# ?



## electricmalone (Feb 21, 2013)

As a non-union guy, I am curious about a loophole(?) My buddy works as an electrician at a facility, he's union, but not electricians union. He's not paid as much as local ibew. I ran into this when I was hired, and declined a job at a local school system. 
Also, a job site I have been at off and on is being done by union builder contractor. We are the only non-union sub on site. Isn't this generally frowned upon? 
Just curious, not trying to start a problem. Thanks


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

...are you a specialty sub contractor, as in FA?


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## electricmalone (Feb 21, 2013)

360max said:


> ...are you a specialty sub contractor, as in FA?


 Nope. Electricians. I personally do the "technical" work for my company, but we have had two guys on site for about 9months now.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

electricmalone said:


> As a non-union guy, I am curious about a loophole(?) My buddy works as an electrician at a facility, he's union, but not electricians union. He's not paid as much as local ibew. I ran into this when I was hired, and declined a job at a local school system.
> Also, a job site I have been at off and on is being done by union builder contractor. We are the only non-union sub on site. Isn't this generally frowned upon?
> Just curious, not trying to start a problem. Thanks


The 103 is the big union here and all the other ones have different contracts with their workers,there should be a list somewhere .


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## Chrisibew440 (Sep 13, 2013)

electricmalone said:


> As a non-union guy, I am curious about a loophole(?) My buddy works as an electrician at a facility, he's union, but not electricians union. He's not paid as much as local ibew. I ran into this when I was hired, and declined a job at a local school system.
> Also, a job site I have been at off and on is being done by union builder contractor. We are the only non-union sub on site. Isn't this generally frowned upon?
> Just curious, not trying to start a problem. Thanks


Well as union workers we believe that all work should be union, at least a lot of us but a bid gets sent out for a purpose and whoever gets the bid,gets the reward. I myself, care less if I work next to a non union shop, they hopefully are still getting a prevailing rate. " Hopefully" 
As for your buddy, I'm not sure. Ask him what union he's with, it might clarify.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

electricmalone said:


> As a non-union guy, I am curious about a loophole(?) My buddy works as an electrician at a facility, he's union, but not electricians union. He's not paid as much as local ibew. I ran into this when I was hired, and declined a job at a local school system.
> Also, a job site I have been at off and on is being done by union builder contractor. We are the only non-union sub on site. Isn't this generally frowned upon?
> Just curious, not trying to start a problem. Thanks


The company I work for does mixed jobs all the time, it is not unusual for us to be the only non-union sub on a job.

It can work fine


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## electricmalone (Feb 21, 2013)

Chrisibew440 said:


> Well as union workers we believe that all work should be union, at least a lot of us but a bid gets sent out for a purpose and whoever gets the bid,gets the reward. I myself, care less if I work next to a non union shop, they hopefully are still getting a prevailing rate. " Hopefully" As for your buddy, I'm not sure. Ask him what union he's with, it might clarify.


We are at about 70% of local IBEW rate. 
As far as my buddy goes, I was under the impression that any unionized electrician was IBEW.


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## eejack (Jul 14, 2012)

electricmalone said:


> As a non-union guy, I am curious about a loophole(?) My buddy works as an electrician at a facility, he's union, but not electricians union. He's not paid as much as local ibew. I ran into this when I was hired, and declined a job at a local school system.
> Also, a job site I have been at off and on is being done by union builder contractor. We are the only non-union sub on site. Isn't this generally frowned upon?
> Just curious, not trying to start a problem. Thanks


There are lots of unions and not all electricians are IBEW. Not all IBEW members are electricians either. 

It *is* generally frowned upon to mix union and non union on a site - it unnecessarily causes friction and problems. Some folks think the cost savings of using a non union sub is worth the extra grief so that is why they do it.


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## electricmalone (Feb 21, 2013)

BBQ said:


> The company I work for does mixed jobs all the time, it is not unusual for us to be the only non-union sub on a job. It can work fine


The carpenters I was working with are great guys. A little good natured union pep talk through the day...


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## 347sparky (May 14, 2012)

electricmalone said:


> As a non-union guy, I am curious about a loophole(?) My buddy works as an electrician at a facility, he's union, but not electricians union. He's not paid as much as local ibew. I ran into this when I was hired, and declined a job at a local school system.
> Also, a job site I have been at off and on is being done by union builder contractor. We are the only non-union sub on site. Isn't this generally frowned upon?
> Just curious, not trying to start a problem. Thanks


If he worked at, lets say John Deere, he would probably be a maintenace worker under the UAW and not the IBEW.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

eejack said:


> There are lots of unions and not all electricians are IBEW. Not all IBEW members are electricians either.
> 
> It *is* generally frowned upon to mix union and non union on a site - it unnecessarily causes friction and problems. Some folks think the cost savings of using a non union sub is worth the extra grief so that is why they do it.


A long time ago, I WAS TOLD most IBEW members were in manufacturing, not electricians.


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## big2bird (Oct 1, 2012)

brian john said:


> A long time ago, I WAS TOLD most IBEW members were in manufacturing, not electricians.


A long time ago indeed.


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## millelec (Nov 20, 2010)

I'm an operating engineer, (IUOE), have my electrician's license and work on site as an electrician. used to generate all our own power, just shut down gensets last year so now primarily HVAC stuff.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

big2bird said:


> A long time ago indeed.


Late 70's


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## mr hands (Sep 15, 2013)

I know some electricians who are also under the IUOE's stationary engineer side.

When I was working for the largest non-union rollup EC in the country, we did a big job that was a year long, and were the only non-union sub. We were treated very well by the other trades. They understood that everybody has to work to earn a living. We were prime EC, and there were four other EC's, three of which were union, and another non-union EC which was the facility's regular whipping boy given a mercy hump. Nobody sabotaged anything, no grout in duct banks or glue in locks or anything. 

It worked out well, the organizer came out once a month, he didn't preach or anything, just said he was here to show the local's support for us. He was also organized.

The job was waaaay underbid, estimator missed half the building. A ton of CO's brought the job out a little ahead at the end... but most everybody involved crossed over to the other side, and has been happy ever since.


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