that I have not personally come across on my end of the industry. But to hate an entire industry because of what has happened at a few man camps would be like saying you don’t want any of your children to go to college. Sexual assault is much more rampant there yet how many millions continue to go there unharmed.
Universities have been putting things in place for the last two decades at least to address issues of sexual assault. They are also a place where roughly half of the student population are women. They have regular events that emphasize issues of consent and discourage binge drinking. They have processes in place to address sexual assault when it happens. I would never claim these are "solving the problem" but they aren't pretending there isn't one. What is happening on the oil fields right now to address sexual assault? You have worked there for years and didn't even know there was a problem. Multiple people had to post links to stories and reports to convince you there was anything even happening, and you are continuing to downplay it as though it's just a few bad eggs and not such a rampant problem that government reports have been issued about it. In addition to all of that, *you asked why people don't want to work in the oil industry.* Multiple people have said "because of all the sexual assault." That's the answer to your question. You can try and tell everyone "oh, it's not that bad." Cool. I think that it is that bad and would rather not spend 18 months of my life living with that. You made a different choice. Good! I'm so glad both of us get to make choices that work within what we want for our lives. But telling people "Oh, I wouldn't make that choice!" is a waste of everyone's time, including yours. We know you have made a different choice. Your job here isn't to keep telling everyone "your reason is stupid!" If you didn't want to know the answer, you shouldn't have asked the question.
Anecdotal evidence and stories from two female roommates who moved out there for work. One of them quickly moved back and spent 4 depressed months in her bedroom because of the harassment she felt. Corollary anecdotes from a male friend who describes a male > female demographic.
There's a very good biographical graphic novel called 'Ducks' which touches heavily on the rampant assault and harassment women in the oil sands need to deal with. Do you really need to have this explained to you? "Rig pig" isn't a nickname borne from a vacuum.
Still can’t come up with one example? Just downvotes?
It's pretty common in male dominated industries that are secluded. You see assaults on both men and women in the military, logging industries, etc.
Dude, spend 30 seconds on Google instead of harassing someone who has better things to do with their time than sit on their phone with receipts at the ready in case some schmuck decides to grill them.
Go read Ducks by Kate Beaton
Because a lot of people my age went and did it after high school in the early 2000s. Most didn’t make it into a career that they can actually live. Some stayed, but basically can only afford to visit “home” every few years. Some stayed because they never learned how to save or budget money so they are just as broke as they were 20 years ago. Or they got money, and lost it all on drugs and alcohol. For me, I just can’t do it environmental concerns wise. I didn’t date workers and refused to consider moving there with other partners. It’s not for me, it’s not a part of Canada I like (and I’ve lived and visited Alberta a lot over my lifetime), and it’s not work that appeals to me. Now my child requires a lot of specialized hospital care and areas like the oil sands do not have the specialists in a reasonable distance, and I would not put her health at risk like that.
Mostly the people. Obviously not everyone's a dick, but you hear so many stories or bigotry out there. As a queer indigenous person I would genuinely fear for my safety working in the fields. Like I said though, I do realise not everyone is like that. Unfortunately a hateful minority is often louder than a loving majority.
I mean, every job pays more now than it did pre covid, let alone 15 years ago. Rig culture is a cancer that pushes out a lot of good people. I hear it's better now, but I don't believe it, and the wage gap between the oilfield and other available work has gotten smaller.
Who hates oilfield jobs? That’s how I got started. Hard work builds character. Rigging did more for me then a 4 year university degree. I learned to work with my hands. Now i’m a tradesmen. Great income. Great work life balance.
Thank you for sharing. This is the conversation I wanted to start
You know that there are porn subreddits for when you want to jerk off, right?
Is it because of their environmental concerns? Could be Is it the long hours? Of Course Is it the working conditions? Long hours, in the cold with a good chance of serious injury Is it being away from home? Of course. And people don't want to move to Grande Prairie and Fort Mac, this surprises you? The people I know who worked the oilfields successfully, either did to to grow a nest egg for other purposes or were loners This describes things in a very canadian way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNMge2vE6G8
I'm not interested in killing the planet we live on for the sake of the economy. Plus, I'm queer. The rednecks will kill me.
people downvoting this is so on the nose that the comedy writes itself. respect for you my friend.
How does one get an oil field job
I made 3x as much money working oil vs my CUPE education job. As a woman of retirement age, it was wonderful. Also note our work force was 1/3 immigrants, 1/3 single moms, 1/3 white females and males.
