Maybe it’s the fact I live in San Diego and the local here is very old school and very up and down with work but I don’t understand the blind union nuthuggers.
It’s especially true on the r/electricians subreddit and ofc the r/ibew one as well.
people pretty much say if you can’t go union you’re some kind of worthless loser and just a moron. Do people not realize it is entirely dependent on where you live and your unions market share ? I’ve got nothing against the ibew , I think it’s a great way to go but there are good locals and bad locals just like there are good open shops and bad ones.
I’m not even gonna trash talk 569 , I’ve never worked a day in the ibew here but I can tell you what I know and what I’ve heard from first hand accounts.
1. You have to interview twice unless you have family. Sucks but it’s true. They don’t count your 1000 otj hours towards the apprenticeship ( more on this later). It normally takes about a year to get a call for your first job so that’s two years from your first interview.
2. From what I’ve heard , it’s very nepotistic. I know a lot of major city locals aren’t like this anymore but 569 might be. I spoke to someone who was family friends with someone on the interview board and journeyed out here. He said shops have their own books and even for apprentices dynalectric and CSI electric are known for huge layoffs. It explains why when you look at where2bro book 1 is always at 300. Last time I looked it went down to 298 because work picked up for the time being.
The guy in question said it took 6 1/2 years to get his license then he went to local 48.
3. That’s my job ****. This might be more of a union thing as a whole but in the union , Atleast here from what I’ve heard, you’re delegated one task.
That’s it. You dig a trench ? Don’t put the underground pvc together. Cutting or bending pipe ? Don’t help the guy on the lift run it.
you do more than the one task you’re delegated based on your level , you’re not seen as a hard worker eager to learn , you’re seen as a wormy **** who needs to get his ass kicked for stealing another “brothers” work.
expect to have a group of guys run up on you and get in your face if you do that.
4. Redwing licking/ brown nosing - everyone’s job scared so foreman will take Jman pay , jmen will take last period pay. Just stuff like that.
5. If you’re a jman trying to organize in you’ll get bent here. The last electrical company I worked at there was a guy there who was jman and did a lot of work with big names like helix , berg , industrial contracts for the DOD , etc.
he said he applied to the union and he though he was getting reviewed by the board to get organized in as a JW. They said they where gonna send him through the apprenticeship program and start him at 18/$hr (first period). They didn’t even care he had is license and hours signed for.
he politely declined.
I Also met a street light tech that’s a CE , they didn’t even let him in the apprenticeship program , he did electrical for almost 20 years and had his card and everything. Stuck forever as b rate through the hall.
6. CW/CE - can’t say I’m shocked this is pushed so hard. Just don’t do it. Dyna and the other big shops will promise you a spot in the apprenticeship program but it’s all lies to keep you working for 13.60/$hr.
That’s about it as far as 569 goes. I work with someone who’s testing for his very soon who’s dad was 569 and his dad said it’s just not the same as it used to be and told him to go open shop.
the shop I work at , the journeyman make low to mid 40s depending on how many years they’ve had their card and the foreman who have been running jobs for a while have to be making in the low 50s I’d imagine.
We do everything the union here does but we have a lot more of the contracts hence a sick amount of OT. Biotech ,government laboratories , pharmaceutical, hospital , some industrial outside of control work.
Medical coverage is 18/$ a paycheck for single comprehensive. Dental is dirt cheap. 401k matching. I think it’s like up to 10-15% ?
They’re sending me to school in January and started me at 20/$hr. With OT on the job we’re working I’m taking home 4K a month. I can negotiate a merit raise after 90 days and will push for 22/$hr which is close to when I’ll start school. Mandatory raises every 6 months of 2/$hr minimum.
Union guys here get retirement paid for , sure , better health benefits ( I’ll give them that , it’s good) but just got bumped up to 48/$hr on the check.
After California taxes and lay offs is that extra 5/$ really worth it ? You might have to work your way up after getting licensed for a few years but with a good company you can get close to union pay.
