Anyone here ever left a skilled craft Union trade and went non Union in the same trade? (average, jobs)

[Blitzmark]

I ask simply because I'm 99.9% sure I have a much better opportunity for my family and I if I go non Union. Does anyone have any insight to this? The trade in reference is pipe fitters.

[North Beach Person]

My youngest son did. The problem is that while he's making a bit more nonunion he doesn't have the benefits such as insurance and pension, so it's pretty much a wash financially right now.

The upside is that he wasn't working for a company per se but was assigned to jobs by the union. That meant that he would get laid off when there was no placement. As nonunion for one company he has as much work as he wants.

[James420]

Originally Posted by Blitzmark

I ask simply because I'm 99.9% sure I have a much better opportunity for my family and I if I go non Union. Does anyone have any insight to this? The trade in reference is pipe fitters.

That's what I had to do, as a fitter/plumber. Back in 2000 when power plants were popping up all over the place, I decided to join the union, I lasted 5 years and my pension was vested, during that time I never made less than $65,000 in a year, much closer to an 80 grand average. The last two years were rough though, locally work was drying up and I was working 8-9 months a year but the work was 7 -12 days while driving 1.5 hours each way. My kids were young and not being home put a huge strain on my marriage, so I took a pay cut and went back non union. I was never harassed by the union guys though, lots of guys were dropping out and it meant more work for the guys who had 20 plus years.

A few years later I joined a company Union, a Sunoco Oil Refinery that closed in 2012, so back to the low pay and grind all over again.