Maintenance and in-process issues are discussed very little when talking about constructing new buildings, bridges, power plants, boats, etc. I work in a quality department of a large engineering firm and when money/schedule start to become an issue you realize how quickly many companies will just try and ship things.

This is a concern all across America and being the guy that has to say no isn't always the easiest. On the other hand, these guys that specialize in bridge maintenance, power plant shut-down repairs, etc get paid very good money and have fulfilling jobs.

When you hear about the trades on reddit, it is always the generic welder/plumber/electrician and it is even a stereotyped welder. For example, at places like Intel or Micron that build microchips, many of the welders are sitting working with 1/8'' to 1/2'' piping that isn't heavy that is done using an orbital welding machine in air conditioned rooms making $55/hr+. Or a certified coatings inspector making 80k a year.

I'm not really sure where I am going with this but generalizing any profession without having an in-depth understanding really shows on this website especially when people talk about blue-collar jobs.