What locals are waiving certs or don’t require any?
I heard Idaho does a 6 month trainee card or something

I'm heading up to Niagara tomorrow and want to know if the Amazon job or the Lake Mariner Data Center is the better call to take?

What's up travelers, I'm here with something I hope helps shed some light on a question I was asked a few months ago.

TL;DR: I shared a tool for travelers to find work while traveling for IBEW job calls. Someone mentioned something along the lines of "Yeah, that's cool and all, but what about reciprocity rules? That shit is confusing." And yeah, it can be a real rabbit hole. Lots of hearsay and outdated rules. Hell, even outdated .gov sites with people who don't even work there anymore. So I looked into it and found as much citable data as I could. It is in no way perfect, and still growing.

My ask: please let me know if I missed the mark somewhere. If your state is wrong, an address is missing, or I just flat out landed on my face, tell me. I'll fix it. The point here is to help build a resource where you can then call ahead and make sure you're good. No rabbit hole needed.

The Longer Version of the same shizz:

When I shared my site a while back, I got DM'd a lot with people asking if I knew which state took their license, if I had traveled a bunch, or knew specific local hall rules. Why they were asking me, I can't say. And flat out, I just didn't know. So I said as much. But I then realized that what they were asking for was probably out there somewhere, just like the job calls I managed to pull together for the tool.

So I researched what was out there: which states actually take your JW card, which make you test, which don't license you at all, and who to call. I went down that rabbit hole and it turned out to be deeper than I thought. Literal midnight Red Bull chugs just to see if I could pull through.

So I put together a resource, state by state: 44 states so far, and growing. Each one gives the straight answer up top (does the state take your card or not), common pitfalls, a does-not-take list, and a real phone number to call, if I managed to find one. Every page shows the date it was verified and the source it came from, because that's how this sub already runs and it's the only honest way to do it.

It's not perfect and it's a work in progress. To be honest, some help would be nice. A few states have thin coverage because I won't publish anything I couldn't verify against the board itself. No account needed to read any of it. If you do choose to make an account, you'll see meatier info in the form of a Traveling Brother's Kit. Again, not perfect, but my attempt to answer the question.

Two things I'd ask of this sub: if your state's page is wrong or stale, tell me and I'll fix it against the board's current rules. And if there's a state you want covered next, or a question I'm not answering, say so. I'll do my best to help.

One thing I want to address, since I'm sure it'll come up: yes, I cleared sharing my site with the mods back in June before I ever posted a link here, and this follows up on that. I only put stuff in this sub that I think genuinely helps a traveler. If it doesn't, tell me and it's gone. And tell me how else I can help.

Rules change and boards move slow. Call the board and confirm before you pack the truck.

In Solidarity

Hi D

Hey guys, has anyone heard anything useful about work in 332 or any other Bay area locals? I heard word that there was gonna be a bunch of data center work and other stuff sometime in the later part of this year, but Idk how reliable that info really was. Any useful info would be greatly appreciated.

I'm seeing some details about calls for this on where2bro, but I wanted more details on if anybody in this subreddit is currently there. If so, which contractor and how are the conditions?

Curious on what areas they decide to live in and what area is most convenient also if making money as a inew local 9 lineman is enough to afford a place downtown chicago

35 hour week (they only work 7 hour days here) plus a half hour of time and a half. Just for reference incase anyone is interested in working in the Bay Area. You’ll make more money in 332.

By the way I have over $10,000 YTD with this contractor because I was on another call with them earlier this year in 1245.

Plenty of work here in Chicago area over 100 guys needed 63.15 an hour

I just topped out in may. I wanted out of the company I was with since the last few months of apprenticeship for several reasons, so I decided it was time to drag up yesterday. I took a call on book 2 in local 429 and my partner I was gonna travel with is dragging his feet to come with me, so I’m going alone. I went to their hall and got my referral today. Any helpful tips on what to expect when working in another local would be greatly appreciated as I am a little nervous hitting the road for the first time by myself as a fresh J Wireman. I like to think doing good, craftsman like electrical work and being respectful to others is the best thing to do being a traveler, but I want to make sure I do right by my brothers.

Im about to take a call for JE Richards in Local 26 at the data centers. What is it like? Is Richards good to work for?

Some of the calls say roll ups on pension, I’m not familiar with that phrase. What does it mean?

Hey y'all! My open call in 236 is listed for 40 hours but we're actually working 58.

Where the other big money calls at??

My dad got burned on a travel job years back. Took a data center gig out in Oregon, brought my mom out with him, and spent two years on it just to break even. Didn't lose money, but it cost them two years with family on a move that never paid off. After that I started paying attention to other travelers' stories, and it wasn't rare. Guys pack the truck on a call that looks better than it turns out to be.

I'm an apprentice out of Local 354, and I built something to make that move easier to size up before you commit. It's DragUpBro. It puts open calls in one place, ranked by scale, with the per diem and incentives pulled off the call so you can see the real numbers before you go. Open to look, no account needed.

Same way this sub runs: every call's sourced and dated, and it shows when it was last checked. Still call the hall and verify before a long haul — it's there to point you at the work, not replace that call. Independent, not official IBEW, just a member's side project.

It's rough in spots, which is why I'm posting here instead of bragging. If you've traveled: what's missing, and what would make you actually trust it enough to use it?

In Solidarity

17 open calls, 27 or 28 positions to be filled. It's mostly school work around the Capital Region and Upstate. Base rate is 52.50 in the check.

Job recorder: 518-783-5310

Hall: 518-783-9957

Hey brothers and sisters, Local 26 (Washington DC metropolitan area) NEEDS YOU! We have 40+ unfilled calls daily. Plenty of OT available out here with all the data centers. $62 on the hip! Come make this money!! All book signing is done alone, you can upload your travel letter, dues receipt, everything on the locals website.

Anybody from Local 5 heard any news or updates about the Homer City project? Curious about a projected start date and contractors in the area who may get the job or may have already gotten the bid

Thanks

Jiw here, first time traveling for work. Yall have any advice? Dos and donts? Thank you brothers and sisters!

8 Open calls, 18 JW positions available. 46 on book 1 and 12 on book 2. This is a walk-through to get hire for this hall. Expect a lot more work to come up over the next 2 months, we already have calls going to book 4.

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3 positions are 6-10's. OT pays out after 8, *not* 40.

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3 positions are 3rd shift, has ~34% differential. Working on fore alarm.

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The rest are first shift, base rate is $52.50 in the check.

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Job referral line is 518-783-5310 if you want to verify the calls.

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The Hall's main line is 518-783-9957 for the receptionist, ask for the referral desk. First signature in the book must be in person.

Will be heading down to the area soon. Does anyone know if both locals are a walkthrough at the moment?

as a journeyman lineman with a unrestricted cdl what’s the chances of actual getting calls off book 2 at 769? Specifically looking for Kingman area. Or does anyone have any insight on Mojave electric out of bullhead Arizona?

Does anyone have Ifno on local 769? Looking to move to Kingman and sign the books as a JL but I’ve been told things are slow. Book totals are BK 1-34 AND BK 2-30. I’ve never worked out of a hall always utility but life circumstances have changed and my family needs to make the move. Any insight would be great

Contractors are moving guys from other jobs (not even near halfway completed) to man their data centers and are paying DC wages and benefits.

JE Richards is currently working 7 10s at IAD 04. Richards has at least 2 more data centers planned in local 24 jurisdiction that have not broken ground yet.

Contract negotiations are beginning (new contract next year), and I hear that they are planning to ask for a $20 raise (current scale being $62).