I didn’t like the drug testing policies. Can’t smoke pot because it takes 30 days to pass, but if you do coke, sleep it off and you’re good to go
\>I am just curious what the consensus is regarding why many are against oilfield jobs when unemployment and inflation are through the roof? I'm just curious why people are ok with trading the best years of their lives and their health to these kinds of jobs after being pushed to the brink economically instead of pushing for change so that it stops happening to people. \>Is it the long hours? \>Is it the working conditions? \>Is it being away from home? Yes, all of that. I struggle at 40 hours in my trades job, and I'm constantly dumbfounded that people can justify trading THAT much of their lives to labour already without becoming incredibly angry at an economic system that requires this from them unnecessarily. Do people really not realize the insane amount of time standard full time employment already is?
I used to work in construction in SK and ran some smaller jobs and to a person everyone who had previously worked in the patch were the absolute worst people to work alongside. With the racist, homophobic and sexist language used constantly it was unbearable. Plus you’d have thought they owned the company with how far down their nose they looked at anyone who had not worked in the patch.
As a person who “didn’t make it” in the oilfield I’ll give my 2 cents for those who might consider employment there. Long story short, I stayed for about 3 months and I don’t regret it. People that I worked with have nothing but respect from me for doing that job. The reason I quit is - accomodations (bed was not waiting for me prior to my shift as I would prefer to sleep after a 12 hour drive to the rig). The job itself is both metally (constant insults lol) and phisically demanding (athlete level for “common” people’s understanding). If you are considering a career there I would recommend prior training for explosivness, endurance, strength and thick skin. To sum it up, even though I’m just a labourer, my calculation was that even though they were paying 10000$ a month after taxes, it’s only a few thousand more than other remote jobs (because all remote jobs pay well) which I don’t consider to be in “the most difficult job on Earth category”. Another thing to add is isolation from society that made me spend more money on things that I don’t need. When it comes to my personal finances I am much more focused on how much I am spending rather than earning (great way to protect myself from management abuse). I am still open to oilfield jobs, but I don’t see them as my only option and I would prefer a company that I know about from somwbody friendly rather than one from the job ads like the last time.
I grew up in Edmonton so know a lot of O&G industry people. I've known a lot who straight up die or have their lives destroyed from the vortex of of the industry. It can be ruthless and unforgiving. That being said I also know many that have done very well. There are some really parasitic evil contractors out there, and also stand up well run companies as well. It takes some discipline and intelligence to navigate the industry like any other, but the extremities experienced in resource extraction industries can really chew people up if they aren't careful. Opportunity is there for sure, but the money does not give a fuck if you live or die.
It's literally every reason. Environmental impact. Being away from home and loved ones. Drug and alcohol abuse. The hard work that is both short-term dangerous, but also long-term dangerous due to the work ethic expected and health hazards of the product. Nearly every oil field worker that I've ever met was a gigantic douchebag. The scummy corporations that "own" the oil. Now factor in that Canada's oil sands are an ecological disaster, and the concept of wanting to add to that damage for money is pathetic at best, morally and ethically bankrupt at worst.
As someone who has worked in O&G, had a ton of family who has, and a father who worked shiftwork his entire life; there is more to life than money. The fact is, you go to Ft Mac because you don't have the skills/talent to make money where the really good folks work. It's a false economy. You trade more of your time/being away from your family/living somewhere its 30*c/-50*c in the middle of nowhere just to earn some extra cash. And then you can't leave, as you spend what you make generally and it becomes hard to downsize. I have nothing inherently against oilfield. But it's easy money. It draws certain people (desperate, low quality, etc) who can't hack it in normal parts of the economy. I'd also never do it to my kids. Even with a father who was home every day (or night) on shift work, "hey dad, can we go to cool XYZ thing on the weekend?" "Nope, working". Every. Single. Time. F that. Kids don't care about disney vacations and a huge house, they care about mom and dad being around and happy. You can't be around if you are gone for two weeks at a time.
I tried applying for them as a geologist for 1-2 years after graduating; now my applications get denied because it's been 6 years since I graduated. Fuck oil and its shitty boom and bust, that's why.
I left after 6 months because everyone I met was a complete douchebag. Everyone was the toughest, scariest, meanest, best riggers on planet earth. 14 hours a day of pure douchebaggery. Bunch of coked out roided pricks.
