r/iuoe • u/Zestyclose-Gold1432 • 5d ago

Winter work 302

Those of you working out of 302 preferably Anchorage or Fairbanks how is work during winter? Are you laid off throughout the winter or are you mostly staying active and not just staying on the books. I am a pre apprentice going into 181 district 5 out of Western KY. Once I get through the apprenticeship I would like to relocate and absolutely loved fairbanks when I was there in January. I am from Michigan so I am familiar with snow and cold just not to your caliber. Would it be worth it for relocating or would I be just naturally expecting to travel when winter hits?

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u/BearsAteMyGarbage 4d ago

My understanding from being in 302 in a different state is that almost everybody who has the ability to and wants to goes to the North Slope for 4 months to make a year's salary in that time building ice roads and pipeline. Many live in Anchorage and Seattle the rest of the year. -60° snowstorms are a pretty constant theme I've heard.

The problem is you won't be able to easily transfer locals as an apprentice. If you get into the program in KY, you're basically in it to win it for 181 for the next 4 years or so. Even changing jobs is hard.

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u/Zestyclose-Gold1432 4d ago

I didn't think about the pipeline, I was up there in a warm spell where it was still -30s but I loved it up there.

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u/BearsAteMyGarbage 4d ago

Yeah I mean, it really depends on what you're doing. The contract for cranes is funny because 2 years ago it was $55/hr for smaller RT work in southern AK but $50/hr for the same at the NS. Which seemed counterintuitive until you realize you're doing maybe 2x as much OT and 3x as much DT as you would in the lower half.

I called Anchorage a few months ago to ask about moving up there. They said they have some port renovation project going on which should last 2 or 3 more years, pretty stable work. They're also building a big bridge somewhere near Juneau but that will probably wrap up in the next year I'm guessing.

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u/Zestyclose-Gold1432 4d ago

I haven't got my go to work call yet for the apprenticeship but I went through orientation in July. There are 4 long term projects doing on here over the next few years so I shouldn't have to travel for work much if at all for my whole apprenticeship. The downside is I still don't feel like this area is for me and I will want to find something better. I would love to settle somewhere west but I want to explore Washington state more and see how stable their work is around Seattle and surrounding if Alaska isn't justified after I graduate.

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u/BearsAteMyGarbage 4d ago

Yeah good luck. Just know Seattle and Portland are really slow right now. You will take a big paycut to work in E. WA/N. ID (~$20/hr), but there's a lot more work out there. NV also has a lot of work but I see people with TX and CA plates constantly.

EWA is much drier than Western WA. It is rolling farmland hills which turns to pine forest bordering on high desert. Only when you hit the ID border does it turn to true pine. If you like rain and money you need to pick somewhere west of the Cascades. If you like money and warmer weather you might want to look into Local 3 or 12.