Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think I'd like to be either an electrician or a plumber. What is the process to become either one? I've signed up for classes at St. Phillip's already, but I've heard that I won't really need those to become an electrician and that I should go straight to a union instead. As for plumbing, I'm not really sure what the process is.
The application process is conducted in the last week of February through the first week in March. When applying for the program next year you must bring with you the following items:
Great idea, it may be difficult to become a member. It might help gain entry into a union if it is known that you are enrolled in training already, do not forget the screening process is a competetive one and there will
be many candidates. Go with a union job that is for sure, if you can. There is no uncertainty there, the advantages to union membership are many and there is no comparison between a non-union job and a union one.
I would suggest logging on to the local trade union website of choice and getting any information you need. Even if you have to contact the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, that is the headquarters for all of the electrical trade locals or of any trade you've a mind to get information on for that matter. They can direct you as how to go about the process of applying for the apprenticeship program. Look at all of the
trades. There should be links to each of the Electrical Trade locals from their website.
Headquarters are located in Washington D.C.usually and can tell you who should contact.
You probably can get any info you need from the local website, however.
Or even the AFL-CIO can help provide information. That is the conglomeration of all the trades, that is to say
nearly all of the major labor organizations or labor groups belong to this one united organization. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Trade Organizations. Millions of persons. That website will contain links to member organizations.
They are anxious to add to their rolls, too.
Elevator Mechanics make the highest wage of any trade to the best of my recollection and it is the least demanding of the trades physically, it seems. The last I knew it was about $35.00 for a journeyman per hour without the non-taxable wage and benefit package, like pension and the accompanying insurances.
Do not count out that the electrical trade is a very physically demanding job and will cause your body
to wear itself over time. It is hard work. And. It can be a dangerous too.
The good thing to consider about the electrical trade is that there is always money to be made because relatives, friends and their acquaintances always need some electrical repair work done on something
or other so extra money can be made on weekends.
I would really put some thought into this choice, before your decision is made to commit to something forever.
The best of luck to you Duane B.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DuaneB
I think I'd like to be either an electrician or a plumber. What is the process to become either one? I've signed up for classes at St. Phillip's already, but I've heard that I won't really need those to become an electrician and that I should go straight to a union instead. As for plumbing, I'm not really sure what the process is.
Duane, I'd suggest a little more research on your part before deciding which trade to jump into. The building trades are iffy at best. During the first part of the 2000's, we couldn't find enough plumbers and electricians and you had all the work you wanted. Everybody made a lot of money. Then the mortgage crunch hit and there were plumbers and electricians on welfare as there was no work. This is just typical of the industry and there's a lot of history to substantiate it. You might consider other trades. There is a huge demand for diesel techs right now especially on oil field equipment. As we progress thru time the diesel engine will be used more in our cars/trucks. Learning oil field maintenance is a prime industry and probably good for the next 20-25 years. A truck driving job pays pretty decent and they are screaming for good drivers in the oil fields. There's always work for truck drivers. A guy that knows his way around a body shop will be busy. Folks are always going to be unwilling participants in car wars. Custom paint jobs pay major bucks. The aircraft industry needs good mechanics and you mostly get to work inside a hanger- not bad versus a plumber/electrician who usually gets to work in the cold or heat. A good gunsmith makes good bucks these days as does a machinist. With San Antonio going after more manufacturers there will be a huge demand for machinist and QC folks.
I'd look over the entire spectrum of what is up and coming and what industry fits you best. I've been in the building trades for over 50 years and if I had to do it over, I'd find something else. It's been interesting and fun but it's not a reliable paycheck.
A good post by Trapper, and each word true. I am here to substantiate the evidence he speaks of.
An unreliable paycheck averages out in the end if one can manage ones' money well.
The demand for electical trades and others goes up and down. Still times are hard today. The best way to go I would say to the young man is to enilst in the military and get a technical skill, but that was not his question.
My oldest son worked the Gas turbine engines in the bottom of ships in the navy, besides being in combat
in the special forces. For eight years he was in.
He now is earning well over six figures working in an electrical generating plant operating these same engines ,maintaining them. With job offers coming in still. This training is second to none. He is a union member and the benefits are second to none, Pension and all of the rest of it.
This was achieved at great personal sacrifice by him, but well worth it.
However, all of the occupations pointed out by TrapperL, may earn good money, a union job easily surpasses by means of the pension and benefits it offers. Gunsmithing and oil field mechanics jobs pay well but when one turns sixty two or sixty five years old that is where the differences come into plain view.
