# MA Local Question



## Ratboy (Nov 18, 2017)

What happens when a non-union journeyman applies to the IBEW around here? I hear in some unions they start you off as a journeyman, but I also hear that in others, people will get bunked down and start as a 3rd year apprentice.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Talk to whatever local serves your area. I know that the local that serves my area is aggressively recruiting from the non-union sector right now.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Ratboy said:


> What happens when a non-union journeyman applies to the IBEW around here? I hear in some unions they start you off as a journeyman, but I also hear that in others, people will get bunked down and start as a 3rd year apprentice.


It really depends on both the local and your actual work experience. 

Were you a lead guy for a big company for a decade or someone who changed ballasts in offices for 2 years? That was rhetorical, but you get the point.

BTW, when accounting for the medical insurance (usually no out-of-pocket), pension, annuity, free training, etc. a 3rd year apprentice often makes more than a typical non-union journeyman in the same area.


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

In my case I had experience prior to my interview.

The director gave me the jw exam 
I did well enough to pass two years of labor history so I started as a first year apprentice .


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## Ratboy (Nov 18, 2017)

Were you already a journeyman at the time?


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

Ratboy said:


> Were you already a journeyman at the time?


 no not a journey man in nj the contractor does not have to register you in an apprenticeship program . The only way to get the jw card is to pay for school on your own some companies offer it but not many .

So I didn’t care much about the jw card . 

So I just had 6 years non union exp


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Figure on nothing: ranking will be all over the lot.

Too many factors are involved.

Of course.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Switchgear277 said:


> no not a journey man in nj the contractor does not have to register you in an apprenticeship program . The only way to get the jw card is to pay for school on your own some companies offer it but not many .
> 
> So I didn’t care much about the jw card .
> 
> So I just had 6 years non union exp


That must be new. I see botht he Qualified Journeyman and the Electrical Contractor require 8,000 hours of ont he job experience and 576 hours of classroom time.

When I got my contractor license 6 years ago there was no requirement for classroom time.

The journeyman certification is worthless anyway.


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

In my opion in nj the jw license for open shop dosnt mean much bc it dosnt set you at a certain wage .

So I never wanted to pay the money for it . 

Plus in nj the contractor does not have to register you so the term mechanic or jw gets thrown around very loosely .

You could be a 3rd year guy that’s 
Good and say your a jw bc you know how to run conduit and do panels , and have 6 years in.

I never saw the need for the jw card 
When you can make just as much without it . In open shop .

At least in nj we’re the contractor 
Dosnt have to register you.

I’m shure in other states it mite hold some value


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