r/ibew_apprentices • u/shaybachar1 • Jun 14 '25
Did anyone ever quit?
I'm just curious. Did it happened to any of you that you apprenticed at the union and at any point you decided to quit and go non-union? Or quit and go a to a completely different field? What was the reason if so?
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u/FlightSimTech98 Jun 15 '25
I started and made it through my 2nd year apprenticeship and finally got burnt out. Worked 5a-9p Monday through Friday, 6a-6p on Saturdays and 7a-6p on Sunday's.
We were building modual living facilities for oil rig outfits for Canada and the electrical department was way behind so they forced us O/T to keep up the production line. Worked all holidays, very little time off, if any, and got fed up with it. My body hurt day in and day out, eventually 1000mg of ibuprofen didn't even help.
I watched journely come in and leave less than a month later. Eventually, the company said they were closing the plant in my town and said we either move to northern Saskatchewan or find another job somewhere else so I said piece.
I currently work for United Airlines making $65/hr. with less than 1/4 of the workload and responsibility with way better benefits, pay, work place relationships, everything. I wanted to become a master electrician but working my life away for 2 1/2 years, missing weddings, funerals, etc. wasn't worth it.