Any DC STEP UP members for the local 26? How do classes work? I feel like I was just kinda thrown in without any formal idea on how I'm supposed to like do my classes and whatnot.

I’m curious to know more about what type of work is done? for example are you doing pole and tower work often and working on heavy heights on high volt electric? or is ir more outlet, conduit indoor and some outdoor smaller heights like ladders scaffolding etc? I’m mostly curious in the daily life and what type of work and hours to expect.

What about the IBEW that causes some people from other construction trades to talk crap about them? I've been on several job sites, commercial and industrial, and most of the IBEW union members were pretty chill.

But I've been noticing in some construction trades that some workers think electricians are snobby A-holes and look down on everyone.

I've met and worked alongside good people from the IBEW, and they genuinely went out of their way to help me on certain parts of the site.

Edit: damn, did not expect this to blow up like this lol, thanks for the responses everyone. gonna say a couple things since I've been reading through comments, some of y'all pointed out it's not just IBEW that gets this, other trades throw shade at each other too so that's fair. also ngl some of the criticism in here isn't just people being salty, some of it's actually legit so i'm not trying to say every complaint about IBEW guys or electricians is just haters being haters. anyway appreciate the discussion, didn't think this many people had opinions on this lol

So I’m in an apprenticeship inside wireman but want to switch over I signed the book 3 for 1245 before I started and now I’m in the 200s I’m just finding out that this is double booking and that I’m going to have to quit my apprenticeship to stay on 1245 books

Have been electrician about 10 years, journeymen 3. When I began my electrical career I apprenticed under an old timer doing tenant finish. We were flipping multiple ~8,000 sq ft office spaces at a time and I really enjoyed it, learned most everything I know from that guy. Then covid came. We lost just about all of our commercial work and just started doing residential and guy I apprenticed under retired. By that time I was one of about 4 employees (one the boss's son fml) Fast-forward to today and I completely burned out. I hate working with homeowners and residential superintendents but have completed many high end customs mostly by myself. Came to a point I just couldn't do it any more. Between the dictionary picture perfect example of nepotism and boss's son just sitting in his van and refusing to help me with clear 2 person jobs... I quit and took a good summer break working in a different trade for the summer.

While cooling down for summer I took the union aptitude test and jumped through all their hoops, attended the meetings and really like the vibe and am ready to get back into a completely different career setting.

But pretty nervous - I have tenant finish and residential experience. Will I be looked down on or somehow kicked off the job for not knowing how to run rigid, etc? I have no problem showing up on time, having a good no drama attitude, doing good work when I know how to do it. Is that enough for the first union job?

What has been your experience with jobs requiring (officially/unofficially) you to conceal, put away, or leave at home your union imagery? I could link to everything I’ve read, but it looks like it boils down to the NLRA allowing this to be done if special circumstances (hazards, uniform & public image, vulgarity) can be demonstrated. In our world, it seems like it mostly happens due to the customer…or, the customer is being used as an excuse by the con or your supervisor.

Anecdotes? Take-aways?

Anybody know where to get a new Engel cooler strap? I’ve also seen brothers on site with custom made. Do you know any brothers or sisters that make them?

I'll be stew soon. Never had the honor before so I am looking for advice or pointers. I'm nervous and excited at the same time.

Does anyone know if Local 11 worked out their contract or did they strike?

I'm still a fairly young JW. I've been in the trades for 9 years and in the IBEW for 3. I'm looking to gain some insight from you old heads who have been around the block.

Right now I'm out working on a Data Center job and I'm noticing a whole bunch of CWs. A lot of them have a pretty good work ethic and have expressed interest in becoming an apprentice and eventually topping out and making this a whole career for them.

However, the hall had over 400 applications for the apprenticeship and only took 40. Logically, to me, this shows that the Local knows that this many workers is unsustainable for their normal workload after the data center is done.

So my question is, what happens to all these CWs that joined up when the Data Center is done? Do they all just get put on the books and told "yeah, we'll call you if we need you?" If that's the case I feel like that could put a huge bad taste in the mouth of hundreds of workers that would otherwise be pro Union.

If I'm off base let me know. I know very little about the CW/CE program because it isnt really utilized in my home local. I'm just sitting here at work and I feel bad for the CWs that work under me that I can see would eventually make incredible JWs if given the chance, but I'm concerned they may never get that chance.

Is that weird to do?

Hi, im a M(21) groundman working on the line side. My referral says 5/10’s and this week it looks like we’re going to have a rain day and my foreman says that sometimes they work Saturday as a makeup day. But I have something planned already this weekend that I’d lose money on if I cancel now. Is it still required to work that day since I won’t be getting a full 10hrs that day but 2hr show up so I’d only be working 42hrs that week instead of 50. I also took storm last week so I worked 66hrs that week, so I think it’s kind of fair for me to take this weekend off. Pls let me know your thoughts on this?