Union backed Insurances for the rest of one's life to supplement Medicare and a monthly pension check to supplement social security can make for a very comfortable retirement. Unlike a 401k which is offered by most employers, the income from a pension will be many times beyond the return of the money invested into it and will not run out thanks to the many members who contribute to it..
This should make all of the difference in selecting a job and a young person should begin considering retirement very early on, upon entering the work force. A good investment plan could make all of the difference in one of the other jobs aforementioned.
Nowadays many unions also offer a 401k to supplement even the pension. Relocation is an option that a union member may have to consider during difficult economic times. At least temporarily. Relocation is something that many people do for careers , if it is worth it. For many, relocation is necessary to become a success now, and in the future in old age.
Union pay is deceptive and it is undervalued by many. A member not only recieves the certainty of a contract
and job protection, unlike non-union workers, the remuneration is far beyond non-union worker pay.
Medical ,dental,hosp,and prescr. coverages along with pension and 401k put their pay beyond many ,many white collar jobs. Wage and Benefit packages are put into dollar amounts and one can see as a union member
how much they are worth. These benefits can add up to as much as fourteen or fifteen dollars hourly on top of the hourly wage per depending what one does for a living. These values will be stated in your contract copy.The disability insurance coverage alone is also murky to many- and guarantees an income if a serious accident should happen, on the job or off, no matter the length of service.
Temporarily or a permanent disability and indefinitely. These benefits are as least as valuable as the wage. Or even might be worth more should a major illness or injury happen to a member or his family.
There is even more to membership than I have entered here. Political influence through sheer membership numbers, PACs, scholarship opportunities for the children of members etc. A national job referral system network second to none in the civilian sector and the pay can be every good elsewhere, far better than here.
Some of the opportunities to make money are amazing and hard to believe if you excel greatly at your trade of choice. A top crane operator in New York City can make $60.00 an hour plus benefits. With overtime this can amount to $4000.00 weekly just in wages. During the re-tooling of an auto plant skilled trade members can earn in excess of $250,000 a year. Electrical Nuclear Plant Skilled Trades workers can make a lot of money too, out of state.
A non-union career in the building trades is an uncertain future, that much is certain, it is not a good career choice and I would not consider that one of the options. I would not. It could mean poverty for you.
There....that is my take on this situation of the choices ahead of you, Duane. Opportunity awaits you, good luck...on considering your options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TrapperL
Duane, I'd suggest a little more research on your part before deciding which trade to jump into. The building trades are iffy at best. During the first part of the 2000's, we couldn't find enough plumbers and electricians and you had all the work you wanted. Everybody made a lot of money. Then the mortgage crunch hit and there were plumbers and electricians on welfare as there was no work. This is just typical of the industry and there's a lot of history to substantiate it. You might consider other trades. There is a huge demand for diesel techs right now especially on oil field equipment. As we progress thru time the diesel engine will be used more in our cars/trucks. Learning oil field maintenance is a prime industry and probably good for the next 20-25 years. A truck driving job pays pretty decent and they are screaming for good drivers in the oil fields. There's always work for truck drivers. A guy that knows his way around a body shop will be busy. Folks are always going to be unwilling participants in car wars. Custom paint jobs pay major bucks. The aircraft industry needs good mechanics and you mostly get to work inside a hanger- not bad versus a plumber/electrician who usually gets to work in the cold or heat. A good gunsmith makes good bucks these days as does a machinist. With San Antonio going after more manufacturers there will be a huge demand for machinist and QC folks.
I'd look over the entire spectrum of what is up and coming and what industry fits you best. I've been in the building trades for over 50 years and if I had to do it over, I'd find something else. It's been interesting and fun but it's not a reliable paycheck.
Another question; I want to move to a different city or state in the next few years. If I'm in the apprenticeship program, will it be easy to transfer? Or am I confined to the city where I start the program? Also, I signed up for some classes at St. Phillips that are related to the field. Are those necessary or is it better to just go straight to the Union? I'd like to get started right after I graduate.
Great advice above. You're young and if you can figure this out now, you're going to be SO happy you did down the road: Find what you LOVE doing and do it for a living. Don't look for the next paycheck. Look for a career doing what you love and what you'll find is that you're able to carve out a niche for yourself and the money will be fairly good, if not great. And if that means flipping burgers on the side to earn income while you work towards your passion, you'll still be glad you did.
I think college is great, but if I had gone into my present field right out of high school instead of going to college, I'd be eons ahead of where I am now. And VERY happy.
A question. If you begin an apprenticeship program here you may be able to transfer, maybe not and I would guess it would be difficult until you become a full fledged journeyman. It is possible but it might lengthen
the time of your apprenticeship. I really do not know.
