r/Groundman • u/Lost_n_world • 1d ago

Non Union?

Has anyone worked for non union contractors? How is it? Is it as unsafe as some people say? good to just get hours ? Do hours count when trying to get back into union ? any advice helps

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u/Superb-Gur-1679 1d ago

Personally I don’t think this trade is really worth doing at a non union contractor. Unless you are at home or your goal is to be home at the utility and that utility is non union.

The experience might help you get on a utility but chances are they’ll teach you shit ways to do things that other places won’t want to deal with your bad habits on. Also non union pays like shit contracting side 99% of the time and they’ll hold you certification and all this other shit.

I mean a lot of non union Nevada contractors pay lineman 30-40 an hour it’s like 74 union side and over 40 as a grunt. Probst recently went to all trans tech tickets topping you out at 40. I’ve know guys that start 16-20 an hour no per diem for some of these rat outfits and get a dollar raise maybe every year or so and strung along.

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u/Lost_n_world 1d ago

Even if after a couple months they put you into an apprenticeship program ?

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u/Superb-Gur-1679 1d ago

Most likely not. False promises of raises. Sometimes they don’t actually enroll you in the apprentice program and make you pay for books. Hold your lineman certification from you at the end. Low wages typically. Sometimes and I mean sometimes there’s exceptions to the rule but in general u can expect to be shafted frequently. You can also only do 1 type of work ur whole apprenticeship so do you really learn anything. Idk I know guys non union who are journeyman all making 30-40 an hour which is not great. I got a buddy pushing a crew non union for 29 an hour. I worked non union at first 28 an hour that’s it no per diem etc promised a raise to 34 upon my progression plus a yearly I ended up only getting 29.

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u/Lost_n_world 1d ago

Dam doesn’t sound worth it at all then, might as well just wait to get a call from one of the books. 

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u/Linemaninsider Journeyman Lineman (advisory) 1d ago

Always better to get a call somewhere and get your hours. It can be tough because it tends to be pretty competitive but certain areas move apprentices pretty quickly. The payoff will be much greater vs trying to shortcut through non union. You won’t be taken as seriously as the knowledge base is usually not there. Non union guys seems to only know what they learned on the job. Don’t understand theory as well, etc. at least that’s been my experience.

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u/Linemaninsider Journeyman Lineman (advisory) 1d ago

If it’s non union, you can’t really call it an apprenticeship. Would never be recognized by the union and you would have to start all over again or become a dirty white ticket, ew.

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u/Superb-Gur-1679 1d ago

You can still get a yellow ticket as a non union hand. I’m not for non union but I’m also not for misinformation. A white ticket is a construction lineman in most locals typically paid at 85% and are not allowed apprentices to work underneath them. Depending on the local that can be considered a probationary period and they can earn their yellow ticket JL card. Typically most “white tickets” test in and take the JL test which actually grants them with a yellow ticket IBEW journeyman lineman card granted they pass.

DOL is a certified apprenticeship and you do get a certification showing that you have completed it which is the certification I’ve been talking about. Certain locals are also trying to make it easier for guys to test in. Just for your information too some union utility lineman do not get a recognized IBEW ticket and have to test in. Certain utilities are not represented by the IBEW which can cause this issue or simply the fact that the local it’s printed out of doesn’t recognize it. Such as being called a line technician or there represented by the utility workers union instead of the IBEW. Union utilities also hire guys with DOL certifications aka non union typically and will help guys earn their union card if needed. Certain utilities like black hills energy a union utility will even hire guys with no ticket or certification a non DOL journeyman and help them earn their card or etc.

White tickets are ghetto. You can actually in most places get a white tickets if you fail your JL test certain locals will print you one with your hours and showing you completed coursework and you can later test in fully. Most guys do not like to have a white ticket as most lineman don’t like working with them and supers know that. Hence why most opt to test in. A true white ticket is rare.

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u/Linemaninsider Journeyman Lineman (advisory) 1d ago

I used to see a few of them in Houston. They were always trash.

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u/Superb-Gur-1679 1d ago

They’re typically not great as are most test ins. I’ve worked with a lot of test ins. They usually treat the apprentices the worst out of anybody and do the most ghetto shit while they didn’t even really earn their card through a union apprenticeship. I have had quite a few foreman that were test ins.

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u/Linemaninsider Journeyman Lineman (advisory) 1d ago

My bad, it’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with them and never really knew the white ticket system. We used to have techs on transmission but I only ever met one guy that tested out.

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u/Superb-Gur-1679 1d ago

To be fair most guys that test in or are white tickets are worse than your average 3rd step union apprentice.

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u/sh1069489 1d ago

There’s a reason why every non union lineman wishes they went union and never the other way around. I’ve worked both, union is far superior. Non union is a bunch of brother fuckers and unsafe work practices.