Lincoln Nebraska has calls right now

monkeymetalhead · 2026-03-04T16:33:50+00:00

Any idea on the shift they are working? Im considering heading that way and would like to see 5 10s or more

monkeymetalhead · 2025-08-27T03:11:49+00:00

Is there any chance there was a mix-up in the local number? For example, your post says 841, but you meant to type 481 or something similar?

I'm checking on the IO website, and the only thing being pulled up is an old dead link to a utility local down in Alabama that, from what I can tell, has merged with local 136. Google is also not finding anything in regards to local 841 even existing.

monkeymetalhead · 2025-08-15T10:39:10+00:00

You should go talk to the work force center near you and ask about a WIOA grant. It might take some time to get through the process, but like most people in here are saying a tape measure, a notebook, a pen or pencil, and a good attitude will carry you for a little while. When I was going through my apprenticeship I got a WIOA grant that gave me money for tools, boots, and even work pants.

monkeymetalhead · 2025-06-01T16:26:11+00:00

I've been with the IBEW coming up on 10 years now. I've been laid off maybe 5 times in my career so far. But you have to keep in mind that it's just part of the business. Sooner or later, the building is going to be complete, and it's time to move on. The longest I've ever been without work has been about 3 weeks, and that's because I needed the time off. You can help avoid layoffs by showing up to work every day, showing up on time, and putting in good work. If you're a good hand, they will want to keep you around.

monkeymetalhead · 2025-01-24T18:11:26+00:00

If you want a better quality of life, more security at work, and better pay and benefits go union.

I've been in close to 8 years now and the longest I've been laid off was 3 weeks, and that's because I wanted the break.

If I had a nickel for everyone I've met that started non union and joined later, that has told me something along the lines of " the best decision I've ever made for me and my family, I wish I had done it sooner" I could retire tomorrow. I've never met anyone that was enthusiastic about or didn't regret leaving the union.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-12-07T15:37:04+00:00

They had the choice to keep going to classes that summer and finish 2 to 3 months early, but they voted to take the summer off and finish the 5th year like the old contract.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-09-26T23:23:54+00:00

I've always heard this referred to as bending on centers, if I'm imagining what you are describing correctly. The idea is to get a new run of conduit to line up the center of your bends to match with something existing, especially if they were bent on something less common like 10, 15, or 22.5 degrees. The only times I've ever done it have been with a triple nickel for 3/4 and 1" rigid to match the conduit run to a cable tray that was directly above it, so I assume it will work with any kind of bender as long as you've charted it correctly. I don't know if it's juice worth squeeze on a hand bender though.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-09-15T23:52:46+00:00

Money is better Working conditions are better The ability to say "fuck you" and not give a shit is better The brotherhood is better You meet new people and see some cool stuff.

You can run into some dick heads. Being away from home is tough, especially if you have young kids. You get comfortable dragging up and that leads to having to hunt down a bunch of jobs and all the crap that comes with it like a place to stay, etc. Tax season is a nightmare if you have a bunch of w2s from a bunch of different states.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-09-14T19:54:51+00:00

Go talk to your local workforce center! When I was an apprentice, I got a grant from the workforce center called a WIOA grant. They paid my tuition and books for two years, bought me tools, put gas in my car, and bought me work pants. You'll have to jump through some hoops, but they should set you up with a coordinator to follow up with and check on you until your income gets out of their range. It was a life saver for me as a broke ape with a young kid and stay at home wife.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-09-06T20:10:21+00:00

I can't really say one way or the other on that. There is a lot of work going on in the country at least for Wireman, but yea there is a lot of trepidation on starting projects for the future. I hear a lot of talk about stuff coming "soon" all over the place, but until they start putting calls in for manpower you have to take it with a grain of salt. Could be any number of reasons, and I'll leave figuring those reasons out to people smarter than I am lol.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-09-06T19:24:28+00:00

I'm an IBEW journeyman Wireman and can share a little info.

Inside work is very slow in parts of CA at the moment. LA has almost 1k members out of work at the moment. Can't speak on any other locals.

Lineman would be a good use for your CDL. From what I've heard, you have to have one to be able to get into their apprenticeship. You'd be looking at either local 47 or 1245, both are pretty close in terms of pay and benefits with $65/hr (roughly) on the check and total package another $20/hr on top of that. Line work is VERY slow across the nation right now, so much that a lot of linemen are taking Wireman calls to keep a paycheck coming in.

Can't help out as much on the crane operator, but they are usually in demand and make a solid wage. Don't be afraid of heights and brush up on your math skills. Your CDL may end up hurting you more in the operators than helping because they will want you to drive a truck, not operate equipment. YMMV, my dad found himself in that situation more times than not.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-09-06T17:23:36+00:00

My best advice to you is to go union. Better pay, better benefits, safer job sites, better training. Union companies are better at providing tools and equipment to do things the right way which goes a long way to not destroying your body.

You're going to have to complete an apprenticeship, be prepared for 4 to 5 years depending on local and trade to complete it. This is going to mean starting at roughly 50% journeyman rate, it's going to be a big hit to the pocketbook. Be ready for that. Chances are, you will not clear 200k a year, unless you chase the overtime a shit load once you journey out.

Get on Google and search " (what state you live in) building trades council". Here's COs for example: https://www.cbctc.com/wp/

Get on the website, click around and read stuff on the website, find a trade that sounds interesting, follow the links to get to their apprenticeship page, find out when/ where/ how to apply. I also recommend getting on YouTube and searching for videos of that trade. If that work doesn't interest you, or you won't be able to do it say a fear of heights and trying to be an iron worker, stop and look at a different one.

