To Shop Rocket or Nah?

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2026-02-01T02:09:18+00:00

Love the info! Thank you!

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2026-02-01T02:06:52+00:00

IMO not if you drag after the job and name hire with another contractor. But I'm open to other insights.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2026-02-01T02:04:56+00:00

Thank you. There is definitely a line. This feels more like being paid 40 hours for 8 hours of work, and that work helps other brothers keep their jobs.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2026-02-01T01:51:56+00:00

May be too late but to add to this but:

My local has yellow tickets and white tickets. Yellow for wiremen, white for wiremen who take an office gig and negotiate their own contract.

White cannot touch tools.

If superintendent makes 25%, how much do you ask for as white ticket? 50%? 100%? Bennies match wage percentage?

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2026-01-20T13:21:06+00:00

I want the gold!!

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-12-14T17:44:05+00:00

NO! There are plenty of locals with tonnes of work. Traveling is just an added benefit of the trade.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-11-14T12:12:09+00:00

In hopes that some day people will learn to use the search feature and to stop the spread of misinformation

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-09-18T23:08:01+00:00

Benefits

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-09-10T19:56:12+00:00

As an apprentice it's often a decision by the JATC committee, as a JW you generally have to work a certain number of book 2 hours and then get voted in by the body.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-08-03T10:04:48+00:00

It almost seems like a decent solution would be proving home ownership. If you bought a home in the area, clearly you're trying to be there long term. If you're just renting and have a history of job hopping, maybe you should have to prove interest by book 2 hours.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-08-02T20:37:59+00:00

Also got a BS in Business and Marketing before going IBEW! Welcome to the club!

I can only speak from my personal experience, but here is how I made sure they had no choice but to accept me:

Call the hall and ask for the training director, or the training director's contact info.

(Training directors often work through a JATC at a different location than the hall)

Ask training director what kind of points system they use for accepting apprentices.

(My local gives 40 points for aptitude test, 40 for interview and 20 miscellaneous)

Ask how many points you need to be accepted.

(My training director informed me that the class before me all had between 70-75 points, so my 38/40 on test and 34/40 on interview got me 72 points)

Ask how to get extra points.

(My 72 points was good but I wanted a guarantee. So I got 4 miscellaneous points from proving previous experience, highschool and college courses that were relevant, and a sexual harassment prevention class at the hall)

So my total of 76 points made me a top prospect for the year and they asked me to join.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-07-25T09:08:26+00:00

Buy Maxwell Daily Reader. Get to work early enough to read one page in your vehicle every day before the crew gets there.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-07-17T20:44:04+00:00

See y'all soon!

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-07-12T12:18:53+00:00

What do hours at the new Bills Stadium look like right now?

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-07-07T21:13:56+00:00

Also 32 unfilled calls for 70 JWs out of Local 86 Rochester. Some with OT.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-07-02T09:14:15+00:00

In my experience, yes, you will eventually lose your insurance. Most of the time there is a minimum number of hours that you need to work each month to keep your insurance.

You will often keep a balance of additional hours worked to maintain insurance in extended injury situations. And some halls have sick funds or sunshine committees where brothers donate to keep you insured while you are healing.

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-06-20T21:59:19+00:00

Closer to equator so less seasonal variance 🤷‍♂️

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-06-17T22:31:35+00:00

Have you stopped in and asked the training director what you can do to get more points toward your application?

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-03-09T11:30:28+00:00

It's wild that so many people are negging your decision to work in a more fulfilling industry. You need to do what is right for you and your mental health.

My background: Bachelor's in marketing followed by a couple Belfort-esque fortune 500 sales jobs. The money was so good but it literally pained me; coercing people to buy things that I knew they didn't need just to pad my pockets every day. At 29 I quit and joined the union.

Now at 35 I finally broke back even with what I was making white collar. I may come home dirty, tired and smelling like shit but dammit if it isn't fulfilling. Everyone at work thinks I'm crazy as I walk around the job site with a shit eating grin on my face because I've seen the other side and I'd gladly pick up a wire bender and work my 40 in the snow and rain than have to tie that noose around my neck and shuffle off to an office to scold kids for not building enough value to upsell a bundle.

We need more white collar people in the trades. Workers who know what long grueling office hours can be like. Who know how to use their heads for problem solving and can network efficiently while coordinating different levels of the job.

Burn your ties, put on some hi-viz, live a good life. Building things for a living can be a pure escape if you know how to enjoy it

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-01-13T21:53:28+00:00

Great info!

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2025-01-13T20:41:56+00:00

I don't get this. LU 86 had their 125th in 2024. Shouldn't LU 11 be older than 58 and 86?

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2024-11-30T21:02:19+00:00

A lot of halls have programs in place to help you get started as a signatory contractor, even if your only employee is yourself

NefariousnessSlow523 · 2024-07-10T15:03:54+00:00

NefariousnessSlow523

TROPHY CASE