# ibew 477, weres the work?



## industrial951 (Jan 29, 2011)

anyone with ibew 477? just curious to find out were all the work is at, and if there is work what kind? im debating if i should go to my apprenticeship interview comming up soon. my main concern is quiting my steady job for not so steady electrician work. i really wana get into maintenance electrical work and im not so sure the ibew can take me there. anyone have any info or there opinions on this would be appreciated.


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

Take your chances with the union. Companies are getting away from in house maintenance. I am about to loose my maintenance job to a contractor. You can go to work for a contractor that works as in house maintenance and work for years in the same place and have more job security than a company employee. If the contractor that for originally looses the contract on Friday you can throw their hardhat away and you will get a new hardhat on Monday from a new contractor. 
I have seen it happen.


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## industrial951 (Jan 29, 2011)

wow thanks for the reply, im sorry to hear that your losing your job to a contractor. How many years experience do you have in the industry? im straight out of tech school for industrial electricity and finding it hard to land a maintenance job do to lack of experience, so pretty much the union is willing to give me a shot.


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

I have 16 years at my present job and 28 years industrial experience. 
Also you may want to try a ABC or a IEC contractor. 
Tech school is good but you should go through a BAT certified apprenticeship program. What tech school says about you is that is you have a interest in doing the work that is good but what a apprenticeship program says about you is that you have done the work. 
I cannot stress enough is take some other training. Process instrumentation,welding,industrial electronics, millwright,HVAC, hydraulics and by all means learn as much as you can about computers or at least to stay current on computer skills. My computer skills are very limited. By learning additional related skills you will become a more valuable tradesman. Don't let that list of skills intimidate you ,you don't have to learn them all and you will not have to become first class in your secondary skills you just need a good understanding of couple additional trades.


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## industrial951 (Jan 29, 2011)

i am currently enrolled in a tech school for industrial electricity. Apprenticeships here in southern california are mainly limited to the IBEW. I also agree with you when you say to, "try and learn as much skills as you possibly can" I deffinitley wana expand my skillset as much as possible.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

Union electricians have to be state certified, which requires completing an apprenticeship, paying an unrealistic ($175) "application fee", then $100 to take the state exam, which consists of 4 hours of torture (4 hours of constant reading of the NEC) and answering 100 of the most ridiculously difficult, irrelevant questions that you'll NEVER need on the job, since all jobs are "plan checked" and you can't deviate from the print, the project is inspected by a state inspector, so "code knowledge" is irreverent. The DIR (department of industrial relations) doesn't even enforce the certification, it's just a big money grab by the state.
Non-union electricians however, don't have to go through an apprenticeship, don't have to be "state certified", and if you can get on a "prevailing wage job" you can make twice as much as a union worker, and the DIR doesn't care, because for some reason all the millions of dollars collected, don't cover enforcement. I've got 39 years experience in all phases of the electrical industry, but can't be dispatched because the 4 hours they give to take the exam isn't sufficient time to complete it. Unless maybe you excel at speed reading. It's a scam.


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## pete87 (Oct 22, 2012)

joebanana said:


> Union electricians have to be state certified, which requires completing an apprenticeship, paying an unrealistic ($175) "application fee", then $100 to take the state exam, which consists of 4 hours of torture (4 hours of constant reading of the NEC) and answering 100 of the most ridiculously difficult, irrelevant questions that you'll NEVER need on the job, since all jobs are "plan checked" and you can't deviate from the print, the project is inspected by a state inspector, so "code knowledge" is irreverent. The DIR (department of industrial relations) doesn't even enforce the certification, it's just a big money grab by the state.
> Non-union electricians however, don't have to go through an apprenticeship, don't have to be "state certified", and if you can get on a "prevailing wage job" you can make twice as much as a union worker, and the DIR doesn't care, because for some reason all the millions of dollars collected, don't cover enforcement. I've got 39 years experience in all phases of the electrical industry, but can't be dispatched because the 4 hours they give to take the exam isn't sufficient time to complete it. Unless maybe you excel at speed reading. It's a scam.





Is this that ... J W certification CA gives ... Based on Open Book NEC ?


It is always a $$ game ... and the test vary ... State to State ...


