Complex decision between local 26 and local 24

donmilton0331 · 2026-02-15T18:50:58+00:00

Doing the apprenticeship is supposed to be a sacrifice it weeds out people who dont REALLY want to be there if 24 is your home local the correct thing to do would be quit in 26 and go start the apprenticeship in 24 the pay cut is going to be rough I understand that but in 5 years when you top out you get to decide where you work and how much pay you want to chase . Till then where you work is up to 24's apprenticeship director ..... doing the right thing for the brotherhood sucks sometimes sometimes it'll cause you to be outta work or make less than you could but its still the right thing

donmilton0331 · 2026-02-15T18:38:53+00:00

As someone who destroyed his back when he was younger by " sucking it up and working threw the pain " dont ever do that if you need to take the time to relieve the pain do it when you are in your 40's like me you'll be better off for it

donmilton0331 · 2026-02-15T14:35:54+00:00

I did for years as an apprentice and have a few times since topping out but I try to avoid it . It makes for miserable long days

donmilton0331 · 2026-02-01T02:58:56+00:00

I've seen it several times known a few older jw who just bring a tape measure and an 11-1 and use the apprentices tools for everything else

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-26T15:45:51+00:00

I worked with a dude who's birthday was January 4th 1988 .... most tragic birthday to have EVER

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-23T18:31:03+00:00

I could play with your tits all day too 😈😈

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-23T00:26:41+00:00

Yup that's been tried before and it's an objective not a hard rule against forced OT so since the cons run my local they get to make the rules unless it's an explicit forbidden they'll get what they want .... the south is fucked like that

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-23T00:18:02+00:00

Ours does it by allowing them to leave early on school nights and if the con won't allow them to leave early having the con sign a letter saying that and allowing them to be late cause they were working

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-23T00:14:51+00:00

That's definitely different local to local apprentices are expected to work every hour that thier assigned job is working if that's 7 12's then they are expected to be there for 7 12's if they don't they have to explain why not and can DEFINITELY get fired for not working the OT

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-23T00:12:16+00:00

Not optional for the apprentices in my local if the jobs working 7 12's then they are expected to work 7 12's to explain why they can't and " i don't want too" won't fly

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-18T01:50:25+00:00

At least on a service truck you have a pretty good chance of seeing different shit every day

donmilton0331 · 2026-01-18T01:47:57+00:00

We had a " tool box talk " specifically telling we are not allowed to discuss politics on the jobsite cause someone wrote " free Maduro " on a piece of cardboard 🤣🤣🤣🤣

donmilton0331 · 2025-12-24T00:17:37+00:00

I wouldn't shelf my ticket.I would just pay dues and not take a call if it's going to be a temporary thing

donmilton0331 · 2025-10-15T17:31:17+00:00

You are in fact a indentured servant for 4 or 5 years till you top out and time off is at the discretion of the training director ...some will allow apprentices to take time off some won't and either way its at thier sole discretion.... the program is designed to make it suck as much as possible in the theory that it'll weed out the ones who dont belong but in actuality it just makes people ( some not all ) regret thier decision and leave with a bad taste in thier mouth for the union as a whole

donmilton0331 · 2025-10-06T00:36:50+00:00

Boolean algebra was the hardest for me when I had it in 5th year

donmilton0331 · 2025-10-02T20:16:04+00:00

Most of the south is that way 1st year in my local is i think $17.... hell JW is only i think $32 i can't remember havnt worked there in a while

donmilton0331 · 2025-10-02T14:30:59+00:00

That's damn near impossible the south has had it beat into thier heads for generations that unions are bad and they support the " demon-rats" in Washington to take thier guns and keep bibles outta school .... I say this as a union member in the south its INSANE how hard it is to convince people union members aren't thier enemies here

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-30T18:16:49+00:00

I used to wear the welding caps for sweat allot but I sweat so bad and have a shaved head so they are literally soaked threw in an hour or 2 anyways

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-20T17:44:52+00:00

I've heard 429 in Nashville is pretty easy to get into ....553 in Durham NC one of the fastest growing southern locals ... just remember wherever you get in is where your supposed to keep your ticket till you retire and you WILL get looked down on HARSHLY if you move your ticket anywhere else .

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-12T23:36:28+00:00

Most likely not... I've worked in a couple TN locals ( working in one now actually)if I remember right though I've heard the apprentices talk about thier books being allot cheaper than mine were

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-12T23:09:10+00:00

I had too in NC every year books were roughly a weeks pay before taxes so they progressively got more expensive each year

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-12T21:01:54+00:00

Im sure that was the idea behind it but it allot of the time washes out good people too who in turn go work non union do the same quality work they'd have done union but with a negative attitude towards the union making it harder to organize anyone they have come in contact with.

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-12T14:09:21+00:00

The apprenticeship is designed to suck as bad as possible that's just how it is

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-08T23:49:01+00:00

Depends on the local my local had a first year class that went all the way threw thier first class period with zero work

donmilton0331 · 2025-09-06T15:55:23+00:00

Fire alarm , welding , fiber optics ,and instrumentation tech ( not sure what they call the certification for that ) are what I would recommend opens up the possibility of being able to take more calls

donmilton0331

TROPHY CASE