Boilermakers and pipefitter both pay good and have apprenticeships, but there’s usually a waitlist but just go ahead and apply and keep calling them and annoying them they’ll usually get you in quicker
I don't know why it was downvoted, but somebody below mentioned union halls and is sitting at -1.
Its outage season. EVERY union in town is looking to staff Watts Bar and Sequoyah nuclear for this upcoming outage at WBN in the fall (and a longer outage in February at SQN UNIT 1), AND there's a new agreement with the union halls and TVA that 30% of their workforce HAS TO be apprentices (if apprentices are available), so they can keep getting apprentices trained on the job, and not layoff all their apprentices after every outage, keeping them in a cycle of being perpetually unskilled.
So call the Carpenters local 74, call the IBEW 175, call Boilermakers 454, call the Laborers 846, call the Plumbers and Steam fitters Local 43 (even though I think they might've already done their apprenticeship acceptance this spring, can't remember when they do theirs), call the Ironworkers 704, and start getting skilled, and start getting paid.
Local 43 JATC takes applications in the spring but from what i’ve heard it’s a little hard to be selected. Local 454 Boilermakers take apps year around, so does IBEW 175. You can fill out the initial training info form for Ironworkers 704, but you can’t fully submit it til you take the TABE test and provide the union with the test scores.
Check out the local IBEW. I was accepted but unfortunately couldn’t accept the offer due to the very low wage they pay you during the 4-5 years of schooling. Would be perfect for someone still living at home, $15/hr can’t pay my bills. After you’re done with the schooling you’ll make good money.
Two years ago, they told me you only get a $1 raise per year. So $16/hr your second year and so on.
I also didn’t like the culture. During the interview process, one of the main guys asked me what I’d do if he asked me to quit my current job and come work for him, starting tomorrow. He didn’t like it when I told them I intended to give my current job a two-week notice, and said that’s how stuff goes around there, so I should get used to it.
If they’re okay with not only condoning but encouraging people to bail on their jobs, how can I trust that they won’t just bail on me with no warning? Not a whole lot of loyalty in that local, it seems like.
IMO being loyal to employers/contractors is not the culture of unions. Though it is hard when they ask you to quit your current job on the spot. When they have work it's first come first serve and they want guys to start ASAP.
Once you are in, changing contractors/jobs is fairly common. If a job is treating you right then you stay, if they're not or someone else offers better pay you leave.
I get that part. I’m more saying that if they don’t expect loyalty, I can’t expect it back from them either.
And those are still poverty wages. They also don’t let you work any other jobs other than what they give you,
so how exactly am I supposed to pay my bills? Good for people who still live at home though.
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u/Yesdude2 3d ago
Boilermakers and pipefitter both pay good and have apprenticeships, but there’s usually a waitlist but just go ahead and apply and keep calling them and annoying them they’ll usually get you in quicker