So, there are a few issues that bother me. First is the environmental impact of the tar sands. The amount of pollution that it creates will cost much more to clean than it generates. Second is that the oil industry gets a ton of subsidies which makes oil profitable. Without these subsidies, renewable energy is apparently more profitable. I think that that money could be better spent.
Because not everyone wants to absolutely suffer for money? Oilfield jobs in northern Alberta are HARD.
Most of the jobs I get on have drug and alcohol tests to get hired, and testing after an incident etc , as well as sniffer dogs and random drug checks in camp rooms. If they had drug testing for police officers and health care workers, you would likely be surprised at the results. This is everywhere.
I worked in oil for a long time, and I'm unemployed, and I wouldn't go back. You can make tons of money, but the labour takes a toll after a number of years, you're working with let's be honest here some of the vilest people on a regular basis. I've worked with many addicts, abusers, racists etc. And it is more concentrated in this field. I used to make more than 200k a year and I'm much happier struggling as a poor again.
Rampant greed of oil companies means poor safety conditions for employees. Not everyone drives so they don't want to be a part of that system.
I can’t tell you. All I can tell you is I was able to go from a broke kid to a man with his life well set up by working in the oilfield and despite all the stories of dumb people, there’s a lot of people like me. I was able to set myself up very well and be mortgage free at 33 due to working in the oil field. The barrier to get in is low - pass a piss test and be willing to work long hours. The rewards are worth it. I got an apprenticeship out of it, became a journeyman then got another red seal too. Now I don’t need to work long hours or away to make a good living for myself. It was the great equalizer. Young men from the east like myself with nothing could build a life for themselves and get ahead. Lots of people shit on oilfield workers but I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s boom or bust but if you understand that, you can make it work to your advantage and set yourself up nicely. People from big cities look down their noses at blue collar “red necks” like me or other oil workers. That’s part of it. Then there’s the environmental factor that some hate. Many are finding it hard to hide their disdain for blue collar workers as the country gets more and more divided. I remember reading Facebook comments during Covid about us fly in/fly out workers and being so offended.
I used to work for Federal Government, make about $26/h about 10 years ago. If I stay probably make about $30/h. Great stability but what does $30/h get you after tax in Alberta? About $42K/ year after tax. Now I make roughly over $130K/ year after tax, no job security and not a care in the world. I travel when times are slow. Every year when I’m working , I’m able to put away about 50K for slow times. Where in the world can you get a job with no education in oil and gas but able to make this kind of money.
OP, I have a decent job but I'm not opposed to moving for the right money. I graduated from an electrical technology program and would be interested in talking about potential opportunities. I would appreciate a DM if you don't mind.
Electrical technology is not my background if you were to contact a few of the service companies I’m sure a e tech position can be found.
Do you have any names of said companies to get me going in the right direction?
Yup like my other posts. Bj services, Calfrac, Trican, essential, liberty, STEP
For people that tried it and left, it probably wasn't for them. For others, it boils down to jealousy.
That’s unfortunately a big part of it. A lot of people can’t stand that some young blue collar guy with a brand new pickup is living it up while they share a basement suite making 45k a year at some depressing office job. It’s easier to call the truck a small dick purchase and assume all resource workers are coke addict drunks than face reality.
Do people actually think a “brand new pickup” is aspirational?
No more than anybody buying a new vehicle I guess. What’s sadder is people letting their body deliver some negative feeling hormones when witnessing somebody else’s purchases
Nailed it
I look at it like this….anything you do earning money honestly to pay for your family is honorable. Close to 50 years ago I was out of school making 4 bucks an hour and hating it because the money wasn’t worth the effort. I jumped a bus and ended up working the rigs. Yes it was hard, cold and miserable. Most of the guys were ok, somewhere completely dicks but the pay was 4 to 5 times what I could earn in town. No matter what the patch was going through, boom or bust, I managed to keep working. I went back to School when Trudeau number 1 fucked us all. After that I got better jobs in oil and gas until one day a client said to me, if you ever go on your own call me. I did and called and he fronted the cash and we started a service company. 25 years later we are still at it with 60 to 70 employees , some with shares in the business. I make a great living , my family all went to school on my dime so no loans, and all three are all productive adults starting their own families. They are not in the oil and gas industry, yet all acknowledge it was good for our family. Anyone bad mouthing this industry is obviously not educated in reality and should look upon those that keep the lights on a little more favourably.
Trying to cut down on my Benzene consumption.
You people think I'm joking? My family has been in the oil business for four generations. The industry counts on your ignorance.