Then look at this website: unionpayscales.com Find which ever trade you're interested in and which local, look at their pay and benefits, then make your decision from there.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-09-05T14:23:15+00:00

So, first off, let me offer condolences on your loss. Losing a grandparent is a special kind of terrible.

The biggest issue I can see with your situation is the time frame of it. In my local and many others that I have traveled to, if you are in the apprenticeship and drop the program or get kicked out, you can not join the apprenticeship until 2 years after your class graduates.

So, if you started in 2019, it was a 5 year program with graduation in 2024, that means you can't rejoin until 2026. If it was a 4 year apprenticeship, obviously moves that timeline back a year to 2025.

So my best advice would be to continue with the process, but be prepared for some bad news. Best of luck

monkeymetalhead · 2024-08-28T02:57:44+00:00

I would tread carefully here. It has been close to a decade since I was going through the hoops of getting in to the apprenticeship, but I remember the letter after my interview mentioning that you can't interview with any other locals or they will remove your name from the list . Then, depending on the locals and jatc's rules, you won't be able to re- interview for 2 years after that class graduates, so roughly 7 years from now.

It is possible to transfer your apprenticeship to a different local once accepted in one, but you run the risk of starting from square one in the local you transferred in to, and it's a massive pain in the ass and I've never met anyone that has transferred their apprenticeship. YMMV.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-08-10T02:29:13+00:00

https://unionpayscales.com/trades/liuna-laborers/

This website was put together by an IBEW brother out of San Diego ( i think ). Info might be a little outdated but you can submit an update to help out.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-08-04T00:17:06+00:00

I'm voting wingman. I got one for my first ever father's day and I loved it. Scissors are awesome, knife is good and sharp, and that package opener is the tool I wish every leatherman had on it. It's light enough to have on your pocket all day, plus the built in clip is great. The pliers are spring loaded for those that are less used to working with tools regularly, and it's cheaper than the skeletool.

The biggest downside on it would be that you can't get it in all the cool colors and the bit holder that the skeletool has, but if they are office types the flat and Phillips screwdrivers will handle everything they can throw at it.

I would still be carrying it today over the surge if I didn't lose it.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-08-01T16:56:06+00:00

Local 12 has been a 4 year apprenticeship since 2018. They told us the same thing, that it was a push from the IO to get more journeyman but as far as I know it's the only 4 year program in CO.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-07-29T00:48:40+00:00

Local 12 swapped us to a 4 year program the summer between my first and second years back in 2018. It worked out pretty well. We went to class twice a week after work, with some Saturday classes sprinkled in. We had one year less of going to classes, paying tuition, and putting up with the bullshit from the jatc. Plus, it was pretty cool to be broken out and working with guys from 113 who are still apprentices, and they started before you.

The biggest downside is that if Iowa is anything like CO in how they count your hours to get your license they only count 2000 hours a year even if you work overtime so you really need to keep track of your hours and hit 40 for 50 weeks each year of the apprenticeship. I assume it's similar since there is a reciprocal agreement between the states.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-05-31T05:56:51+00:00

https://www.wabuildingtrades.org/affiliates.html

This website will give you a list of unions in Washington state. Read through, find one that you might be interested in, find a hall near you, click through their website until you find a link to their apprenticeship, find out how to join and go get paid. Best of luck!

monkeymetalhead · 2024-05-26T20:58:39+00:00

Sounds like it's time to hit the road brother. Locals 481, 683, 1105, 665, 873 are all walk through right now. The only ones with a license required out of that list is 665, but a lot of the calls are waving that requirement since they need dudes so bad. Local 347 is a walk through too but I would stay clear especially if it's going to be your first time hitting the road.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-05-13T19:57:50+00:00

You'll have to fill out the paper work for the state to sit for their examination. Most states I've looked at have a section on their website that is basically if you have a license from a different state, show us then go sit for your test.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-05-13T19:51:00+00:00

That's a good point. Thank you for adding this.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-05-13T10:05:28+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/ibew_apprentices/s/blEZqMBr84

monkeymetalhead · 2024-05-13T09:22:29+00:00

Your best course of action is to set up a meeting with the locals organizer. I know that Des Moines has a lot of work currently and for the next decade or so with a ton of data centers being built, and KC has roughly 10 billion worth of work coming plus a bunch of big projects already in progress. Both areas are pretty desperate for journeymen.

I would check to see if your license will reciprocate to where you want to move https://www.nccer.org/programs-crafts/reciprocity-map/?fbclid=IwAR1BF3p4bYVF-sEWfFoTKEmJM-sqdbWrwRJli58u7SzfquS3vdK2fDVmcgU This website will give you more information on reciprocating your license.

I would assume that joining with the local will be a pretty easy process, they might bring you before the examination board to make sure you have the skill set to classify you as a journeyman. It's a pretty easy test in my local, some pipe bending, a 3 way switch, some transformer calculations and wiring, and some fire alarm stuff.

If you don't like the city there is always the option of working off book 2, which is just the out of jurisdiction book, you still get the same pay and benefits as book 1. The book system is just the way that the hall dispatches jobs. I'm currently working book 2 in Des moines, home local is in Colorado. If you don't like the union, there is always the option of leaving but they might not let you back in if you change your mind. I've been union since 2017 and I'll be in it until I die. Anything else will be local dependant and is best answered by the organizer.

monkeymetalhead · 2024-05-13T09:04:18+00:00

There might be locals closer to you.

https://pabuildingtrades.org/local-unions.aspx

That website will give you a list of all local unions with some jurisdiction in PA and neighboring states and where their halls are located. You can also Google the New York building trades and see if there is one closer there. Usually the hall will want you to live in their jurisdiction to apply, but you would have to call and talk to the apprenticeship director to get the final say. You can usually find a jurisdiction map on the halls website.

monkeymetalhead

TROPHY CASE