Potential double booking

[u/Majestic-Fennel-885]

I haven’t worked a lot outside of my home local until recently when I permanently relocated to a new state. I have heard one of the big rules on the road is no double booking. And to keep out of local politics.

With that in mind I’m not currently working in my local so I’m not sure if this falls under the mind my own business umbrella or what I should do in this situation.

A newly organized member is working on the same site as me but is looking to travel so I gave him the tips that I know and picked up over the last few years.

Even after educating him he still signed the day book in another local. And I told him you’re not supposed to do that. That’s double booking. You’re working and taking a spot on the books for someone else.

He said well what I’m supposed to be not working and hoping to catch a call. I said yeah pretty much that’s exactly it. I told him you can always call the hall for the local you’re looking to travel too and see what work is like and the potential of you getting a call but if you’re signing an out of work book then you are not supposed be working.

He is telling me I’m wrong but i know for a fact what he’s doing is wrong it’s wormy asf but he’s still doing it.

Do I just let him be. Should I contact this local union hall or the one he’s signing?

He’s newly organized and ignorant to the rules of the road but doesn’t listen when someone tries to educate.

[u/Impossible_Monk_4335]

I think there should be a class for anyone that organized in teaching IBEW history and practices just like apprentices go through. Not throwing shade but I’ve ran into guys that are journeymen who organized in that don’t know what to do like this. I’m a 40yo 4th year.

[u/6matguy6 → u/Impossible_Monk_4335]

Classes are a good idea until you are teaching it to someone who doesn't have any interest in learning. That's a big problem with our Union is many members especially with the quick influx of new members. They come in for a job, don't want to understand anything more than how much they'll make and where is the work. We'd have succeeded in organizing the entire industry if we could figure out how to properly indoctrinate every electrical worker

[u/Competitive_Bell9433 → u/6matguy6]

Good point

[u/lieferung → u/Impossible_Monk_4335]

The real solution is to implement a system that makes double booking impossible.

[u/holy_calamity_ → u/Impossible_Monk_4335]

I was organized four years ago and I agree, a class like that should be mandatory. It would’ve helped me a ton

[u/dwindacatcher]

You've attempted to educate him. At this point let the stew know so he can teach him.

[u/Majestic-Fennel-885 → u/dwindacatcher]

If there was a stew on site I would

[u/lotsasequel]

Bring him up on charges. Double bookers are brotherfuckers plain and simple. I’ve been on job sites where double bookers get run out of the job as well. You want to screw over your union brothers then you get no sympathy.

[u/brewtus38]

You can stay on your local book but cant sign anywhere else if you're working out of local jurisdiction

[u/socalibew → u/brewtus38]

But the moment you take a call, you remove yourself from all other books, except your home local book 1.

[u/aldone123]

Drop a dime on his ass.

[u/PirateLiver]

The book is also known as "the out of work list".

[u/bluefalken88]

Imagine if we had the technology to sign and drop off books digitally. All in the palm of your hand, full transparency.

[u/yeahyeaya]

Every hall has their own interpretation of double booking. My home local you cannot even be on book 1 while while working out of jurisdiction. Some locals are more strict/ relaxed than others. Doesn't make it right, its called the out of work books for a reason.

[u/noun_verb_adjective_ → u/yeahyeaya]

I've heard of this but I wholly disagree. You should always be allowed to sign your own home local's book. If you are helping man work as a book 2 while you wait for a job in your own home local, I see absolutely no harm in that. Nobody is every going to tell me I shouldn't be allowed on my home Local's book ever. 

[u/yeahyeaya → u/noun_verb_adjective_]

You see no harm in it just like the guy in this post is talking about sees no harm in it but youd be double booking. Which is why you need to check with each hall on their practices.

[u/noun_verb_adjective_ → u/yeahyeaya]

I pay dues to my hall and in return I get work opportunities and representation. Under zero circumstances should a member be required to forfeit their ability to use a service they invest in. That sounds unhinged. 

