shootrj,

Yes, I've done all that and a bit more. Installed all the equipment on new overhead cranes 100 feet up, worked under furnace pots that had cooled for 24 hours replacing thermocouples- even with 2 guys with a fire hose cooling off the pot, it was still hot enough to melt our plastic hard hats on our head as we worked.
Changed out a few of those darned building sized transformers during emergency shut downs also. Man, that was a project! The noise when the melt pot electrodes hit the metal was unbelievable.
Keep in mind that I am not necessarily criticizing all maintenance electricians, just as I wouldn't criticize all union electricians- heck, I went through the union apprenticeship in our area and it was pretty good. I just didn't like the condescending way they treated their apprentices while making a big buck off them on the job.
I can definitely understand why those guys are going after their degrees- to get out of there and get a better job! Even though most of the steel mills are union jobs and the pay and benefits are excellent, the conditions are brutal and will age you in a hurry. Pulp and paper mills are the same way, and I've worked in many of them also.
These days I prefer smaller commercial work that I can get in, get out, get paid and move on to the next project. Better conditions, but work just as hard.
Have to agree with your last post, though. Definitely, we would not have the pay and benefits at this point as working men without the unions and I am not totally against them. My statement that I would never belong to one again is due to some rather interesting situations I got into while in the unions when I was younger. - Sheister

Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.