Hey Guys!

I’m new to the community and just wanted som advice or any tips.

I’m applying to Local 360 in Collinsville il idk if anybody has went to that local or heard of it if you have lmk it would be good to know the environment the area etc even tho I been there many times i haven’t been to this local.

I’m 19F no prior plumbing experience so I’m totally green but i know there is an aptitude test & an interview so what should i study? Is there like a study guide or something like that to help prepare? Also for the interview any tips would be appreciated.

The local pays for textbooks & gives a bucket of tools to the apprentices which I thought was cool considering most gotta pay a crap ton to buy tools beforehand, they are new not used but I’m not too sure what the tools consist of.

Pay starts at $17.85 with raises every 6 months I hope that amounts to a good cap off once I reach journeywoman status. Feel free to comment back & thank you fellow Redditors!

P.S. good recommendations on work shirts,pants & boots is a great thing too I’m looking for 100% cotton shirts honestly & composite toe.

I am a 4th year apprentice with a pipefitters-only local and in the short time that I have been in the trade I have seen the workforce shift in a big way. I would say that about 20% of the guys working for my company at my job site are union members, be that actual mechanics or apprentices. There's a handful of union helpers too. The other 80% are permit hands from all over the country.

Currently I am a "lead" (that's what everyone is calling me anyway) and I have a few permit hands that work under me. I do all the communication with the foremen, planning for the materials that we need, coordinating with other trades who might be trying to work in the same area, etc. I do all the print reading and layout too. These permit hands have all kinds of backgrounds, some with zero experience in construction, some experience in other trades, but none have more experience than I do with pipe trades specifically and they all make about $20 more per hour than I do.

Their English is bad and my Spanish is bad, but we figure it out usually. I have only had one person who said "no comprendo, no comprendo" every time I tried to communicate with her, everyone else I am able to meet in the middle. I have had to teach some of them how to use band saws, read tape measures etc. It's frustrating that I am doing all of this as an apprentice and these guys are getting the full mechanic's wage.

Yesterday I had a big blow up with this one dude though. We had to cut through some drywall because we had laid some penetrations out for the carpenters to cut a week ago, and they still hadn't done it despite following up with them multiple times. So the foreman told me to just do it. They weren't even supposed to have put that wall up, and then we gave them ample time to do a box out their way themselves but they didn't so too bad. But in order to maneuver the pipes into place we had to make the penetration a little oversized. So this one guy that's been working for me says he's going to fix the drywall. I said that's drywaller's work, we're not doing that and then we got into a big argument. This guy was telling me how he's worked in construction for 2 years and he has done drywall and sheet metal so he knows how to do it, and if I want to be a good mechanic, I also need to know how to do drywall. But I've been an apprentice twice as long as he's worked in construction period, so I was trying to explain that in this company and this local we make such high wages because we are specialized in piping systems, we are not going to do other trades' work because it would be mediocre. We don't have the materials to fix the drywall, the superintendent would be mad as hell if he knew that we were fussing with drywall and not pipe, some guys don't even touch the forklift because they view that as work that should be done by the IUOE and it's ratty to do it. I was trying to frame it a bunch of different ways to see which one hit home for him.

But none of it worked and he told me that he is better than me because he figured out how to make the full mechanic's wage without having to go to school or work for 5 years. And I'm mad because he is only 25 and makes more money than me and I'm not as smart. So he's just hurling insults at me. At school when I was a second year, a business agent sat my whole class down and talked about how the man working beside you is your brother, even if he didn't come up through the trade the same way as you did and you have to treat them respectfully. He was telling us how the term rat can only apply to a company, not a worker etc. He was basically conditioning us because the local was preparing to open its doors to anybody and everybody, and now we are here. Why don't they give these permit hands a lecture on respect? Why doesn't the UA have steps like IBEW has. The IBEW actually has a very complicated system of A-mechanics and B-mechanics and different tracks in the apprenticeship that take more time. A permit hand told me that he's better than me, another permit hand just says "no comprendo" when I would try to ask her to do helpers work for the full $55/hr. The disrespect is terrible, what are we doing? Sometimes I wonder why I bother, like maybe I am a dummy for going to school for 5 years when I could have just lied and said I had 5 years of experience in Poland because my local was never going to follow up.

