Trades Members. Chime in.

[Punkur67]

Hell yeah! Union Pipe Fitter here as well! I got in late in life for union workers (31). I regret not getting in sooner. I tell every young man I meet to join a union young. It’s a dying breed. I had a truck and running work as soon as I turned out, and still looking to climb higher.

Work has been slow the past 2 years. But thankfully our company guarantees foreman 40.

@Punkur67 Do you work for AOR?

Yup

 

[philconrad]

I am a locksmith. Started out in the family business. Did that for 10 years. We sold that in 1990. Did 30 plus years at a state university. Retired in 2022 with a great pension. I currently have a mobile locksmith business.

In all this time I have never been unemployed.

 

[badsushi]

GC Commercial Super here, I’d recommend you tell your children to get a 4 year degree in Construction Management if they are at all interested in college. The trades at least in my sector make between $150-$300k a year with overtime. I know some electricians, operators, carpenters, and pipe fitters who broke $300k last year. Most are averaging around $150k a year gross. You really need to work for those large outfits that keep you busy on those billion dollar jobs, to hit that $300k number.
I was a nonunion contractor for years, got injured and earned my engineering degree and went to work for a GC. It’s a good life, a bit stressful, but the pay is fantastic.

 

[doggman61]

A few years ago I got out of the pile drivers union to take over the family business. Went to commercial diver school, went down to the gulf, worked there for a few years then came back to the bay area to work union inland diving. if I knew then what I knew now I would have just came back to the bay area to join the union. At the time diver pay was $114 an hour and as much work as you wanted. Had some awesome experiences as a younger man and it's always nice to have that feather in the cap if it is ever needed. Some young bucks asked me about it and I would recommend it if they were hard working.

 

[Hamburger Monster]

Building maintenance engineer. 608 cert. Non union for life. I do plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, locks, tile, fire panels, pools, HVAC/R, welding, IT. You name it. Pretty much all

 

[Skillatron]

A few years ago I got out of the pile drivers union to take over the family business. Went to commercial diver school, went down to the gulf, worked there for a few years then came back to the bay area to work union inland diving. if I knew then what I knew now I would have just came back to the bay area to join the union. At the time diver pay was $114 an hour and as much work as you wanted. Had some awesome experiences as a younger man and it's always nice to have that feather in the cap if it is ever needed. Some young bucks asked me about it and I would recommend it if they were hard working.

That sounds really interesting. What union can you join that would use your commercial dive license? What sort of work do you do when diving. Maintenance?

 

[doggman61]

That sounds really interesting. What union can you join that would use your commercial dive license? What sort of work do you do when diving. Maintenance?

Most people know it as a underwater welder but that is a tiny fraction of the job. It's pretty much underwater construction of all sorts.
there is only a couple unions that I am aware of in the US and they are all pile drivers.

 

[Pythonfan]

Union electrician here. Been great for my family.

Steady work for a couple decades so far.

I'm going on 19 days straight working with no end in sight.

 

[Aldo The Apache]

Present union plumber, former non union, former retail associate. I joined the trade late in the game and only got serious about it 5 years ago (shoulda done it sooner “MESSAGE!” iykyk).

Felt stuck and unfulfilled (depressed actually) at my retail job of 8 years til my brother-in-law offered to show me the trade and the rest is history.

I would say to the younger cats, the trades are a young man’s game so if you’re feeling like I felt and have had no direction in life or unsure about where you see yourself in 5 years, get in - now. Journey out, get your C36 while you’re young and have the stamina to keep up and the youth to take criticism without invoking your ego. You need thick skin. This ain’t a 9-5 and HR is MIA so be tough, learn and get in. When you’re an apprentice, you’re competing with yourself, when you’re a Journeyman, you’re competing for your job.

For the older cats, like I said it’s a young man’s game, but if you a solid 5 years to burn to figure your stuff out, why not join the trades? And the same advice goes for you about turning out and licensing. You’re old enough to have life and work experience, now it’s time to work for yourself. Your ego will definitely be bothering you because a “kid” who happened to pick up the trade young and is now a foreman is bossing you around but you’re sweeping. So what? Get in, learn, be tough, turn out, get your license and be your own boss. The hours and labor do wear on you but that should be your motivation to push through.

Shout out to the other trades!

 

[dummykid]

for electrician, join the IBEW. electrician for Substation Maintenance, annual take home between 200k-400k depends on if you are willing to OT.

 

[Skillatron]

Present union plumber, former non union, former retail associate. I joined the trade late in the game and only got serious about it 5 years ago (shoulda done it sooner “MESSAGE!” iykyk).

Felt stuck and unfulfilled (depressed actually) at my retail job of 8 years til my brother-in-law offered to show me the trade and the rest is history.

I would say to the younger cats, the trades are a young man’s game so if you’re feeling like I felt and have had no direction in life or unsure about where you see yourself in 5 years, get in - now. Journey out, get your C36 while you’re young and have the stamina to keep up and the youth to take criticism without invoking your ego. You need thick skin. This ain’t a 9-5 and HR is MIA so be tough, learn and get in. When you’re an apprentice, you’re competing with yourself, when you’re a Journeyman, you’re competing for your job.

For the older cats, like I said it’s a young man’s game, but if you a solid 5 years to burn to figure your stuff out, why not join the trades? And the same advice goes for you about turning out and licensing. You’re old enough to have life and work experience, now it’s time to work for yourself. Your ego will definitely be bothering you because a “kid” who happened to pick up the trade young and is now a foreman is bossing you around but you’re sweeping. So what? Get in, learn, be tough, turn out, get your license and be your own boss. The hours and labor do wear on you but that should be your motivation to push through.

Shout out to the other trades!

