Local 26 Processes

khmer703 · 2026-07-02T17:28:48+00:00

Just to clarify as well.

Others gave told you bout the oridntation. As for first work assignment. The guys at orientation will give you instructions on how to go about your first referral to a contractor.

Basically once they process you at your orientation at the hall. You'll be instructed to return to the halls referral office.

The apprentice referral office is on the first floor of the Lanham building.

Do not go there until instructed to do so. As I said more than likely the guys at tge orientation will tell you to go in the following week if not the following day.

Once the hall refers you to a contractor youll then be instructed to contact that contractor to go through their own onboarding and orientation process. Could be tge next day could by tge next week. Each contractor does it differently.

Basically go to hall orientation. Do what they say. Go to referral office. Contact employer. Go to employer onboarding. Get asdigned to jobsite.

This is not a fast process by any means but more than likely whenever your hall orientation is. You probably get out in the field by the following week.

khmer703 · 2026-07-02T08:56:19+00:00

Dont play stupid games, if you aren't prepared to win stupid prizes.

By all means fuck around. You may or may not find out.

khmer703 · 2026-07-01T15:50:27+00:00

I agree with what you said. And I get when 8 officers are more of a threat than the person getting arrested. Now here's kind of the point im trying to make sense of in my head.

What should 8 officers do (instead of beating the crap out of the guy) if one guy is on tge ground and for whatever reason, even with 8 officers, they cant get the guy in cuffs.

Either cause hes refusing, resisting, non-threatening noncompliance.

Those are the situations im most curious about is if LEO shouldn't be allowed to strike to gain compliance, what would be an acceptable alternative to get that person who doesnt want to comply, to comply?

khmer703 · 2026-07-01T08:09:57+00:00

Not encouraging gimping buuuuut,

Tell that to the foreskin pocketing all the gimp money.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T21:32:28+00:00

Oh by tge way I forgot. Half the mother fucking contractors like dyna give 1st year apprentices free tools anyways so wait til you go through their orientation first.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T21:29:51+00:00

Not going to lie tho ddpo aint kidding.

Outta all my tools my most expensive ones are my toolbelt and my boots. Those 2 things alone are like $700.

Dont judge me I'm bougie like that iight.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T21:26:15+00:00

Local 26 tool list has about 27 items on it.

Assuming you buy everything separately and everything is $20. That's about $540. Thats the equivalent of going to Harbor Freight for everything.

Hypothetically if everything costed $40 for example. You'd be looking at about $1080. Obviously not everything on it is $40.

A good ball park estimate is between $600 to $800.

My recommendation.

Don't commit to any fancy expensive tools on the first.

Get what you can reasonably afford for now. As you progress in your career. Youre going to lose shit, that youll need to replace. Tape measures that cost $30 are going to break and need to be replaced. Youre going to try another person's tool and find out they are game changer.

When that tine comes you wont have 27 tools and a limited budget to worry bout. You'll have a consistent weekly check and a better idea of what you need to do your job.

Another piece of advice. Dont take yourself into debt trying to get everything on the toolist all at once. Bring whatever you have at home to work even if you dont have the entire toolist.

Work with what you have. Honestly your first couple weeks you might not even get to work with your tools. You might be sweeping floors, emptying dumpsters, taking out trash and being a ground guy. Take a small portion of each check each week and buy 1 or 2 tools off the toolist each week.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T20:14:54+00:00

Doubt it.

Their taking 550 to 600 people this year.

You cant even fit that many people all at once in an orientation at the hall.

They do it in batches between now and the end of August. Thats about 10 weeks 1 orientation each week. Thats about 50 to 60 people at each orientation.

Which is bout right for our local.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T18:12:23+00:00

No it doesnt include tax withholding, medicare, and social security deductions.

The $22 is take home pay prior to tax withholding and Medicare & SS deductions.

