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I'm currently enrolled in a construction electricty program at the local tech school here for next fall. (they have a big waiting list)
I've been told by a few people lately to try and just get an apprenticeship through the local union. Has anyone ever done or know anyone who's done this?
Seems like a better idea to get paid to learn then come out of school 10 grand in debt.
-------------------- A couple subs... A couple amps... And a couple batteries... Posts: 1323 | From: Grand Forks, North Dakota | Registered: Apr 2001
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Before I got into Cisco networking, I tried to get an electrician apprentiship thru a local union hall although this was years ago it was impossible then I can only imagine now.
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I got an email back from the membership coordinator today, going to call him tomorrow. Need to get out of working dead end jobs.
-------------------- A couple subs... A couple amps... And a couple batteries... Posts: 1323 | From: Grand Forks, North Dakota | Registered: Apr 2001
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-------------------- Travis Atherton Former Team Music Masters member 2005 World Finals – Street C DAILY DRIVER: 2005 CHEVY SILVERADO 3500, CC LB W/8 MEMPHIS MOJO 15's RECONED WITH FI PARTS ON 1 CRUNCH GP3000 Posts: 3325 | From: Hudson, MI | Registered: Jul 2007
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well as far as electrical no, but hvac down here i guy i work with just broke out, after 5yrs of being a apprentice he's now a journeyman and his package is like 36 bucks an hour
-------------------- 2006 Bass Race 149.9 World Finals 2nd place H.O. Alts FI If you dont like what I have to say, just contact Boomingcreation he will erase it for you Posts: 16072 | From: tx | Registered: Dec 2003
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my bro is doing it right now, and he loves it. There are possibilities of getting laid off now and then, but to get paid for working and learning at the same time...sounds like a better opportunity if you ask me
-------------------- My hand smells like I just fingered a grandma Posts: 613 | From: Lockport, IL | Registered: Oct 2007
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quote:Originally posted by PoprocksnBass: Before I got into Cisco networking, I tried to get an electrician apprentiship thru a local union hall although this was years ago it was impossible then I can only imagine now.
Sucks to be you...here in Cali you can take the basic Electrician aptitude test and if you score high enough (Not rocket science) you can get into an apprentiship program through the state.
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I went into the NJATC (National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee) for my local union Residential Electrician program.
My union was all about who you know and politics crap and as long as you were someone's nephew, you were almost guaranteed a shot in the union. Unfortunately for me I didn't know anybody at all, my mom told me some name to drop at the first interview, said it would help my chances. Idk if it did or if I just interviewed well because I got called back in to take the aptitude test. (PART 2 of the Hiring Process)
I don't know my exact score on my aptitude test but I know I damn near aced it because they then called me back and asked if I would rather go into the Commercial Apprenticeship (5 year program) or the Residential Apprenticeship (3 year program).
At the time I had heard bad things from the commercial apprenticeship side, like you only work 8 months out of the year, and the commercial apprentices are more like slaves to the commercial journeyman.
I also heard they were only taking around 10 commercial and 10 residential, I also had heard the residential makes less money than the commercial, but you are almost ALWAYS working. Very few lay-offs for residential apprentices, and you learn more on the job, its like a stepping stone if you want to get into commercial work.
From what I've heard it's better to start out as a Residential apprentice then work your way through the residential school/work/training program (3 years) to become a full blown residential journeyman electrician. Then your next step is to try to somehow cross over into the commercial apprenticeship part or just get over into doing commercial electrician work.(Where the real money is...)
From what I have heard residential electricians in northeast ohio make something near $15-20 dollars/hour, (20-30k/year). Starting first year residential apprentices make around $9 for the first 6 months, then there is a raise in another 6 months, then every year after that there is around a $2 dollar raise every year till you complete the 3 year residential program and start making journeymans rates (at the time (2005) it was like $16-18/hour for all residential journeyman)
From what I have also heard, commercial electricians in northeast ohio make something near $30-40 dollars/hour, (60-80k/year). And from my experience they take more regularly scheduled breaks and end up not working as hard or nearly as long and tough as the residential electricians, but make nearly double the money. But thats just what I've heard some old time residential journeyman I've worked with from time to time talk about.
They took 11 people in my residential class and on the first day the teacher (who was also the Electrical Inspector for my county) said that not eveyone was going to make it through the entire program. Boy was he right.