Each state has a different Union Local. if you are lucky. Some states have multiple locals, some cities, even, have different local union organizations within them of the same trade.. You would lose any benefits you have gained by not staying where you have begun your apprenticeship program for at least five years. Here is why.
Each local does not want to send your pension monies to another state and it won't. It is right in the labor agreement contract. You will lose some money. They do not want you and will not let you take it with you to your new local. This isn't a big deal and if I were you I would never let that stop me. There is opportunity out there so go for it. For a lot more money than can be earned here.
It is better to go where the Union Local is statewide or at least has a lager membership, the pension fund is larger and more secure that way and will offer more of a monetary return.
Each Union local office has its' own pension fund. The larger the local union is the better off its' pension fund is and the bigger it is and the more money it will earn from the multiple investments it has made, theses monies are invested in many, many types of investment programs -Interest bearing cash, US govt. securities, corporate debt instruments, corporate stocks, partnership joint venture interests, real estate, Loans, common trusts, Pooled accounts, interest in investment accounts, , interest of investment entities, interest in investment companies, value of funds held in insurance co general accounts.,employer related investments, and the buildings the union uses for its' plan and even more . It is a lot of money and the
union does not handle it, for one thing it is heavily govt. regulated. One local may have billions in the pension fund for its' retirees.
The Board of Trustees for the local union takes advice from investment companies and then has to reach a conclusion on how to best proceed with investment strategy.
Having said this...one must remain in one local for a minimum of 5 yrs to be "vested" and recieve
a pension benefit from its' pension fund. Otherwise you would recieve no pension benefit from that local.
You need thirty years of service to retire, so you would lose two yrs. if you left early and have to work that much longer for the local wherever you relocate to.
It is not a big deal to lose two or three years of benefits, you are very young. You could eventually recieve two pension checks someday if you stayed here for 5 yrs, you could ..But then you would need thirty five years of service to retire from your new local and have reached 62.5 years of age.. Five here at this local in San Antonio and thirty somewhere else from whichever local you stay at permanently.
It is my final take on this I would leave straightaway ASAP.
It takes three years to become a journeyman, then go, sooner if possible.
I think you have a great idea, relocate. The wages and benefits are much,much higher elsewhere than here. Texas has a definite anti-labor political structure and laws in place to prevent people from earning a decent amount of money here.. Any of the "Old South" states have laws in place to keep wages low for
regular working folks.
I would definitely move, it is a great idea. Go where the money is.
Also I would go straight to the union Duane instead of St. Phillips College. Each union local has its' own school where they teach in a classroom setting in the evenings after work. It is free for, to the membership. Don't waste your money on college classes, that is if you can get membership straight away. Otherwise stay in class it may help get you an apprenticeship- it will not shorten the apprenticeship but it might give you a foot up over other applicants. Might.
This school for Union Apprentice Electricians is taught by a Union Electrician with a Masters Electicians license. Any electrical contractor has to have at least one master in its' employ to operate.
Leave this city straight away or as you have stated, or in a few years, bigger opportunities await elsewhere.
If you could land an apprenticeship elsewhere, check the wages and benefits , ask the new local, they will tell
you the wage and benefit structure..
One more thing, some locals have travelers agreements. That is if you work in another state for another local
they do send any fringe benefit monies back to the local you belong to , this is called a reciprocating agreement
between local union offices. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is very good about this, if you
want to work in another state temporarily. It might be only across the state line or across some river, who knows ?
Good luck with your career, Duane.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DuaneB
Another question; I want to move to a different city or state in the next few years. If I'm in the apprenticeship program, will it be easy to transfer? Or am I confined to the city where I start the program? Also, I signed up for some classes at St. Phillips that are related to the field. Are those necessary or is it better to just go straight to the Union? I'd like to get started right after I graduate.
Last edited by huckster; 01-15-2013 at 09:22 AM..
Reason: additions
Check the Department of Labor web site; Look on the right side, check the "training" and you might also look at "Job Corp". in the same area on this page I've linked below.
You mentioned HVAC There are apprentice programs in that area in some states. You'll have to research what the options are regarding training. Don't be afraid to look up your states main offices and call. I've done that before and folks are very receptive.
The Job Corp program offers a place to live, free meals, free education/school an training in a variety of fields. There are programs related to Auto mechanics, carpentry and many other areas. It is a very good option. The school in N.D. I have visited. United States Department of Labor
You have many options, fee free to message me on this forum if you need help researching. JanND
Last edited by JanND; 02-19-2013 at 07:04 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Apply to a union,Good,