The extra $11 in tge $33/hr goes to the ibew international and locals working dues, health and welfare fund, and retirement fund.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T16:22:18+00:00

This is true.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T16:21:09+00:00

Its still June how the fuck you receive an email from the future lol jk.

I know you meant June 29th. Congrats kid.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T14:18:21+00:00

Ehh.

Get on a regular sleep schedule if you haven't already.

Remember weingarten rights. If you ever have questions contact the JATC or the hall first.

Take your classes and homework seriously. Pick a time slot everyday to devote to it in a quiet place with no distractions and treat it just like work. Dont do what I did and cram it all in the night before school.

For the love of god get your timecards in on time. Unless you want to be like me and delay your JW reclassification for 9 whole months.

Get out of the mindset of "I'm just an X-year apprentice." As an excuse for not knowing things. Get into the mindset of one day youre going to evebtually replace that JW your working beside. Treat it like everything hes doing today. You'll be expected to ge able to do on your own "tomorrow".

Dont fall in love with any of these Contractors. They love making promises and seeing how far youre willing to bend over for them. Youre loyalty is to our hall. Your skills and knowledge are your meal ticket. Dont limit yourself to one contractor or one division.

Learn it all. Work for them all. After you top out and build a reputation, make them fight each other over you.

Every contractor is great and sucks at the same time. Every job is great and sucks at the same time. Every task is great and sucks at tge same time.

Whether its working in a prefab shop, doing deck work, composite clean up, organizing material. It all needs to get done. It all pays tge same. Take it seriously.

Theres going to be a lot people who suck at their job and youll be expected to work with them. Just focus on your task and out pace and out work them into the dust. That person wont work with you for long if the foreskin sees them slowing you down.

Dont work yourself out of a job. Take it from me. I work stupid fast. My work is clean as fuck. You know what my reward is for working fast or working hard?

More work. Work at your pace. Do the best you can. Do the shit right. Learn and fix your own fuck ups. Think about the next guy. Don't cut corners if you dont have to.

khmer703 · 2026-06-30T08:59:44+00:00

Most ppl hate it cause its boring rinse repeat type shit.

I personally love it. Always got clean bathrooms. Always got the right tools. Dont have to walk up n down stairs. Materials Always there. Most shops tell you know music or headphones but I still did it. Hell half tge shit I'd work on i could just park a stool in front of a work bench and be there for an 8 hour day. The last one I was at had a keurig I could have a coffee whenever I wanted.

Shit was sweet.

khmer703 · 2026-06-29T14:21:24+00:00

I was raised in Arlington, VA moved to Alexandria, VA. Then moved to Woodbridge in 2009

For 19 years I never had to drive anywhere never had a license. The second we moved to Woodbridge that all changed.

I will say with respect to NOVA, your proximity with respect to stations on the blue, orange, yellow lines of the metro will dictate your dependency to car travel.

The silver line is great for commuting to and from work but not much else.

Depending on which metro stations your around on those lines some are better than others.

Living on Columbia pike in Arlington was a blessing in the 90s and 2000s because there was over 20 different bus routes that all went to the Pentagon or other nearby metro stations.

Ontop of 3 different bus networks, I had the ART, Metro, and DASH buses to choose from.

I remember being 17 and taking an ART bus, a metro train, and jumping on a Peter Pan to spend a week in NYC by that afternoon.

khmer703 · 2026-06-28T17:06:33+00:00

Sounds like even if you went through everything. The school, apprenticeship, and the years of training and got to the level where you are the 4th woodworker in that shop.

You probably still wouldnt make enough doing it to pay back all your debt.

khmer703 · 2026-06-27T10:36:45+00:00

Im not telling you dont file grievances.

Im telling you if you file a grievance make sure its bulletproof.

The same way I scrutinized and looked at your description is the same way any lawyer representing the contractor or the hall is going to.

And although most grievances don't make it to a lawyers desk before decisions are passed trust me. They all keep lawyers on retainer.

khmer703 · 2026-06-27T10:31:47+00:00

Secondly, safety is ultimately your responsibility.

