# Apprenticeship Transfer to the San Fransisco Bay Area



## Gr8fulone (Apr 18, 2021)

Hello Brothers! I am a third year apprentice (soon to be 4th) out of Harrisburg, PA Local 143. It took me several years, two interviews, and pursuit of electrical training outside of the JATC before I was finally accepted into the program. I am loving what I do on a daily basis and have learned some great mechanical skills, a thorough understanding of the theories and principals of electricity, and the skills needed to develop into a true craftsman! I feel I have finally found my career calling; however, my wife is a career enlisted servicewoman who recently was forced to take a new position in Hayward, CA. Due to a lack of qualified applicants for a position that needed filled in CA, her credentials and evaluations were auto forwarded after a nationwide search and she was chosen for the position. I have never been out to the west coast and I am excited for a new adventure, but, I love my new-found career and am concerned that I won't get accepted for transfer to a Bay area local. I feel as though I am finally beginning to truly come into my own as an electrician and would hate to lose the opportunity to finish my training due to such an unforeseen circumstance. Upon a recent visit out to the Bay Area, my wife informed me that her new unit is located in Hayward (Alameda County Local 595W) but may be relocated to Moffet Air Force Base (Santa Clara County Local 332) within the next couple of years. Therefore, these two locals would seem to be logical choices for transfer to. The problem lies in deciding which local(s) to apply to. Information on comparative wages, apprenticeship agreements and benefits for Bay Area locals seem virtually impossible to find and we are having a hard time deciding where we should focus our housing search. We absolutely love what we've seen of the Santa Clara County area and would like to make it our home, but, are unsure we would ever be able to afford to buy a house in that county. Alameda isn't a bad county either and has a more affordable housing market but (I believe) lower wages. Can someone/anyone help me to make some sense of this situation and my best course of action? Wages & benefits for 332 vs.595W? Chances of getting transfer accepted in each? I heard there is a compact amongst all the Bay Area locals and that workers are swapped frequently? Does this mean I can (officially or unofficially) live in a local where housing is affordable but be a member of teh neighboring local that pays better and carries beter benefits? Any help or insight into this matter would be HUGELY appreciated! Thanks in advance my fellow brothers for any direction you can offer.


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## Wardenclyffe (Jan 11, 2019)

has a more affordable housing market but (I believe) lower wages. 


Seems like you need to try and get any place you can,










SF houses more homeless people than almost any other city


And yet it could—and should—do more.




sf.curbed.com


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## em158 (Jul 7, 2016)

Where2Bro - WHERE TO GO


I worked in Santa Clara short term in 2015. Pay scale is good, but most of the locals I talked to were commuting 1.5-2 hours each way to find affordable housing. Lots of Data center work back then.


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## Gr8fulone (Apr 18, 2021)

em158 said:


> Where2Bro - WHERE TO GO
> 
> 
> I worked in Santa Clara short term in 2015. Pay scale is good, but most of the locals I talked to were commuting 1.5-2 hours each way to find affordable housing. Lots of Data center work back then.


Thanks Man. My wife and I were thinking maybe I try to get into Santa Clara Local 332 and live in someplace fairly close by but reasonable like Freemont which is just over the county line in Alameda County. In speaking with the director there I mentioned that I have a lot of industrial experience and he mentioned that there probably wouldn't be a lot of that type of work in Santa Clara. Figured it would be a lot of data work given that it's the heart of Silicone Valley. Thanks for the input ;-)


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## Gr8fulone (Apr 18, 2021)

Wardenclyffe said:


> has a more affordable housing market but (I believe) lower wages.
> 
> 
> Seems like you need to try and get any place you can,
> ...


Thanks for the concern, but, I'm sure my wife and I will be just fine. On here for advice . . . not to have someone's political agenda pitched.


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## Wardenclyffe (Jan 11, 2019)

What does _BAQ_ stand for?


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