# Low Volt Running Conduit



## Lowvolt1 (Jun 9, 2009)

This is just for my own information, do any of the locals allow the Low Volt guys to run their own pathway for Fire Alarm, Voice/Data, security or audio?

I know I'll be getting flamed but I would really like to know.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

I know Local 379 wouldn't have a problem with it at all.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.


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## Lowvolt1 (Jun 9, 2009)

looks like Local 379 does not have a Low Volt Unit. I know that a lot of locals do not have a Low volt or Sound/Comm. Many times the Inside JW's do not want Sound/Comm folks running pathway.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Lowvolt1 said:


> looks like Local 379 does not have a Low Volt Unit. I know that a lot of locals do not have a Low volt or Sound/Comm. Many times the Inside JW's do not want Sound/Comm folks running pathway.


 I don't know if they still do have a low volt unit, but there used to be a good many that were doing low voltage.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

i have done it. but im not union


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Local 932 has low volt guys and they sometimes run their own conduit. Depends on the job. If they're doing a low-volt only job (like rewiring all of the county jail's voice/data/camera stuff) they do their own conduit. Sometimes on new construction the regular E.C. will do all the stub-ups and stuff for low volt wires.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

On large jobs the low voltage guys often sub out the conduit work in our area.

But you can do you own if it is in your contract.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

If they are trained to bend pipe fine. If they are not trained to bend pipe.... it would be funny to watch.:laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I would think it would be pretty rare to find a low volt guy that can bend pipe, let alone bend pipe with any speed and efficiency. It would be more typical for the low volt guy to sub out the pipework to whatever electrical contractor is already on the job.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> I would think it would be pretty rare to find a low volt guy that can bend pipe, let along bend pipe with any speed and efficiency. It would be more typical for the low volt guy to sub out the pipework to whatever electrical contractor is already on the job.


Try paying low volt guys with more than a bale of hay, and you'll get the ones who actually posess skills.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> Try paying low volt guys with more than a bale of hay, and you'll get the ones who actually posess skills.


I've never heard of a pay system whereby a man is paid in hay. Tell me more.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> I've never heard of a pay system whereby a man is paid in hay. Tell me more.


Didn't they throw you out of the union too?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> Didn't they throw you out of the union too?


Nice guess. Got anything to say today based on anything remotely factual? :no:


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> Nice guess. Got anything to say today based on anything remotely factual? :no:


You mean you weren't thrown off Mike Holt's board? :blink:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> You mean you weren't thrown off Mike Holt's board? :blink:


Huh? That's not only true, but well known. I'm not sure what causes you to think that I was booted from the IBEW. Don't really care, actually. You entertain me, and as long as you are on the forum this morning, I am commiteed to screw with you. Carry on.


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## s.kelly (Mar 20, 2009)

Did a job this winter that we ran most of the low voltage piping and in some cases wiring. Fair amount of exposed pipe in some areas,and guys that took pride in their work, so it looked good. 

The data guys asked what the foreman thought of their "contraption" when they tried to make offsets... pretty funny. Almost wanted to hang a sign that said the company we worked for did not do those offsets.


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## cmec (Feb 11, 2008)

Bid a job last week , they told me was prevaling scale , but they didnt furnish a wage decison :laughing:, I asked for a decison and an answer from the agency furnishing the money if the low voltage work and related raceways was to be done under the telecommunications agreement:laughing:, I FEEL THE IBEW is bringing wage standards down for its members haveing differnt /lower rate rates

PS I TORE MY TICKET UP


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## dawgs (Dec 1, 2007)

Our low voltage guys run conduit, and do a good job with it to. As long as they work for my company they will run their own raceways.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> Didn't they throw you out of the union too?


 Did you get thrown out of the union?


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I don't know current rules, but in '96 on the LA subway (local 11), the low voltage guys could only stub conduit from their box to ceiling. 1 stick max.


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## Lowvolt1 (Jun 9, 2009)

Dawgs,

Any chance of a local #, just looking for info, thanks


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

knowshorts said:


> I don't know current rules, but in '96 on the LA subway (local 11), the low voltage guys could only stub conduit from their box to ceiling. 1 stick max.


 
Having just been in LA on what I was told was a union job, for an independent inspection, if what I saw was typical for the LA locals, I suggest their electricians not be allowed to install conduit and for that matter panels, conductors......