" FEED the BEAST "




Pete


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

Yeah, it's "open book". And most of the questions have multiple "right" answers but only one "correct" answer. An example would be, "conduit support, every 12 ft., 10ft., 8ft. 6ft.? If the "code" is the very minimum standard, 6,8,and 10 are all "right" answers, but 10ft. is the only "correct" one. I know, that was a poor example, but you get the idea.


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## pete87 (Oct 22, 2012)

joebanana said:


> Yeah, it's "open book". And most of the questions have multiple "right" answers but only one "correct" answer. An example would be, "conduit support, every 12 ft., 10ft., 8ft. 6ft.? If the "code" is the very minimum standard, 6,8,and 10 are all "right" answers, but 10ft. is the only "correct" one. I know, that was a poor example, but you get the idea.



Bad News on that CA Cert ... hope it gets you in some door ...That is a , " $$ Beaste " ... You Know , We Have State Certified ... bla bla bla ....


On Strapping the Conduit ... Tell them you are a Pro ... and Strap more According to the Points and Tension ... direction of the pull ... ect

Then Ask for a Raise ... $$$



Pete


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

That's NOT how they look at it. And besides, like I said, all projects are designed by "certified" engineers, plan checked, and inspected. We as installers aren't allowed to deviate from the print without a change order, which must be "engineered",and plan checked, then inspected. Code knowledge is irrelevant. We just build it according to the print.


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## pete87 (Oct 22, 2012)

joebanana said:


> That's NOT how they look at it. And besides, like I said, all projects are designed by "certified" engineers, plan checked, and inspected. We as installers aren't allowed to deviate from the print without a change order, which must be "engineered",and plan checked, then inspected. Code knowledge is irrelevant. We just build it according to the print.




Joe ... Old Days ... Plans never show strapping .Code is base knowledge ...

What are you Building ? 




Pete


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

Like I said, that was an example, although a poor one. After taking the exam, I would expect a diploma in electrical engineering, or at least be able to contract on my own. I was a licensed contractor at one point in my career, and the contractors license exam was WAY easier.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

And, presently I'm not building anything, but I have built power plants for So. Cal. Edison. (I did have help though) Google Mt. View power plant, I helped built that one from the ground up.


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## pete87 (Oct 22, 2012)

pete87;
Then Ask for a Raise ... $$$
Pete[/QUOTE said:


> Joe Bananas ... Sounds like a Mafia Name ... ask for a raise when you can !
> 
> But if you are the Real Joe Bananas ... Just tell them what you want .
> 
> ...


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

joebanana said:


> Union electricians have to be state certified, which requires completing an apprenticeship, paying an unrealistic ($175) "application fee", then $100 to take the state exam, which consists of 4 hours of torture (4 hours of constant reading of the NEC) and answering 100 of the most ridiculously difficult, irrelevant questions that you'll NEVER need on the job, since all jobs are "plan checked" and you can't deviate from the print, the project is inspected by a state inspector, so "code knowledge" is irreverent. The DIR (department of industrial relations) doesn't even enforce the certification, it's just a big money grab by the state.
> Non-union electricians however, don't have to go through an apprenticeship, don't have to be "state certified", and if you can get on a "prevailing wage job" you can make twice as much as a union worker, and the DIR doesn't care, because for some reason all the millions of dollars collected, don't cover enforcement. I've got 39 years experience in all phases of the electrical industry, but can't be dispatched because the 4 hours they give to take the exam isn't sufficient time to complete it. Unless maybe you excel at speed reading. It's a scam.


This is the most nonsensical horse poop you will ever read on this forum. If you take this shltbirds advice, go for it but know the consequences of advice from a bitter fool.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

I think you may have me confused with Banano, distant cousin. jk
The thing about union work is you get a raise whether you want one or not. But we do get to vote on how it's allocated.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

jrannis said:


> This is the most nonsensical horse poop you will ever read on this forum. If you take this shltbirds advice, go for it but know the consequences of advice from a bitter fool.


And just what makes you an expert on Calif. requirements? Obviously you don't know the difference between "advice' and the truth, ****head. And just what "consequences" are you referring to? I'm not a "bitter fool", I'm semi retired so I really don't care what you think, fool. And in a few years I get to collect social security. I'm NOT bad mouthing unions, I'm bad mouthing the greedy state's illegal regulations. Fool.


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