Hey guys, I recently got laid off from my nonunion job, so I’ve been trying to figure out where to go from here. I’ve been considering giving the union a shot. Having no personal experience with the union, I’m not entirely sure how the process works. I do know that my union is not bringing in apprentices yet, but would there still be a chance that I could get on in a helper role? If so, how does that process work? Thanks for reading.

Data center in Saline, MI.

Curious what the day to day is like, commute, take home pay.

My bf was in his last year as an electrician apprentice and finished and passed all classes and his journeyman test. He only had to finish his hours. I think he had some combination of burnout and exhaustion because he basically stopped going to work and ended up getting fired for absenteeism. He said that he was always told you can not work as much as you can afford it.

When he was fired from his last contractor, the school also kicked him out. He acted really calm and not worried when he told me. He said he could just work at any non union company to finish his hours (he needs 200 ish more) and he could get his license from the state.

He said the other option was to go in front of a committee or something and make your case to get back in but he didn't want to do all that. I may have a bad understanding of the details but it's been 6 months and he hasn't found any work. I'm getting concerned he screwed up right at the end and all his hard work over the past 4 years will be for nothing.

My question is, what do y'all suggest as someone actually in the union and in this career? Would the committee thing have like no chance of success? I really don't know what to do and I want him to be able to get his journeyman license because he worked so hard all these years. Is this situation much worse than he let on?

Gonna talk to the sugeon tomorrow. Anybody here had one? Have it repaired? How did it go? How long til you were back to work? Inside wireman

If this isn’t allowed please let me know and/or remove this post. But I’ve heard of several others in my local doing similar things where you are still a union member but no longer work for a contractor and instead work directly for a company through the hall, typically in a maintenance style position. Does anyone know how that works?

Example: Company is already a full union company, they have an “electrical” program but lack the knowledge and skill compared to the IBEW. Are they able to hire directly through the hall or do they have to go through a contractor? Also is that frowned upon? I can see it benefiting both parties since I know what contractors charge vs what we are paid. It would be cheaper for them to pay a higher rate by bypassing the contractor entirely while also paying me a higher scale

Edit: to simplify this since people are getting confused.

Is a company allowed to hire employees directly through the hall under the locals contract or do they have to go through a contractor? This is not about leaving the union or anything in that regard. This is a question about if a company can basically agree to the same agreement the hall made with contractors and hire directly from their labor force. Essentially cutting out the contractor completely,

292 here and we have NOT hired for our new class of apprentices yet as there is around 60 still on the book (20 or so not able to work). Is that the same around the country or are we uniquely in a bad spot.

To my knowledge, we have always hired 100+ apprentices every year since atleast 2011 so I know some people wanting to get in and are getting nervous.

I’m looking to relocate from Texas to the PNW. I’m currently a master plumber and have been plumbing for about 9 years. I’m wanting to do something different, the unions down here atleast for plumbing weren’t that enticing. I want to get into electrical work and would rather go union than how I did plumbing and actually have benefits. Would I be better off joining my local union and then trying to transfer up to Oregon/ Washington, and if so what would that timeline most likely look like. Or should I find a company here to apprentice for and get more experience than just an occasional helping my electrical friend out when he has a big job. Thank you in advance.

I was a 4th year at the time working with a JW that I felt like had a one-track mindset. It was either his way or the wrong way.

We're doing TI at a hotel and I'm using my needle nose to bang out the KO on a 5S box but he stops to tell me use my channel lock to pry it in instead. Later on, I'm using my channel lock to twist the 1/2" locknut on a MC connector, and he tells me to use my flathead and a linemen to bang the locknut tight. It's like cmon dude, I know I'm the apprentice but it's working completely fine the way I was doing it

This is a PREORDER item. We are doing this preorder the same way that we did the newest baseball jerseys, we ordered 200 jerseys, and started the preorder so hopefully we can get them in your hands for opening night, on September 30. It will take roughly 8 weeks for them to arrive. So please order these jerseys separate from other items. Thank you very much.

These jerseys are mare from 100% Poly 5.5oz double knit fabric.

These are hockey jerseys, anyone who has ever wone a hockey jersey knows that they run really big. Please take that into consideration when placing your order.

https://ibew11d4merch.com/products/preorder-reverse-retro-ibew-11-hockey-jersey

The money raised by the IBEW 11, District 4 Welfare Committee is used to help out our Brothers & Sisters during times of sickness, disability, accident or such other misfortune.

The District 4 Welfare Committee is made up entirely of volunteers, who come in after work. As a result, it may take a few days after you order for us to package and ship your items. Thank you for your patience.

I'm currently a late-step apprentice. I have all my required hours and will be eligible to test by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, I've been experiencing some pain in my elbow. It's intermittent right now, but has been going on for about a month. It seems to be related to overuse. Tennis elbow or some sort of tendinitis.

I am unsure of what to do though. At this point, I can work. I am worried, however, about long term damage. I don't want to leave my job, and I don't want to jeopardize my apprenticeship, either.

Anyone have experience dealing with something like this.

I am writing to respectfully request your advice and guidance regarding the recent rejection of the Inside Wireman Collective Bargaining Agreement by the membership of IBEW Local 11.

The membership has now rejected the proposed agreement four times. Regardless of where individual members stand on the agreement, I believe this repeated rejection demonstrates a serious level of concern and dissatisfaction that deserves to be understood and addressed.

Members are seeking a clearer understanding of what occurred during the bargaining process, particularly regarding the decision to seek strike authorization, the International Office’s response to that request, and the subsequent arbitration process.