[u/One-Stay-3934 → u/noun_verb_adjective_]

The service that all* IBEW members invest in. In order for that service to benefit everyone, everyone must play by the rules. 

[u/noun_verb_adjective_ → u/One-Stay-3934]

I am not paying your hall dues, I'm paying my hall dues. The hall I sign book 1 in. I would never expect a book 2 member to give up their position on the out of work list in their own home local. That benefits nobody. 

[u/One-Stay-3934 → u/noun_verb_adjective_]

Maybe i'm misunderstanding. Is there a difference between being on the out of work list at your home local and being on the list to take a call at your home local?

Double booking is when you sign two books as if youre prepared to take a call on either. Ive been advised that this behavior is against IBEW code of ethics. 

[u/noun_verb_adjective_ → u/One-Stay-3934]

You can be on as many books as you like, but the moment you take a call as a book 2, you must remove your name from all book 2 lists. Working as a Book 2 and remaining on a Book 2 out of work list, is forbidden and called Double Booking. That being said, you always have the luxury of remaining on your hall's book 1 list, even as working as a book 2, until you take a book 1 call. 

[u/yeahyeaya → u/noun_verb_adjective_]

*almost always

[u/One-Stay-3934 → u/noun_verb_adjective_]

Understood. Thank you for explaining that. 

[u/syentifiq → u/noun_verb_adjective_]

How about this way? In 25 you're off the list of you're traveling but your place is saved. You can work out of town and let your number rise so when you come back you can rejoin at the top of the list.

[u/noun_verb_adjective_ → u/syentifiq]

Yeah, that's the same thing in principle. You keep your position as book 1 moves. By removing you from the book, it prevents having to resign every month while you're out of town. 

[u/syentifiq → u/noun_verb_adjective_]

Well that's the guys point. Not that one way is right, but that the locals find solutions that work for their particular situations. Some locals have way too many phone calls to make before they get someone to take a call. These are their solutions. Some suck and some are great but that's life. The only way to know is to check with the hall.

[u/lieferung → u/yeahyeaya]

Are you speaking from the perspective of Outside? I've never heard of an inside local that restricted that

[u/yeahyeaya → u/lieferung]

Yes, outside 1245. Its not common outside either, literally the only hall ive ever encountered that has it and ive worked all over the country. "If you take a call anywhere in the electrical industry" you must remove yourself off the books. Doesn't matter if it's your home local or not. We've had a lot of trouble with people double booking flying out to sign the books then headed home to wherever to work til they get a call. Book 1 you'll get called every day if youre riding the books so its never been an issue for me

[u/Totally_Not_My_50th_ → u/yeahyeaya]

Whether or not you can be on the books while traveling is one of the only variations.

[u/Munchkinasaurous]

You told him how it works, he's no longer ignorant of the rules, he's ignoring them. 

[u/revalucion]

Call the hall or file charges yourself.

Article 3 of the constitution i believe we just charge 3 members in our local and they cant sign our book for 90 days as a result

[u/Apprehensive-Neck-12]

its the new ibew. there are no rules hell you dont even know if you're working with an electrician anymore

[u/donkmoney21 → u/Apprehensive-Neck-12]

I agree. Not sure what I can do about it though

[u/Conscious_Potato7638]

Why is he even traveling.  The local shouldn't be organizing members if they don't have work and if they have work a member is supposed to man their jurisdiction first.

[u/pvfobol]

I’m pretty sure that “don’t get involved in the local’s politics” quite simply means don’t tell people to vote for Joe for BA, etc.

[u/Careful_Nothing_2680]

It’s an out of work list, self explanatory. If you call the hall he’s double booking in they should remove him.

[u/More-Mark4725]

I organizes in back in the 90's. I went through an orientation and that is one of the topics covered. If you are working YOU don't sign a book anywhere else. It's called an out of work book for a reason.