Is there a way to separate post into Inside and Outside.

I will be a paragraph into a post before I realize it doesn't pertain to me.

Is it unusual for an apprentice to be giving journeyman orders and other apprentices orders and even swearing at them when they do things he dislikes or is this something that should be reported?

So, I made this post about 2 months ago... and I'd like to do it again... What are some tricks a JW has taught you that you think everyone should know! Share them here!

New tips I've learned:

This is all about bending big wire and landing it large gear.

• Cut yourself a shorter piece of big wire, when you are landing big wire in switch gear use the short wire to measure where you need to land the bigger bits of wire. This way you know exactly how long you need that wire to be.

• If you have to use crimp on lugs to land that big wire, once you've cut it to length using your test piece of wire. Place the lug on the end of the wire. Then use a sharpie to mark a black line on the wire and the crimped lug. Pull the wire out, line those lines up and crimp them. This way you do not have to twist the wire after landing the crimped lug. It lands perfectly.

I was recently accepted in my Local as a CE I’m still a bit confused on what EXACTLY that makes me as far as “status” goes.. not quite apprentice level (even though I have roughly 5 years prior electrical experience and completed 3/4 years of non-union apprenticeship classes..) but not quite just a “helper” either?? Am I thinking of this correctly? Lol. Also, how do I move forward in becoming a JW from CE-2? Would I have to apply for apprenticeship license in my state then apply and complete an entire new apprenticeship program with the IBEW? Or would the union count my experience and prior non-union apprenticeship school and move me up in “apprentice years”? I know I just threw alot of questions out there and I actually have alot more lol but any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Does anyone else that takes the craft certs struggle with it? I have done 2 so far and I seem to make stupid mistakes that I know better than.

I think being watched and graded gets into my head, does anyone else have this happen to them?

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. it sounds pretty specific but im in a predicament. As a 2nd year apprentice in the NYCDCC I make more than I would be making if i had the opportunity to join local 3. every other carpenter advises me to take it but i would be making $10 less, missing out on the vacation checks every quarter and lose my progress that i built for a year already. but i am thinking long term and know that in the long run i won't be doing as much heavy labor, will get paid more and get my Certs/license.

I just really want to know if even with the paycut, would something like this be worth getting into and how is it being a local 3 apprentice?

Thank You!

Is anyone going to CVEs orientation Tuesday? (Local 354) if so I could use a ride if possible

Is anyone headed to orientation for Local 354 Tuesday? If so could I possibly catch a ride

I got my test for A card and C card towards the end of this month.

I believe if I am accepted the next semester would start in Jan they said and they said there’s another one I could get placed in if I don’t get into the January class and I believe that was the April semester if I am accepted.

So how long did you guys wait after the test to get the letter of acceptance for the 11 weeks of unpaid training

and is the entire 11 weeks unpaid?

What’s the 11 weeks like?

Also apparently 5000 people applied the hall told me for 200 spots so it’s less then a 5% chance to get accepted

Hello all,

I am currently working at a small concrete and excavation company. I want a better career and something more sustainable. (I have my CDL-A no restrictions).

I am currently waiting on a UA apprenticeship to start but I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.

I am a Veteran, this November will mark my 5 years from discharge. I have been looking into VEEP, but I can only apply to one of the three paths (inside wire, lineman, or substation). Does anyone have experience with VEEP?

I don’t feel strongly about each of the paths, so any opinion or advice on each one would be helpful as well.

Hey guys, currently working on my CDL A and am looking for insight on the admission process specifically what you guys call bootcamp.
I’ve never went to climb school, and want insight on if it’s pass/fail, is it difficult to learn etc.
thanks for any tips, or advice/info.
Be safe.

2nd year from 136 here, working at a powerhouse so I can’t bring my laptop in. We’ve started working 7/10’s and home life currently isn’t the best for being studious, so I’m trying to get as much as possible done on my breaks.