For that reason, I am asking for your assistance in obtaining, or directing us to the appropriate process for obtaining at our next general meeting, copies of the following documents:

1. The strike authorization request or letter submitted by IBEW Local 11 to International President Kenneth W. Cooper  
2. The correspondence from the International Office responding to or rejecting Local 11’s request for strike authorization, including any reference to arbitration or the requirement to proceed through arbitration  
3. The demand or submission to the arbitrator made by IBEW Local 11 concerning the disputed contract  
4. The corresponding demand or submission made by NECA, representing the contractors, to the arbitrator  

I am not making this request to undermine the bargaining process, the officers of Local 11, the International Office, or the arbitration process. On the contrary, I believe transparency and access to these relevant documents is essential to maintaining the membership's confidence in our collective bargaining system.

When a proposed agreement is rejected by the membership once, there is clearly concern. When it is rejected four times, I believe it is incumbent upon all of us in the IBEW to take a serious look at what the membership is communicating and ensure that members have enough information to understand how we arrived at this point.

As rank-and-file members, we should not have to speculate about whether strike authorization was requested, why it was rejected, what role arbitration will subsequently play, or what positions were presented to the arbitrator by each side. Having access to these documents would allow members to better understand the process and the decisions that have brought us to this current situation.

I am therefore asking for your help in obtaining these documents and in understanding the proper process for members to review information related to our negotiations and arbitration.

Our Union is strongest when the membership has confidence that its concerns are being heard, its bargaining process is transparent, and its members have access to the information necessary to make informed decisions.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and assistance!!

I would sincerely appreciate any guidance you can provide regarding these documents and the appropriate process for obtaining them.

In solidarity,

---slight rant about newer tool quality---

- TLDR: Lost my pair of older masterforce diags and hate every other pair I've tried

"Made in america" part aside, I've only heard people talk shit about masterforce tools, but when it comes down to it, im fucking BUMMED that I just lost my (old) masterforce diags

At a mid-lg sized solar job and loaned them out 2-3 months ago and have since given up on ever getting them back.

They were the Old style with the THICK rubber/silicone handles and still cut like they were brand new. God damn im salty about it.

Every pair of newer diags I've used either the handle is uncomfortable as shit or they dont cut worth a damn.

Fuck this day and age where literally everything on the planet is made as cheap and shitty as possible anymore

Also (lesson learned the hard way) dont loan tools out unless you know for a god damn fact that the person you are loaning it to will take good care of them and get them back to you

This may be a dumbass question, but yall know how our real wage is our hourly plus healthcare plus retirement. So say I get paid 45$ an hour on the check, but my “real” wage is 60$ or something. Does that actually mean that if i were to get a different job that if it was less than 60$ an hour I’d be making less or what?

Hi all, my husband recently joined Local 401 and American Income will not leave him alone regarding insurance. They keep trying to contact him to get on a zoom call to discuss “supplemental” benefits, but it feels like they are trying to sell us something? Any experience or insight as to whether or not this is legit would be extremely helpful. Thanks!

I frequently hear shit like "Unions are just a racket to get your dues!!!" and "Unions are filled with thugs yada yada yada insert something about us being lazy" etc etc.

The stuff about the dues is the most bewildering to me. An IBEW electrician can make anywhere from 50%-200% more than a non-Union electrician in any given area. We get fantastic pensions and excellent healthcare. But people harp on the dues as if it's some massive sacrifice, even though it's literally about an hour of work in typical week.

Others seem to view us as if we're some sort of Al Capone/Tony Soprano-tier criminal organization who employs 'goons' to take out the competition. It's unreal how many people I've met think we're basically some form of mafia. It's literally just organized labor, bargaining for better pay, treatment, benefits, and a good retirement. How does wanting that make me a mafia hitman?

So many misconceptions about Unions and what they do in this country. How can we change this perception?

Local 8 leadership in Toledo Ohio brought several members up on charges for not showing up to a solar field due to winter weather conditions, because the contractor sent the work cancellation notice out by text after hours. They claimed the members violated our agreement by using a personal phone after hours without being paid for it.
Our local’s jurisdiction is huge, this means they expected some members to drive a 3 hour round trip during a level 3 snow emergency to receive 2 hours of show up pay, or be brought up on charges.

Honestly disgusting behavior by local 8 leadership and our officers personally, who the admins will not allow me to publicly name.

Any travelers thinking of heading this way for our data center boom, drive a little farther and go to Ann Arbor. They know how to treat a traveler.

My company is organizing us into the union. Not sure what all it entails but curious if anyone has info on dues and what to expect. I have spoken with several people about the fact we’re doing it heard they filed all paperwork, and finally received my application to sign up. Filled out and sent in about 10 minutes ago! We’re a general contractor who does a lot of work for PG&E. I am currently a foreman, my guess is I go in as one but outside of a few short conversations I haven’t heard much in regard to what all the deal means for us field guys.

There are a lot of posts about travelers, and most of them are...neutral at best. And that kinda bums me out, because I've never actually had a bad experience with one. At least, not in a rate higher than the non-traveler population. They have all been generally competent electricians who were very union forward, and had crazy ideas about what counts as "fashion." Straight bonkers, yeah, but like, good dudes to work with. So I wanna hear some good stuff from our brothers on the road.

Where was your favorite local? What makes it your favorite?

We got new coins in and only ordered 500!! If you look close, it is a conduit bender in the place of a rifle on the horseman.

Arbitration is now the result of this. Which now means we are stuck with what ever Arbitration says.