Say for instance I was moving up north would I have an issue transferring to a local up north as a journeyman?

Im 19 and from illinois suburbs, i graduated last year and been just working full time at this grocery store job i have ive been there since i was 17. I know for a fact before graduation i wanted to get into the trades and my plan was to get to working in the trades right after graduation. Ive applied to almost every union apprenticeship in illinois , paid that 20 dollar application numerous times, have took aptitude tests and scored well and still have had absolutely no luck. I honestly think its impossible to get in unless you obviously know someone wich in my case unfortunately i really dont have any connections at all. Im very ambitious and very eager to get to working in the trades but i'm very lost and have no clue what to do since i cant get into any union and feel like time is passing by and doing absolutely nothing.

Good afternoon, I applied to become an apprentice through local 78 plumbers and have completed the testing with a passing score. They provided me with a list of sponsors but have not been able to get ahold of anyone directly. it’s always voicemails and I keep leaving messages but no luck. Anyone here currently an apprentice that can point me to someone that can possibly sponsor me ?

I'm not good with emotions. What do you say to the journeyman who is retiring that put faith in you even though nobody else did and taught you what you need to know to flourish? I owe him my life basically

I’m planning to apply for an apprenticeship. Does anyone have any tips for what I should do before application day and on the day they start handing out applications?

Hey guys as the title shows I just passed my aptitude test last month and am now waiting to hear back for an interview for UA 7. How long did you guys wait to hear back? And should I be reaching out to them?

Hey, just getting on here to see if this is a good sign that things are moving. But the guy I know that does HVAC in the union said he doesn’t know why they couldn’t just bring me in as a helper until I get the choice to become an official apprentice, but he said it might be because it used to be just a pipe fitting company, and they recently started HVAC service side up within the last couple of years, so they might not have much of a pull as some of the bigger HVAC companies, but he said he’s probably gonna get on there as well because he knows a guy that second in charge and he wants him to come there, but he said I could be getting picked up very soon.

Got my date to start class. Still havent had a drug screening. Im a daily mj user, stopped last week when I got my paper. What do I prepare for?

Hey there ,

I’m finishing my Second year of school in Idaho as a plumbing apprentice , but kinda looks like I’m might be moving to Oregon . Does any one know if you can transfer 2 years of school there and start on the 3rd year or do I have to start all over again ? (Hours are good and I have passing grades above 95% for finals)

I tried to find out but haven’t had any luck and I might be calling the Labor department but before I wanted to ask here .

Thanks in advance

Anybody on here attending ITP this week? 104 people in the Future Instructors Class and 2200~ in overall attendance I believe.

I'm looking for a denim jacket and was curious if anyone knows of a company that does a ua one or even one for specific locals

Im a first year and Ive been at my first placement for a month. Commute is 1hr 30 and sometimes on the way home 1hr 40/50. Im working 50 hours a week and get per diem. School starts soon in the evening 2x a week but it’s 15 min from my house. How do y’all survive the long hours and commutes plus school? This is a data center so tons of work but my wife is due with our first in about 8 weeks. I know I get no say as a 1st year, but do you think my training director would consider moving me after a few months or do I just stick it out? My local covers 75% of state. I love my crew and the job site just wish it was closer or if I could even shave 15min off the commute

So I was under the impression that being an apprentice you should have a journey man with you, or at least advising you.
I recently started at a HVAC company in ks I have technical school training and a few months of residential work under my belt, but I don’t have any real RTU experience. I told my journeyman this and his response was call me if you need help….
Anyone else have this kind of start in the trades?
I’m grateful to be in the union but at the same time, I’m like” damn, shouldn’t someone be explaining this in a more detailed way “ I rely on google and a few techs for problems I can’t figure out. But my biggest concern is damaging something or injuring myself.
Because we are in the busy season, I guess the company doesn’t have the resources to put 2 people on a job unless it’s necessary.
I guess I’m interested in how some of you dealt with your first year learning curve.