I just don’t get the blind union love. I’m still new but everyone here really likes that company. Nobody lost an hour of work because of COVID either.
It’s especially true on the r/electricians subreddit and ofc the r/ibew one as well.
people pretty much say if you can’t go union you’re some kind of worthless loser and just a moron. Do people not realize it is entirely dependent on where you live and your unions market share ? I’ve got nothing against the ibew , I think it’s a great way to go but there are good locals and bad locals just like there are good open shops and bad ones.
I’m not even gonna trash talk 569 , I’ve never worked a day in the ibew here but I can tell you what I know and what I’ve heard from first hand accounts.
1. You have to interview twice unless you have family. Sucks but it’s true. They don’t count your 1000 otj hours towards the apprenticeship ( more on this later). It normally takes about a year to get a call for your first job so that’s two years from your first interview.
2. From what I’ve heard , it’s very nepotistic. I know a lot of major city locals aren’t like this anymore but 569 might be. I spoke to someone who was family friends with someone on the interview board and journeyed out here. He said shops have their own books and even for apprentices dynalectric and CSI electric are known for huge layoffs. It explains why when you look at where2bro book 1 is always at 300. Last time I looked it went down to 298 because work picked up for the time being.
The guy in question said it took 6 1/2 years to get his license then he went to local 48.
3. That’s my job ****. This might be more of a union thing as a whole but in the union , Atleast here from what I’ve heard, you’re delegated one task.
That’s it. You dig a trench ? Don’t put the underground pvc together. Cutting or bending pipe ? Don’t help the guy on the lift run it.
you do more than the one task you’re delegated based on your level , you’re not seen as a hard worker eager to learn , you’re seen as a wormy **** who needs to get his ass kicked for stealing another “brothers” work.
expect to have a group of guys run up on you and get in your face if you do that.
4. Redwing licking/ brown nosing - everyone’s job scared so foreman will take Jman pay , jmen will take last period pay. Just stuff like that.
5. If you’re a jman trying to organize in you’ll get bent here. The last electrical company I worked at there was a guy there who was jman and did a lot of work with big names like helix , berg , industrial contracts for the DOD , etc.
he said he applied to the union and he though he was getting reviewed by the board to get organized in as a JW. They said they where gonna send him through the apprenticeship program and start him at 18/$hr (first period). They didn’t even care he had is license and hours signed for.
he politely declined.
I Also met a street light tech that’s a CE , they didn’t even let him in the apprenticeship program , he did electrical for almost 20 years and had his card and everything. Stuck forever as b rate through the hall.
6. CW/CE - can’t say I’m shocked this is pushed so hard. Just don’t do it. Dyna and the other big shops will promise you a spot in the apprenticeship program but it’s all lies to keep you working for 13.60/$hr.
That’s about it as far as 569 goes. I work with someone who’s testing for his very soon who’s dad was 569 and his dad said it’s just not the same as it used to be and told him to go open shop.
the shop I work at , the journeyman make low to mid 40s depending on how many years they’ve had their card and the foreman who have been running jobs for a while have to be making in the low 50s I’d imagine.
We do everything the union here does but we have a lot more of the contracts hence a sick amount of OT. Biotech ,government laboratories , pharmaceutical, hospital , some industrial outside of control work.
Medical coverage is 18/$ a paycheck for single comprehensive. Dental is dirt cheap. 401k matching. I think it’s like up to 10-15% ?
They’re sending me to school in January and started me at 20/$hr. With OT on the job we’re working I’m taking home 4K a month. I can negotiate a merit raise after 90 days and will push for 22/$hr which is close to when I’ll start school. Mandatory raises every 6 months of 2/$hr minimum.
Union guys here get retirement paid for , sure , better health benefits ( I’ll give them that , it’s good) but just got bumped up to 48/$hr on the check.
After California taxes and lay offs is that extra 5/$ really worth it ? You might have to work your way up after getting licensed for a few years but with a good company you can get close to union pay.
I just don’t get the blind union love. I’m still new but everyone here really likes that company. Nobody lost an hour of work because of COVID either.