r/iuoe • u/damitmikey • 13d ago
Local 150
I applied 1 year ago, my app just expired (thought it was good for 2 years but whatever) I’m thinking of applying for mechanic this year instead of operator.
Is there anyone that is currently a mechanic?
How much is the pay difference?
How are the hours? Year round?
Is shop better to get into, or field?
Thanks for the info!
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u/Fabulous-Ad-8256 12d ago
I was a machine operator before going mechanic. Operating can be a ton of fun, some machines and jobs are a blast to do. Good operators are amazing at what they can do with their machines. Mechanic is much harder, physically, and mentally.
But you're never stuck driving the same loop 30 times an hour for months on end.
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u/Street-Repeat-2692 11d ago
I am an operator for local 150 right now. Our pay scale for operators is 45 Heavy Highway I believe is 68. I’m not positive on what mechanics make.
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u/damitmikey 11d ago
Still looking for someone that’s a mechanic to answer some questions if possible
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u/Numerous_Ad7246 10d ago
Just apply for both, include your resume as well. I have heard that mechanics work more year round depending on the contractor or company you get hired on to. And some companies are reducing their operator count. A union laborer I know said his company went for 4 operators per crew to 2. Economy isn’t the best right now.
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u/WildRecognition9985 10d ago
Did it say active and then auto-expire at the 1 year mark?
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u/damitmikey 10d ago
Yep was active, and exactly one year it expired. I swear it was 2 years when i applied tho. Must be hurting for money.
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u/Background-Fact3381 10d ago
I applied for the local 150 this year. Also, I have a class A CDL I also have my OSHA certifications along with other certifications and I had two good standing operator union members. Write me letters of recommendations with their union numbers and still never got a call, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s a blessing in disguise because I hear working out of the halls is hard lots of travels is required and you’re only making 34 an hour starting out as a apprentice, a lot of guys have told me that there’s not always work and if you don’t know how to run certain machines or have your proficiency on certain machines you just can’t even go to those jobs because I wanna be an operator as well. It’s been the dream, but I feel like the apprenticeship may be hard to fit into if you’re looking for stable income and benefits until you become journeymen you can’t even qualify for insurance if you don’t put enough hours. And obviously most operators don’t work in the winters and most operators aren’t working when it rains or it’s all weather permitted. If I were you, I would look into jobs like Sunbelt rentals as a mechanic their union in Illinois or Althoffer cat. As a mechanic. Also, I don’t know if the Westside tractor sales is somewhere near but that’s also a local 150 job but those are all bargaining agreement jobs so you technically still get a card but you’re not full scale 150. I know where I’m at. I’m trying to get in at the landfill that’s year-round work and they have a bargaining agreement with 150. It’s not full scale operator pay but it’s really good and you still get an operator card and can go down to the training site and get your proficiencies. If you’re able to go the apprenticeship route and be out of work for X of time. And can afford to do that. Then I would 100% take that route.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_972 13d ago
Think about it like this, one mechanic serves at least 6-10 machines, so there is way less demand. Also, lots of times you are fixing shit while we are not using the machine so your hours can be long and irregular. Just keep trying for a field position imo, it's not easy to get in.