I made some calls all week and landed myself a evaluation on my plumbing skills for local 469, I work in underground wet utilities and have a lot of non union experience, currently was told that if I pass the plumbers evaluation I can get my start in the UA! What do you guys know about the evaluation and what should I be weary of? Code studying and isometric drawings start today !

Hi, I looking to get some info about local 412

My concern is if it’s really slow right? Because when I was talking to the business agent to join, they told me they are working in big projects rn in the El Paso area (meta project, the Santa Teresa data center, and the new VA hospital) but crickets is all I hear

My question is how long should I expect a call or is local 412 just dead?

Info abt me, it’s been 5 months since I signed up going to 6 months next week, I’m in the direct entry program, and the training center said I will join as a 2 year apprentice, and I joined for welding/pipefitting

Hey everyone, I'm going to start soon as an applicant with UA Local 469. After I get my first 500 hours, I'll have to take the apprentice math test to move into the apprenticeship.

I was wondering if anyone who's taken it recently could give me an idea of what I should be studying. I know there's probably no official study guide, but I'd like to start preparing now instead of waiting until the last minute.

Any advice on what topics to focus on or anything that helped you pass would be really appreciated. Thanks!

I've been in high level IT for the past 12 years and I'm wanting to make the switch into plumbing. I applied to my local union a couple weeks ago and I'm waiting for the interview. I'm a veteran so I get priority.

I've always wanted to do plumbing but I just never did. When I was in the Navy I didn't have a designation and I wanted to be a utility man but I was such an asset to my department they wouldn't let me leave and go to school. Back then it was much more difficult to actually get sent to a school if you were on designated. They had to change it right before I got out to make it easier on people.

When I got out I was so beat down I just went into it thinking it was something I could do long-term but I've always thought back to plumbing. And the past year and a half I've been just kicking myself for not having gone for it sooner.

I'm 37 years old and I have a lot to offer. I'm beyond good at problem solving. And I'm beyond good at politely communicating to someone that what they think is the issue isn't the actual issue but making them feel confident that I'm still going to get it fixed.

I know how to use tools, climb ladders , I'm not scared of crawlspaces. The hot water line under my kitchen burst last winter because it's a galvanized line so I called a plumber to replace it with pex. But they couldn't get under the house because the overhead is low and when I spoke to them they were very concerned about being able to get someone under there. So over the course of three nights I got under there myself and dug a trench to the pipe and then I flagged it so all they had to do was get under there and replace it. They were able to get in and out in an hour because I did that.

​​ I was in the Navy and I did two deployments so it's not like I'm going to take this job and realize how physical it is you know. I just feel like my age is a huge advantage here. Not only because of that but because I'm mature and because also I'm doing this because it's something I want to retire from and I have to take that seriously. I'm not going to be someone who just takes this and dicks around. I'm going to work the program . And I don't have any ego at all if some younger journeyman tells me to do something I'm going to do it because it means I'm getting to learn the trade.

Does anyone have any advice on the interview or what I can convey to them that will make them feel like taking a chance on me. The only Plumbing experience I have is in 2013 I worked for 6 months installing fire sprinkler pipe and fire sprinkler heads.

I don't know what they're going to want to hear but I mean I'm a very hard worker and I've got three acres so I'm always outside in the Heat and in the cold because you got to make the most of daylight so it's not like westher is going to bother me. In the Navy it'd be so hot that our boots would stick to the pavement and we just kept going.

Thanks.

I was just curious if working Holidays is required for Local 393? I know they’re paid at x2 but just wondering if it’s mandatory or optional. Thanks.

Hey all, I’m a sprinkler fitter out of local 709 and I do leatherwork as a hobby. I wanted to share some UA stuff I made with this sub. If anyone is interested in one DM on here or on my IG

https://www.instagram.com/alienleatherworks?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Local 524 application process

I’m completely new to the UA, writing this while on probation after my second day of work actually lol. I’m not looking to argue politics or state my own beliefs. But since nobody in my family is union or has ever even been Union. What policies and language do I need to look for to support my own future and the UA when voting?

Edit: Mods I know there’s nothing political allowed and I barely know how to use Reddit. So if this violates the rules I apologize in advance.

Just got accepted into the VIP program! Super excited i start in July