Your advice reminds me when I got on my first really big project. It was (3) 10 story student housing buildings on one job site at UCLA making top dollar before and during the pandemic. It was culture shock tbh, but a lot of fun! Was on that project for 16 months before moving down to San Diego where the game was a little different but same in a lot of ways.

 

[Skillatron]

Union electrician here. Been great for my family.

Steady work for a couple decades so far.

I'm going on 19 days straight working with no end in sight.

Yeah I just joined the union in LA a few months ago been great experience so far. Very happy with the switch from non union.

Non union was great too in its own right. Got on some really fun projects even being non union. Mostly bc I worked for (2) really big electrical contractors. After I completed my apprenticeship the pay was different not being indentured anymore so it made the most sense to go union for my family.

Haven’t had a week less than 40 hours since joining.

 

[9mmContagion]

for electrician, join the IBEW. electrician for Substation Maintenance, annual take home between 200k-400k depends on if you are willing to OT.

OT? Ewww! Lol seems the longer you’re in, the less OT you’re willing to take. IMHO OT is for the young and thirsty. I’m at the point where I’m happy with 32. 40 is more than enough! I’m not taking OT unless I’m looking to take a vacation

 

[kurdish]

Hello. I'm new here, but I'm a union JW by trade. I got tired of chasing work so I just do general maintenance and repair for the school district now.

 

[9mmContagion]

Hello. I'm new here, but I'm a union JW by trade. I got tired of chasing work so I just do general maintenance and repair for the school district now.

Can you explain “I got tired of chasing work…”
??

I know journeyman who can’t hold a job more than a few months. I know Superintendents who started with a company and have worked their way up from apprentice-journeyman-foreman-general foreman-superintendent all within the same company. One all the way to retirement. Another even moved up and into a sales position in the office of the same company.

Trades work will only get you as far as you’re willing to go. We all know journeyman who never want to be anything more than that. We all know journeyman who still act like apprentices. Then we all know apprentices who smoke journeyman with ease. I am always skeptical of people who say they got out of the trade because there was no work. I remember, during apprenticeship, knowing guys that would drop out because they couldn’t find work. But in reality, they didn’t want to work. They didn’t want to learn more. They felt they shouldn’t do anything more than “fire watch” or pushing broom. You have to apply yourself and push yourself beyond your limits. You gotta screw up to learn from your mistakes.

 

[kurdish]

Can you explain “I got tired of chasing work…”
??

I know journeyman who can’t hold a job more than a few months. I know Superintendents who started with a company and have worked their way up from apprentice-journeyman-foreman-general foreman-superintendent all within the same company. One all the way to retirement. Another even moved up and into a sales position in the office of the same company.

Trades work will only get you as far as you’re willing to go. We all know journeyman who never want to be anything more than that. We all know journeyman who still act like apprentices. Then we all know apprentices who smoke journeyman with ease. I am always skeptical of people who say they got out of the trade because there was no work. I remember, during apprenticeship, knowing guys that would drop out because they couldn’t find work. But in reality, they didn’t want to work. They didn’t want to learn more. They felt they shouldn’t do anything more than “fire watch” or pushing broom. You have to apply yourself and push yourself beyond your limits. You gotta screw up to learn from your mistakes.

I had no problem with finding work because like you said "Trades work will only get you as far as you're willing to go."
I worked more OT than I did spending time with my family. Straight slaving for the dollars. There's another world outside the IBEW and construction. Now, I make a little bit less and have more time for myself and my family. You can't put a price tag for peace.

 

[ikeo1]

Now, I make a little bit less and have more time for myself and my family. You can't put a price tag for peace.

This is an underrated comment. How you define peace is very personal and subjective.

I find myself going through a similar stage .

 

[dummykid]

OT? Ewww! Lol seems the longer you’re in, the less OT you’re willing to take. IMHO OT is for the young and thirsty. I’m at the point where I’m happy with 32. 40 is more than enough! I’m not taking OT unless I’m looking to take a vacation

That’s true for young people. One of my coworkers told me he didn’t even realize his son was graduating from high school because he had so much overtime on weekends. All the OT shifts were prearranged and assigned, except for emergencies — sometimes you’d get a call at midnight and have to go to the substation to flip the switches. However, the amount of money he made from all that overtime could easily pay for four kids to go to college.

 

[Striker777]

That’s true for young people. One of my coworkers told me he didn’t even realize his son was graduating from high school because he had so much overtime on weekends. All the OT shifts were prearranged and assigned, except for emergencies — sometimes you’d get a call at midnight and have to go to the substation to flip the switches. However, the amount of money he made from all that overtime could easily pay for four kids to go to college.

I feel that at one point for about 3 years it was 7/10's plus pre shift of 4 hours if you wanted it making it a 14 hour day.
My boys were to young to remember and it was great while they were young.

I have a trooper for a wife and we got along great during those times LOL... But I realized that being in the rut sort of speak with OT was ok if you need the cash a lot of it was mandatory 7/10's, but I also remember taking a 2-4 day little time off would ruin you as far as going back to the rut of OT. if you take time off from the OT grind you just start to see things in a different way and want to slow down and quit the grind.

 

[Aldo The Apache]

Your advice reminds me when I got on my first really big project. It was (3) 10 story student housing buildings on one job site at UCLA making top dollar before and during the pandemic. It was culture shock tbh, but a lot of fun! Was on that project for 16 months before moving down to San Diego where the game was a little different but same in a lot of ways.

Yeah it was a culture shock for me too. Although I worked for a non union shop prior, residential service and repair, commercial was a totally different animal. I actually do miss residential service and repair. In commercial, everything is thought out for you, comes in spools with iso drawings, and you’re tasked with putting the legos together. Takes all the magic out of it. While residential, is all about imagination, which was right up my alley. Pros and cons for sectors. Let’s just say I’m eager to get my C36…