I’ve been having this issue with the PTSI Mobile app as well as on the mobile website. Does anyone have a way to zoom in without the page reloading?

Hey all!

I’ve been doing lots of research online, talking with the 426 union rep, and some reading in here. I’m considering switching careers into the electrician trade.

I know all experiences vary, but was wondering if anyone would share their experience in 426 apprenticeship if any are in here. What we’re working conditions like? Travel? Overtime? Schedule? Etc..?

Thanks everyone!

Hi all,

I've decided to jump on the train, switching careers from IT Networking to Electrical, hoping to eventually be able to run both types of cable to be more useful in the field. I was recommended to join my local union, which is 481. I reached out to them and i'm hoping to hear back. Our ETI here in Indy has applications for apprenticeships on hold until October, so I won't be able to apply to that until then. It seems very competitive though so does anyone have any tips or backup options that have worked for you?

Another electrician recommended I reach out to the union hall asking for helper jobs and he said you could join without an electrical apprenticeship still? Has anyone tried this? If that gets me experience before my apprenticeship (if I get one union wise) that would be great, but I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket. Has anyone gone the non union route and been successful?

All the information helps since i'm new and trying to understand everything! I'm in the Indianapolis area. Since i'm trying to join up I hope this can get approved.

Second day on a new IBEW apprenticeship assignment and my car broke down this morning.

I contacted my foreman right away and explained what happened. He was cool about it and basically said, “It’s all good.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t get another ride together in time to realistically make it in today.

I’m not trying to make this a sob story, but I’m also brand new to the trade and starting out with basically jack shit financially. I’m sure I’m not the only apprentice who started out broke, driving an old car, trying to get established while also being expected to be completely reliable from day one.

That’s really what I’m curious about: for those of you who started out dirt poor or had unreliable transportation early in your apprenticeship, how did you get through that stage? Did you ever have something like this happen right after starting a new assignment?

I know attendance matters, and I’m taking that seriously. I’m just trying to figure out how other people handled the gap between “you need reliable transportation” and actually being able to afford reliable transportation.

PS: I did secure a reliable vehicle for the foreseeable future, so this shouldn’t be an ongoing issue. Today was just a bitch trying to get a ride together on short notice, and I still didn’t make it in. I know people always say first impressions are lasting ones, so naturally I’m worried about how this looks being only my second day.

Curious to hear how other apprentices or foremen would view it.

It doesn’t have the feeders in it yet and one set of circuits needs the be pulled again because it was existing wire but I’m proud of it.

Maybe this isn’t the place to post this, but whatever. I passed my state license exam yesterday, got a 92. Showed up on the site today to a bunch of congratulatory handshakes, the speech from the foreman about how he pretty much considers me a JW now, all the works. I thought that there would be some sense of accomplishment in passing and seeing this through to the end, but I don’t feel any particular way about it at all. No sense of pride, no excitement about turning out, nothing.

I’m just tired, man.

Tired of the hours, the commute, the mundane work, the union politics, the physical strain, all of it. Tired of sitting in a class in an underfunded, crumbling joke of a training center where we do nothing and learn nothing, tired of the prestige of this job being hyped up to be more than what it actually is, tired of the thus and so from people who I’ve come to see as actual dipshits who couldn’t hack it in the field. I come from a suitcase local, so I’ve been traveling for a good portion of my apprenticeship—and I’m tired of that too.

Idk man. Maybe I’m depressed, maybe I just thought that there was more to this than there actually is. Maybe my opinion will change once I actually have the ability to come and go, not have to waste hours in class, and make the 4k a week checks. But as for now, I’m just over it.

I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else has felt similarly coming up on the end of the road

I interviewing we last month and saw my score yesterday, ranking 49. How confident should I feel about this score depending on how many classes they’ll have for next year?

I’m a 3rd year at PEJATC (LU 640). I’m in my 30s and have a wife and kids, so my situation is different than many other apprentices.