Is it possible to have membership in two unions?

I do inside construction under IBEW local 20 and I’m asking this because I’m interested in the possibility of doing electrical maintenance. The only maintenance work I’ve seen in local 20 is for Six Flags and they pay journeyman less.

$40 for JIW and $25-35 for maintenance.

There is the GM plant in Arlington which is organized under UAW and their wages I believe are comparable to local 20.

So is it possible to pay dues to both IBEW and UAW?

As the title says, done with school and catching up on hours, approved to travel from the director and was looking at the San Jose/ Bay area, any know if they are taking travelling apprentices and what I would need to go there? Thanks for any information. Current local is 130

From what I've read the vesting period is 5 years. I like to take month-long vacations inbetween jobs though, so how does the math math with that? Does it have to be 5 straight years? Sporadically based on a 40 hour week?

Explain me.

Hello brothers and sisters.

My family and I are contemplating moving to the state of Washington in the near future and I am curious about the locals particularly 76,46, and 191 are any of these particularly difficult to move your ticket into?

So I’m M(21) workings as a groundman in Michigan. I’ve been working on the line side of things for probably 8 months so most of the material and what to expect at job site I kinda of already know what to do at this point, and I’m pretty attentive to my JL’s and foreman as they all like me. So I started with this company about 3 weeks ago and this week we’ve had pretty bad air quality at a record high. GF asked if anyone wanted to optionally take the day off, I personally felt concerned about it bc yesterday it was hard to breathe in and it said it was going to clear up the next day. I also signed up for standby for storm the following day. So I came back in and the GF is just on my ass about little things (like I was draining the cooler and putting water bottles in it and my JL went and grabbed ice) but the GF then was saying that it was fucked up that my JL was carrying bags of ice over to the truck even though I told him I was going to get it afterwards but my JL said it wasn’t a problem. Then we headed over to where we were going to be posted for standby and he wanted me 1 out of 3 ground men to look “busy” when everybody else is in their trucks. So I get out and reorganize and re-clean the already organize and clean trucks. So big thing is am I in the wrong for taking the optional day off for health reasons I thought could impact me or is my GF just being a dick bc I’m a lowly groundmen? I also don’t want to drag bc I really want to get into an apprenticeship and I don’t want it too look bad on my resume/record.

how do you guys feel about being the ones building the data centers that are negatively impacting people’s lives and health?? I’m not taking any jobs for a data center to clear. I wont be apart of that bullshit. Feeding the wealthy, and ultimately helping them take over? I thought blue collar workers were supposed to be fuck the government, fuck all that corporation shit. Yet here we are. And I understand people need money, but nobody told you to be in a massive amount of debt and what not.

stand for nothing, fall for anything.

And anybody who sits there and says what can we do about it? It sounds very CUCK of you to say. There is a lot you can do. Boycott those jobs and fight back because America was and still is built by blue collar workers, without them they have nothing.

edit:

I am assuming every single one of you that are white knighting for data centers are absolutely the right folks for it

RIP to Americas backbone, you can see my latest post as well

God Bless America 🇺🇸 Jesus already won

I had my guys laying 5” PVC. The conduit is in a rebar cage and encased in concrete. Wednesday we taped off our run to come back and add on today. I remove the tape and slide one 5” on and the bell fits great. I slide the other 5” on (next to the other ) and it’s huge. Won’t fit at all. It’s like a 16th to 8th inch gap between the neck of the conduit & bell end of the new pipe. Couplings don’t fit, I’ve cycled through different pipe, expansion fittings ect… I’m stumped, I’ve only encountered this with smaller sizes which I can fudge. This I cannot and will not. Have you guys ever seen something like this? I have 3’ sticking out of the concrete. I did measure the pipe in the ground I believe it’s a manufacturing defect. I’ve called Atkore products. They said they have experienced this before due to the manufacturing process. But they just say cut it back and try.

Got put on a job about 1 1/2 hours away from me, 4/10 schedule, and kind of a nowhere town. There’s a motel near the job but only pays about $40 a day per diem and the motels $60-$80 a night. Asking if anyone has made that commute for a few months or if I should eat the cost and stay near the site.

Hey everyone, I broke out this spring and just drug up/took a call for the first time today. This call is in a different jurisdiction. That being said, what are some of the rules of the road? The last thing I want to do is step on anyone's toes. I know a few like as a guest in the local you should behave as such, drag before you let a book 1 get laid off, don't take a foreman position/red dot if a book 1 wants to take it etc. What are some other important ones?

Got my ROF, saw it coming a mile away as the job was wrapping up. Company was great, coworkers were great, and the GF gave me half the day off paid to go get a nice bottle of whiskey and an early start to the weekend.

See ya on the next one boys and girls!