The Training Committee never had intended on hiring 11 new journeyman residential electricians. So they slowly weed you out and pressure you into either quitting or if you have any type of problem with one contractor they try to send you to another union contractor so you can keep working and training. But once one or two of the the biggest union contractors put the word out of bull**** that you are a bad worker, it becomes difficult to find a contractor willing to hire you. That is how they weeded me out.
One of the main issues was I just was transferred to a new contractor two weeks before 2005 World Finals. My first day in the office at the new contractor I informed the manager I needed the one friday off for my trip down to Louisville, and I would be back to work on Monday. I didn't realize the manager at the time didn't take a liking to me at all. He pretty much hated my guts. So he pulled out all the fine print about how I needed to request time off through the Training Committee 3 months in advance, and if, and only if that was then approved, it would be up to the discretion of the contractor to decide if I could have that day off.
So I had failed to submit in writing, 3 months in advance, my request for one friday off of work. So the contractor (since he didn't like me at all, decided to be a union **** about it) he brought it up at the Training Committee Meeting (since he was also on the Training Committee)
They tried to get me to sign two different waivers, one basically saying I understand the procedure and proper way to request off of work for the future.
The other one, heh, was basically trying to get me to sign a paper saying that if I took this, (one friday), unauthorized day off of work that they could use disciplinary action up to and including termination for my failure to follow my contractual guidlines set forth in my NJATC Handbook.
Needless to say I did not sign the second piece of **** paper they tried to get me to sign.
I then went to 2005 finals, I won 1st Place in BASS RACE 139.9 at WORLD FINALS. I was the first person to ever win the 139 class at World Finals.
Looking back, I am extremely glad I went even though it probably eventually cost me my job (or my career if you wanna look at electricians like that), after about another 8 months of moving from contractor to contractor, they finally sat me down at another Committee Meeting and fired my ass for missing about 3 days of school and because none of the contractors liked me.
So my advice to anyone about to enter into a union electrical apprentice program, good luck to you i hope you know someone important. also only do it if college is 100% not for you, because I don't think you will enjoy being 53 years old out in a house with no windows and doors and its the middle of january and the temperature is roughly 7 degrees not counting wind chill, and you have to run some 14/2 for some can lights in the ****ing kitchen and you are on a 6 foot ladder all day every day of your working life...that **** sucks.
Sorry that was so long but I hope my experience in the union electrical apprenticeship program can help at least one person avoid the crap I dealt with.
Thank you!
-------------------- .................................................................. 2005 Bass Race 139.9 World Finals Champion 2006 Bass Race 149.9 World Finals Champion 2007 Bass Race 149.9 2nd Place Regionals + Nationals 3rd Place Worlds
posted
Wow, great insight ed. Seems like I get different advice from everybody I talk to. Bergstrom Electric (I think the biggest outfit in ND) has an ad out looking for an apprentice. I might give them a shot as well. Might be better then the Union.
-------------------- A couple subs... A couple amps... And a couple batteries... Posts: 1323 | From: Grand Forks, North Dakota | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
yeah union vs non union has a slurry of pro's and con's...
if non union will give u better benefits and better working conditions id take non union over union. main thing non union doesn't give you the job security like union workers have, u cant just pick up and go start working somewhere else right quick, u'd have to go through and apply non union style and all that...
but getting in as an apprentice in a non union company would be pretty decent as long as the pay was good and they dont make u their gopher slut whored out labor bitch id say give it a go if u like electrical stuff like wiring houses or commercial electric....
which type resi or comm are they looking for?
-------------------- .................................................................. 2005 Bass Race 139.9 World Finals Champion 2006 Bass Race 149.9 World Finals Champion 2007 Bass Race 149.9 2nd Place Regionals + Nationals 3rd Place Worlds
posted
I almost an electrical union several years back, but i couldn't due the school at night due to other obligations. It was ECWW or something like that, down in florida
-------------------- World Record-Loudest SPL in my driveway Team Powermaster/XS-Power Hifonics Amps, Kicker subs-The way it should be....all were Stolen from me...boo hoo Zensky....World Domination at It's Finest www.zensky.com Posts: 3757 | From: Columbus, OH - formerly FL | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Iconoclast: its a slurry of pros and cods... unless you live somewhere like TN you get benefits of a union member by law, but don't have to join
except for the fact that if you are non union you have noone placing you in your next job like you would if you were union.
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