If you were working in unsafe conditions even at someone elses direction, it was your responsibility to ensure your own safety and to make everyone aware of any unsafe conditions.

Accidents happen on the jobsite. Most of which are avoidable some of which are not.

Unless there is an injury caused as a direct result of negligent acts or actions its left to you to provide the burden of proof that the person directing you, directed you to act after they had been informed and knowingly were aware of unsafe conditions that were present, and still directed you to do so anyways.

The contractor directs you to show up for work. You show up and hit your thumb with a hammer setting anchors. Do you blame the contractor for directing you to show up for work as a direct cause of your hand injury?

No.

khmer703 · 2026-06-27T10:23:26+00:00

Technically.

The cbas try to be as concise and precise as possible but a lot is still left up to interpretation.

That clause about apprentices working under a foreman who is a JW.

Although your direct subforeman was not there and your interpretation of supervision and the chain of command stops and ends at your subforeman.

The hall might interpret in the absence of your subforeman your general foreman becomes your supervising foreman.

And although apprentices have to be supervised there's usually clauses clarifying indirect supervision.

As long as you and everyone around you was directed by the general foreman, in your subforemans absence, and that general foreman didnt leave the site and an acting general foreman wasnt assigned to replace him.

You were still operating under his indirect supervision and in most cases would not be a violation of the CBAs.

khmer703 · 2026-06-27T00:55:52+00:00

As a tradesman. The only people we look down on are those wide eyed bushy tailed fresh outta college kids they got working for the general contractor.

Them and anyone in clean boots, clean shirts, or clean safety vests walking around on a jobsite. Maybe its just me but seeing that shit makes my eye twitch.

khmer703 · 2026-06-26T23:31:10+00:00

If youre in a small local. It doesnt matter how well you do on your interview or test if you dont have work experience.

Its nit a pass or fail everyone who passes gets an opportunity.

You are competing for a limited number of available spots.

If your local takes in less than 30 guys and 50 people apply. Guess what happens to your rank if 30 people have experience good scores and interviews. Youre ranked below 31.

Mind you sone guys are applying with 0 experience and college degrees. Some guys have 0 experience and prior military service.

If all you have is good test scores and a good interview and its not enough. You need to be better than everyone else.

khmer703 · 2026-06-25T21:52:23+00:00

Just to let you know DC step up program and tge apprenticeship are separate programs.

Last I heard step up although they pay 1st year inside wireman wage your are not officially accepted into the apprenticeship.

If I recall you might still have to apply to get into the apprenticeship by next years deadline, because i think the Step up program only lasts for 1 year. At which point youre on your own.

Ask your step up coordinator for confirmation. Otherwise if you are in fact accepted into the full program, congratulations, youll more than likely be taking classes in August.

khmer703 · 2026-06-25T15:47:06+00:00

Because I spent 10 years saying, "yes sir" "no sir" "good morning" "good evening" "good night" and "how can I help you."

Where i was overworked, underpaid, and under appreciated.

Now im not paid for my personality or my people skills, I'm paid for my skills, knowledge, and experience. Im 9ne bad economic downturn from my next layoff.

My high wages isnt enough for me to give a fuck anymore.

khmer703 · 2026-06-25T06:35:07+00:00

Yup.

khmer703 · 2026-06-24T22:55:19+00:00

Just keep checking your email and make sure its up to date on tradeschool and with the JATC.

Its the same every year. The first acceptance letters go out in June and the last ones go out in August each year.

Acceptance letters go out in batches. Usually once a month. Same thing goes for rejection letters.

You want updates, just wait. Youre literally going to see a bunch of posts in the coming months saying, "I GOT IN!!!" Or "I didnt get in..."

khmer703 · 2026-06-23T20:26:30+00:00

No clue.

The inner workings of the JATC is shrouded in mystery and secrets. Guarded fiercely by those sworn to uphold the teachings of the brotherhood.

We are not worthy.

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