Fighting For What Welders Deserve

Nathan Montes spent 12 years as a Texas rig welder before building Slickman Welding Apparel. Now, he’s using his voice in the industry to ask a question a lot of welders are feeling: What happens when the cost of doing the work keeps climbing, but the pay doesn’t?In this episode, Nathan returns to the WELD Podcast to break down the Wage Wobble movement, why he started it, and what he hopes it can accomplish. We talk about the real cost of running a welding rig, his changing perspective on unions, and why earning a big check doesn’t always mean you’re getting ahead.What You'll LearnWhy Nathan started the Wage Wobble movement and how it grew from an online conversation into an in-person gathering in Monahans, Texas.How fuel, equipment, consumables, insurance, and other expenses can eat into a rig welder’s take-home pay.The four paths Nathan presented for pursuing better wages: holding out, negotiating a formal agreement, joining a union, or forming a new one.How conversations with pipeline welders’ Local 798 challenged his previous assumptions about unions.Why worker classification, access to health insurance, and retirement benefits belong in the conversation about welding pay.What Nathan says has happened since the first gathering, why individual participation matters, and where he hopes the movement goes next.Nathan is the owner and founder of Slickman Welding Apparel, a former rig welder, and a former fabrication business owner. Alongside the Wage Wobble conversation, he shares how a stinger design he’d been thinking about for seven years finally became a finished electrode holder. His perspective brings together life under the hood, the realities of running a business, and a push to help welders build more sustainable careers.Connect With NathanSlickman Welding Apparel: slickmanweldingapparel.comFacebook: Nathan Montes https://www.facebook.com/nathan.montes.7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n8_da_gr8_/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nastyynateWage Wobble: Follow the Wage Wobble Facebook page for updates and community discussion.Download The Weld AppiOS: App Store https://goweld.link/AppleAppAndroid: Google Play https://goweld.link/AndroidIf this show has helped your welding career, leaving a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts helps other welders find it.#WeldingPodcast #WeldingCareer #WageWobble #RigWelding #SlickmanWeldingApparel