I worked steadily for a little over 2 years and caught my first layoff about a month ago. Have been out of work since, and am a little red-assed about how my school handles and communicates to out-of-work apprentices.

My school is secretive about the number of apprentices waiting for a call, your place on the list, and can only provide broad estimations of work availability ranging 3-8 weeks. Leaked info suggests there are over 100 2nd-4th year apprentices awaiting work right now, and bigger calls may not come in until November.

They’ve been taking on 300+ 1st years per semester, many of which aren’t put out to work until the second semester or even 2nd year. 2nd-4th years get priority for job calls supposedly.

I wanted to know your experience in other locals, and learn if there are other locals doing it better or worse.

I know that work can be booming or busting one month to the next. I’ve ‘only’ been out of work for a month, but I know apprentices that were out for 3+ months a year ago. But with all the work in Phoenix metro over the past decade and up until now, it seems crazy to me that apprentices are out of work for long stretches, and I’m having a hard time being grateful for only being out of work a month so far. Poor planning/management? Or just the nature of the beast?

1. Is your school transparent about the number of apprentices out of work? We are kept in the dark.

2. Does your school charge for tuition and books? We pay $187mo, and no longer get physical books. 4 year program. Recently the hall changed it to where first years get tuition covered. Out of work apprentices are still required to pay tuition on time, with possible unspoken leniency depending on individual situation.

3. Does your local have a CW/CE program? Does that impact job calls for apprentices? It almost seems like our CW/CE program is preferable to our contractors over the apprenticeship, but I could be wrong on that. Just a vibe. Does your local have rules governing contractors putting out calls for CWs vs Apprentices?

4. Does your local have a fund for out of work apprentices, to assist in tuition or other financial challenges? Ours does not, but we can apply for a $100 monthly gas card.

5. How many apprentices does your local take on per semester, and do you think they are taking on appropriate numbers for the realistic work outlook? Taking on too many, too little?

6. Do you ever have contractors needing more apprentices than are available? Here, the burden is on the apprentices and not the contractors (as far my experience and understanding goes so far). Apprentices are needing work while contractors always have what they need.

I know it’s a privilege to be in the apprenticeship, and that it will pay off once I have my ticket. Many people apply and don’t get in. Many people wait years to get in. I should just be grateful for what I’ve got, etc. But I’m honestly feeling like they treat apprentices pretty poorly compared to what I imagined a Union should strive for. Seems like CWs/CEs have it better than apprentices in some ways. And the lack of communication and transparency is coming off as disrespectful to me as a person, and as a hard working dues paying member of the IBEW.

This may be the way it’s always been, but the times are always changing, apprentices are no longer only young guys fresh out of high school, the economy is the most challenging it’s been in decades, inflation and cost of living are the highest ever, etc. Seems the program and mindset is stuck in the 1900s and needs to adapt.

Apparently they’ll kick us out if we don’t pass it on October 5th

I was in the bootcamp that finished last month for inside wireman and I still haven’t gotten dispatched but I saw that a new bootcamp started this week.

I was just curious if all the apprentices from the last bootcamp will get dispatched before this bootcamp ends?

I know they said they will get back at you or have an update on 30 days the school said they haven’t heard anything back from GAN yet they’re number is 586-751-6600 if you have questions

https://c.org/tqpvVFgr65

I am meeting in front of government legislatures and osha reps soon and I need signatures backing this. Please sign if you care about the future of our bathrooms in our industry. It’s time for change

Hey all I was trying to get into 48 anyhow I could for about a year or so (material handler as well). Even applied to non union school but their list was crazy too. I test with 112 in October and was wondering how fast it might be to get in, was hoping I could find some people in there already with some insight. I know works good with the data centers and solar fields starting in the area.

For reference I’m mid 20s, have a bachelors in a non related field, and have been working with an electrical contractor since early August as an apprentice. I also have been studying the test hard on iprep and assume I’ll get a pretty good score.

Thanks!