# Joining the IBEW



## 1/4-20 (Feb 15, 2010)

Aforema1,

I’m glad you did your post I’m a long time lurker, I don’t post. I am not signatory but am really thinking about it. 

I am wondering the same things you are. I got a hold of the principle agreement for the local in my area. That spells out a lot as far as costs and other things.


1. How do you go about becoming a IBEW contractor?
Talk to the BA, he was actually really cool, in my neck of the woods.

2. Do you think it is worth it?
I think it could be worth it BUT you will be an “owner working with tools”, so you will wind up paying your self wages for 50 weeks out of the year. When things are booming no problem, but with work now I’m not too sure…….and what happens if you just don’t have any work for 2 months OR your waiting on money for months. If I’m working then paying my self and others wages is not the issue, what happens when you finish one job and the next job don’t start for 6 weeks? Do I lay my self off then call my self back by name and pay my self foreman wages?(I need a raise anyway!?!) If there was more work out there I would not worry about this. 


3. How much does it cost? 
You need to bond your self out for wage and welfare, in a nut shell you need a business with great financials OR $9500.00 cash bond works too. So the bond is if you get guys from the hall and rip them off or don’t pay the bennies the union would “cash in” your bond and make the necessary deposits. Your cost as an employer would be prevailing wages pluss tax & workmans comp. Google prevailing wages in your area. I'm looking at $2700 per week including workmans comp and taxes......about


And last one of the reasons I wanted to join is for access to their journeyman and Master training classes so is their away to get you and your guys into these classes without being a member or only open to IBEW members?
The way I was told that if I go signatory I would be on book three and have to work 2000 hours for three years in a row, then I would be moved to book one. After I was one book one I could then take any class I wanted to. But there was also some kind of test involved (bend pipe, wire three way, code test) and then I'd get voted in, so I'm not really sure about it. Besides working 2000 hours a year now is not likely.

You can’t really beat the referral system, I don’t know myself, but I’m guessing that if you get guys on short call and your working next to them (direct supervision) you would not have any problems. 

I would be interested what the average union journey man thinks of non-union guys going signatory. I bet 90% would not care either way as long as they got a check on Friday. 

I’d be interested in what the union guys who read this form say about working for small shops, where the owner is directly involved in the jobs. Say you leave two guys on a job for a week with all the correct supplies and tools. Now you come back at the end of the week and those guys didn’t do much, is there recourse? Part of me thinks they would be professionals, but then again what incentive would they have to finish the work if there going back to the hall anyway? 

Thanks for all your replies and I know how unions work the good the bad and the ugly been on all sides of it. Appreciate the replies
Al 

.


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## AFOREMA1 (Nov 23, 2009)

And last one of the reasons I wanted to join is for access to their journeyman and Master training classes so is their away to get you and your guys into these classes without being a member or only open to IBEW members?
The way I was told that if I go signatory I would be on book three and have to work 2000 hours for three years in a row, then I would be moved to book one. After I was one book one I could then take any class I wanted to. But there was also some kind of test involved (bend pipe, wire three way, code test) and then I'd get voted in, so I'm not really sure about it. Besides working 2000 hours a year now is not likely.

1/4 -20 This one sounds like they are talking about an apprenticeship? to get your journeymans card , he said contractors had to jump through these hoops? Thanks too for the info
AL


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## BryanMD (Dec 31, 2007)

Are there a lot of large commercial jobs going on in SE Michigan?


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I have been a union contractor for 24 years.

If you already are running a shop successfully.
If you take care of your men, decent wages and benefits (insurance)
If you do not need a large influx of men on and off.
If you are not being harassed to join the local.

I can see no benefit to the owners of an open shop going union other then the knowledge your men are being taken care of with top wages and bennies.


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## AFOREMA1 (Nov 23, 2009)

brian john said:


> I have been a union contractor for 24 years.
> 
> If you already are running a shop successfully.
> If you take care of your men, decent wages and benefits (insurance)
> ...


Around here a lot of work is in the plants on large projects and too get them you need to be union that is the main reason I was considering it. It is real unionized in southeastern Michigan.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

1/4-20 said:


> I would be interested what the average union journey man thinks of non-union guys going signatory. I bet 90% would not care either way as long as they got a check on Friday.
> 
> I’d be interested in what the union guys who read this form say about working for small shops, where the owner is directly involved in the jobs. Say you leave two guys on a job for a week with all the correct supplies and tools. Now you come back at the end of the week and those guys didn’t do much, is there recourse? Part of me thinks they would be professionals, but then again what incentive would they have to finish the work if there going back to the hall anyway?


You seem to fear the worst case senerio as though it were guaranteed to happen... Why would you think if you left men on a job the work wouldn't get done? Of course, you do realize that you are leaving one of the men there as foreman, right?


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

AFOREMA1 said:


> Around here a lot of work is in the plants on large projects and too get them you need to be union that is the main reason I was considering it. It is real unionized in southeastern Michigan.


You can say that again, the UAW runs that town and does everything they can to make sure all work is done by union trades. I was a IBEW local 58 guy myself. Not as much work as there used to be with all the plant closings so you need to do what is best for you.


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## dawgs (Dec 1, 2007)

AFOREMA1 said:


> Hi,
> Have a question on joining the IBEW never been a member now a contractor and I klive in SE Michigan so many if not most of the bigger jobs are going solely to union contractors. so my questions
> 
> 1. How do you go about becoming a IBEW contractor?
> ...


I sent you a P.M.


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## AFOREMA1 (Nov 23, 2009)

Zog said:


> You can say that again, the UAW runs that town and does everything they can to make sure all work is done by union trades. I was a IBEW local 58 guy myself. Not as much work as there used to be with all the plant closings so you need to do what is best for you.


You are correct Zog, I was a UAW electrician for years and know it well and the funny thing is when we had projects that we did not have people for and contracted out everyone would get pissed and call the union contractors scabs and treat them like crap. So much for union brotherhood hunh.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

AFOREMA1 said:


> You are correct Zog, I was a UAW electrician for years and know it well and the funny thing is when we had projects that we did not have people for and contracted out everyone would get pissed and call the union contractors scabs and treat them like crap. So much for union brotherhood hunh.


Yep, I was one of them. We did switchgear testing that always got subbed out, UAW required to have same # of people there as we did on the weekends. Most of them were no where to be seen and never caused problems, but some of them did everything they could to make out job harder.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

*Ibew*

Okay, after reading all of the posts...what do you think? If you are a qualified contractor(you know a lot on your own), and you had the available of a skilled workforce that you can hire ,and let go ,when necessary, then why not sign? I would think that most Business Managers would be able to work with you...learn your needs...and again work with you to get you good HELP. They have an interest in your success, I would think.


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