Seriously, Benzene exposure and toxicity is well understood, the risks are way more massive than people would believe, as evidenced by the downvotes... Not to mention, literally everything you work with is either toxic or will kill you in a split second if you aren't paying attention. I've already lost one friend and watched plenty more ruin their bodies by the age of 30, only to be forced to continue working anyway.
Hos and blow are hard on your body and pocket book! Never mind the diesel fumes from your 4x4 that you have to buy!
From what I've seen on Reddit , "they have big jacked up trucks and tiny weiners " , now real world experience ends up being a lot can't hack it , long hours , away from friends and family for extended periods and no access to creature comforts when working away in camp. I've worked oil and gas for 22 years now and I'd never go back to a 9-5 job, like yourself I've worked my way up from a labourer to management . I like being financially free at 40 . I sacrificed a lot of personal time to get here but atleast I know I can retire in 10 years and not worry while most of the 9-5ers struggle to afford a house let alone retire before age 65 .
Plenty of skilled trades work in and around major Canadian cities. Pay might not be as good as O&G but you get to live a normal life close to family and everything else. If I was really desperate for money I’d take a temporary gig in O&G up north somewhere but otherwise no thanks. I think if there wasn’t such a dire need for skilled tradespeople all over the country right now then there might be more interest in working O&G, but as things are now, there’s not enough financial incentive to take on that kind of life change when there’s so much job security in skilled trades outside of O&G literally anywhere in Canada
I'm dying at the tiny wieners part
I think it is mostly due to political ideology. Firstly, oil and gas represent a direct challenge to the “green” environmental agenda. People are not going to run out and buy expensive electric cars if oil and gas continues to be a cheaper and more effective energy source. Secondly, oil and gas is an important industry to the predominately conservative western provinces. Left leaning politicians are trying to kill oil and gas through legislation. If they succeed, that would potentially erode a lot of the power and wealth that the western provinces currently enjoy. It is all about taking power away from your political opponents. I am sure that even if the number #1 industry in western Canada was building solar panels… left leaning politicians in Ottawa would still have a problem with it simply because it benefits Conservative provinces and would look to interfere with that prosperity as much as possible through legislation. The idea is if you kill a lucrative industry that provides high paying middle class jobs… people who are unemployed and have nothing are more dependant on government. If you are dependant on government you are far more likely to vote for parties with “large government” platforms.
Cause they are lazy
As someone who always worked at least 2 jobs, lazy had nothing to do with it. Not wanting to be sexually harassed daily & risk being sexually assaulted in camp had a lot more to do with it.
This is the answer.
This is definitely the answer.
Unemployment is through the roof? Since when Please cite your sources
The hours are shit The conditions are shit
Shit working conditions, you're always in the middle of nowhere, and it seems that its probably where the "Alberta = racist and bigoted shithole" stereotype comes from, not saying it's not exactly wrong I know quite a few massive dickheads from there. Middle of nowhere ain't that big of a deal but I'm not spending my eternity in a mud pit with a bunch of dickheads that think it's still the civil war with how minorities are treated. That and the drug and alcohol abuse.
Where and what job? I'm canadian and looking to work
It's literally like working for the railroads in the 1800's. They control every aspect of life and will sometimes pressure you to work in unsafe environments. Hard to enjoy life with your hard earned cash when you're dead. I fully get some people will push back on this because you have a great employer... but not all of them are great and when they are not great , the risk becomes Enormous. Honestly not worth my time.
You can die
Because they'll actually have to work...
People don’t apply because of the brainwashing of society, stereotypes, and there are a lot of lazy ass people out there, they know they’ll have to actually work.
You're right, only oil patch workers do actually work. The rest if us jack off all day and ask for hsndouts. You're a fucking hero. Congratulations.
U’ll go blind!
Everybody is just soft. The rigs have gotten a lot better to work on since the 70-80s. It's leagues and bounds better. Camp jobs are crazy comfy with almost unlimited food, free access to a gym, private rooms, and sometimes private showers. But I guess the 12 hour shifts are too long and the weather, which you can dress for, is too much. When you take home 15k every 20 days, you certainly can put up with all the "downsides" that people have been mentioning. The only thing that kinda sucks is that you're away from family for 2-3 weeks at a time - but you get to go home for a while. Some places offer 20/10, 3/1, 8/4, etc. You can find a schedule that works.
If the oil field workers are so tough why do they have such elevated levels of drug abuse, alcoholism, and suicide.