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## dawgs (Dec 1, 2007)

lowvolt1 said:


> dawgs,
> 
> any chance of a local #, just looking for info, thanks


1340


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

brian john said:


> Having just been in LA on what I was told was a union job, for an independent inspection, if what I saw was typical for the LA locals, I suggest their electricians not be allowed to install conduit and for that matter panels, conductors......


Wow! Has it gotten that bad? 11 is in the midst of a decade long organizing campaign and they ARE getting the numbers (members). They love to brag. I haven't been back in LA in quite a few years, yet when I was there, I did notice the quality of work going downhill. 

Too many "installers", "technicians", or what ever else you want to call them, instead of electricians.

As far as quality goes, I believe it most likely started in '93-'94 when BergElectric quit the union. At that time ALL work was done in pipe. Berg knew the costs of Morrow Meadows (their #1 competition) and knew they could underbid and make more profit by running mc. And run mc they did. Like spaghetti. It took LU 11 contractors about 6 years before they started seeing the benifits and started using mc cable. 

With all the mc and all the new organized hands, I wonder how many actually know how to bend pipe? 

Did anyone see that special on TLC or something about the high rise being built in downtown LA. Everything was prefab. Most of the guys working on that project were "summer helpers". They wern't even members of the local. 

But before anyone wants to twist my words around, let me say, most of this falls on to jobsite supervision. I saw too many "foreman" who had just turned out. Too young, not enough experiance, and no balls. I believe there should be a 40%-80% apprentice for 5 years and a 100% apprentice for an additional 5 years.


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## retired 7373 (Feb 28, 2009)

cmec said:


> Bid a job last week , they told me was prevaling scale , but they didnt furnish a wage decison :laughing:, I asked for a decison and an answer from the agency furnishing the money if the low voltage work and related raceways was to be done under the telecommunications agreement:laughing:, I FEEL THE IBEW is bringing wage standards down for its members haveing differnt /lower rate rates
> 
> PS I TORE MY TICKET UP


 
lol-lol-lol-


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

I was in the ibew app. thru jw. but there is way too much b.s. to remain within ibew in my area. went on my own and it's much more pleasant, I do get a few jw's that are former ibew guys working with me now days..except we're not a union shop. It's funny to see the low volt guys run conduit, half the time they don't know how to do a ground for alarms, cctv and etc. The other half of the time the work is done so poorly it needs to be redone by a electrician.


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## goose134 (Nov 12, 2007)

134 has an allowance for C-cards to run a certain amount of pipe. It is a small number and I cannot remember what it is since it never comes up.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

when I was a ibew jw, i got into it with a app from the datacomm side for running pipe crossing our run........ after a few other jws came over and yelled at the "c" card... we never saw him again at the site. one makes you wonder if these apps are properly instructed to run.


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## jbberns (Jan 14, 2009)

10' is all they are allowed to run in our local. Most com. cable is run by JW's for regular scale. Most are as good as any at running pipe.
Local 257


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## PhatElvis (Jan 23, 2009)

Quite a few years ago I had a contract for a county jail. The security contactor on the job was non-union and I was union and neither one of us really had a problem with that, but IBEW had a major problem with a security contractor having the gall to running his own pipe and wire on a “union job”. IBEW picketed, intimidated his crews and sabotaged his work to the point he cried uncle and made a deal with me to do his pipe and wire only.

Well when the job was near completion the security systems and equipment did not work like it was supposed to and the security contractor went belly up then skipped town. The owner called the sharks in and I am the one that got sued, because I was still there, had money and had done the work;. On the advice of council I refused to settle and it went to trial in the very county that was suing me and low and behold the “fact” that “I” had the job picketed was used against me. I lost my so much of my ass on that job that my pants have never fit the same.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

Our company does mostly low voltage controls for Johnson Controls and on most jobs we run our own pipe, except for the Pentagon where MC Dean (greedy) has the contract for all of our pathways. We've been trying to get it back, since they often do a crappy job of it and they wait till the last second to get our pipe in for us, which sometimes puts us in a jam to hurry up and slap it in.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

steelersman said:


> except for the Pentagon where MC Dean (greedy) has the contract for all of our pathways.


Greedy or just does a good job of marketing, I use to do a majority of the testing i the Pentagon now MC Dean has it ALL.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

Probably both Brian.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

steelersman said:


> Probably both Brian.


 
BUT AGGRAVTING, none the less.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

just got a call for wed for a T1 installation, and i am doing all my own conduit


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## running dummy (Mar 19, 2009)

not by me you can't all Inside guys work


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