Welp about a month ago i went in and took my test. Algebra and English.

English portion was easier then ****. The math portion I thought I bombed on. I never paid much attention in math, but always passed.

Welp, got my results back in today, and yea, I passed. Im set with an interview next weds at 5:30 infront of the board (6 people)

If they like me, I'm hired, not telling as to when i start though.

good thing is, even if i don't get hired this time around, i can re-apply, and i don't have to take the fuggin test again

One step closer to getting a decent career

 

Congrats, my dad spent 30 years in Local #3 in NY. Tried talking me into doing it, I said no thanks. In retrospect, I should've....would have been making like $36 an hour or something like that now.

 

36/hr... can't take the pay cut.

Seriously though.. I almost went that direction back in 94-95. It's a really good career that's not hard and always in demand. Nobody wants to play with electricity so the job is super secure.

Pay attention... stupid wire monkeys die young. Don't do anything stupid.

 

This was back 17 years ago. Not sure what they pay now.

 

not too much more than that now. 10 years ago it was a phat check to see 36/hr here for journeyman work. For apprentice... 19-20ish

 

Tops here for the local is 45. Includes retirement and benefits. Retirement plan by the IBEW around here is only matched by the police. ;x

I'll start out making 15 an hour, by the time I turn out and have my ticket, I'll be at like..36 i think.. and then i go up a little more.

If I have a welding cert I get an extra 5 though. ;x

 

Yeah, i just went to school for a couple years, got certified, went to national competition, etc. I plan on taking my test when i turn 19, which is around december. Around here, its like 60/hr.. :-)

 

taking the test for what? you've already got the cert.

Or are you meaning for the journeymens ticket?

I know in CA now for the IBEW its 5 years of school 80% on your journeymens test 70% to pass state cert.

To become a journeymen though you've gotta pass the state cert. ;x

 

yea you being in TN i doubt u'll see wages like that. i don't think TN has very many unions....but being you live there, u'd know more about that then i would.

 

Around here, to get into the local union, you have to go to school, for 2 years. Then your a certified electrician, not licensed. Then you take the entrance test, if you pass, most likely you get in.

 

soooo can u be an electrician w/out being in a union?

 

Not really.. at some point you'll have to be union or you can never become Journeyman level. You can be an electrical contractor with proper certifications depending on your locality but unions pretty much pwnt all the real "trades".

There used to be a separation of sorts between Guilds which would maintain the standards of achievement and skill for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons, etc... and labor unions which would take care of labor compensation and working conditions negotiations. Some long while back in the US at least guilds were pretty well replaced by unions that took over labor negotiations and the functions previously served by the guild.

 

ahh i see. so what are the union dues?

 

You can become a journeyman without going union. It takes schooling, and a whole bunch of stuff. I mean, not every contractor is a union contractor, so they have had to get their journeyman status somehow.

 

It depends on the union and where you are at. Prices vary. My union dues(not electrician) are like $64 a month.

 

Union dues here are $23 a month.

WNRacing: Look in your phone book its called "International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers"

As for the certification issue, yea schooling for 2-3 years, take the test, then you're certified.

My journeymen vision is a little different however. Turning out through the union and having my cert + journeymens ticket means I can move anywhere in the country and find the union that has work, and have a job.

My girlfriends parents travel up and down california working, then they take 3 months off, draw unemployment, and go back to work when they feel like it.

The big union stuff happened in the 60s I believe. As for guilds ect, yea those are gone, its all union. Most of the time the best schooling/training comes from the union unless you get on with a old school contractor, and its a small shop.

 

you do not have to be in a union to be an electrician... unions are over rated in my opinion... yea you make big buck but you are relying on someone else to find you work. if they dont need you, you sit home. doesn't matter how bad you want it and how much of a drive you have to to make something of yourself, you top off at the same as everyone else. been in business for just about ten years now and been stayin busy and makin money since day one... i choose where i work, when i work, who i work for, and what i charge. i determine how much i make. pretty much makin my own destiny... in the union your living large when you have work, unfortunately in my area they only work 6-7 maybe 8 months out of the year. dont get me wrong, it a good career, and a great starting point for some valuable experience, but if it were me i would be lookin to do my own thing when the time and money allows... they do have an excellent training program, just make sure you take it all in and gain as much as you can from it.

 

There is work year round here..and the union pretty much has constant work around here.

No you don't have to be union to be an electrician, but the state certification test was made by the union here. Therefore, their students are being taught how to pass this pain in the *** test.

Here you can't work as an electrician after so long w/o the cert. Its a huge fine. Companies won't hire you, ect.

Don't get me wrong, non union guys are passing it, but not as many as the guys who have gone through the schooling.

I don't have any desire to become a contractor myself, I don't want to deal with having to get the certifications, finding the customers, the money, ect. I'd just assume work under someone else, get paid decent money, and get a retirement as well.

Theres always work somewhere, if it slows down here, then i'll just move on. People really don't see it slowing up here though, not until I'm retired, atleast.