# FLE question



## BDB

I have seen more then one meaning:

1. Fraternity of Layed off Inside Electricians 

2. Federation of Linemen and Electricians 

I have been in the Union for 28 years and I still do not know he true answer. I would just about bet my cheerios on number 2.


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## Rusty McNeil

Thanks for the reply, 

Rusty


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## user5941

Fun Loving Electrician


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## PhatElvis

First off FLE stands for *Federation of Linemen and Electricians* 

Its an informal fraternal organization of traveling construction electricians that has probably been around as long as IBEW itself. FLEs do not engage in collective bargaining and the IBEW hierarchy has actually branded the FLE as a subversive organization. (Although Ed Hill is an Honorary Member) 

They are seen as radicals and trouble makers by contractors and if a man is thought to be a FLE he will be laid off or fired on the spot. 

My uncle has a similar card and I have heard the stories... they are trouble makers.

Drop LawnGuyLandSparky a PM, I suspect he is a FLE and could even tell you about the secrete bump handshake.


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## brian john

PhatElvis said:


> Drop LawnGuyLandSparky a PM, I suspect he is a FLE and could even tell you about the secrete bump handshake.


 
The hand shake as I underestand it is bare butt, ass to ass then they both cut the cheese and shout RAT.


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## cmec

brian john said:


> The hand shake as I underestand it is bare butt, ass to ass then they both cut the cheese and shout RAT.


 
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


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## cmec

NOW THAT I have stopped laughing , I am pretty sure my uncle that started me belonged, In the early seventies 712 (where ed hill was ba ) worked him on a bechtel job 9 yrs and 6 mo and laid him off to beat vesting in local pension , Then rehired him.

Tramps did all the work and got screwed , all the ones I knew are dead or in a nursing home, I have no one to ask.


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## LGLS

brian john said:


> The hand shake as I underestand it is bare butt, ass to ass then they both cut the cheese and shout RAT.


You don't know the 1/2 of it. :no:


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## Rusty McNeil

cmec said:


> :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


That was funny, and certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

My Dad was a home turf guy, small town oil field service type guy forever and returned to being one after his no compete clause was up when he opened another shop.

I heard plenty about his experiences just not anything about the FLE.

As far as them being trouble makers, I don't know, my Dad was never one in my mind, but who of us really ever knows the side of our Father when not around us.

For sure he had a Milleresque attitude about right and wrong and the little man/Big man thing....He never backed away from that even when he was running a 15 man shop in the oil field.

He was one of 13 kids, son of a Union carpenter, and left home at 14 in 1942 to raise himself on the streets of San Antonio.

He did not engage in some of the practices I've heard about, Other than perhaps efforts in keeping the union true to it's original purpose rather than lining the wallets of the fat cats instead of soley benefiting the Brothers. 

I'm just wondering how he got in when he was only on the road for 5 years.

The one thing I remember him saying when he returned from being on the road was that

"If I hear one more MF say "it's not my job" I'm gonna strangle them"

He was referring to simple issues like housekeeping etc, not something like cross craft turf violations.....

Thanks for all the info guys, Much appreciated.

Rusty


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## sparky970

rewire said:


> Fun Loving Electrician


That's what I was always told.


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## william1978

brian john said:


> The hand shake as I underestand it is bare butt, ass to ass then they both cut the cheese and shout RAT.


  I don't ever want to see that.:no:


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## PhatElvis

.....................................delete


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## SlickWill613

If you have to ask, you don't need to know.

Didn't mean to rez an old thread.


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## Wirenut423

i just recieved a wallet in the mail from my stepmom. My father (45 year pin holder) left me this wallet with IBEW on the outside and FLE on the inside. i always new he was FLE brother.


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## bro fle

*to rusty mc neil*

i read the responses to your question about your dad.their answers were very enteraining and rather amusing.it is good to see that the brotherhoods inner workings are still a mystery to non brothers.however,if you send me an email showing me your dads card i will try to fill in some of the blanks for you.you can contact me at **email removed**.

hopefully you still monitor this site from time to time.ill be waiting for your email


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## user4818

bro fle said:


> i read the responses to your question about your dad.their answers were very enteraining and rather amusing.it is good to see that the brotherhoods inner workings are still a mystery to non brothers.however,if you send me an email showing me your dads card i will try to fill in some of the blanks for you.you can contact me at **email removed** .
> 
> hopefully you still monitor this site from time to time.ill be waiting for your email



Not likely, the last time he logged in was over 3 years ago. However, since he gave his email address, you can contact him first.


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## Amish Electrician

Why not post a pic of the card, so we can see if it's genuine?

Or ... post it so we can all make counterfeits :laughing:


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## ptcrtn

fine loyal electrician


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## icefalkon

I just got off the phone with my grandfather...who did got into the IBEW after WWII here in NYC what a FLE was...he said, without hesitation...Federation of Linesman Electricians. 

I was like holy sh*t! This from an 86yr old guy who only remembers US half the time!


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## sparkeygonefishn

Any file that could message me? I have questions that seem unable to be answered on Google. I'm a slotted second year apprentice in the Ibew


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## sparkeygonefishn

Any fle *


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## sparky970

sparkeygonefishn said:


> Any fle *



First rule of the FLE club, there is no FLE club. You will not get any good answers here


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## eejack

sparkeygonefishn said:


> Any file that could message me? I have questions that seem unable to be answered on Google. I'm a slotted second year apprentice in the Ibew


Seriously - do yourself a favor and avoid getting involved with the FLEs until you have topped out. If you have a question though, ask it here and it will get answered.


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## Brother buzzard

To set the story straight
Federation of Linesman and Electricians
The best brothers in the world in my humble opinion traveled with many a good brother FLE and there isn't anything they wouldn't do for a stand up brother. As far as trouble makers, well guess that depends on your definition of trouble and ones perception of makery because standing up for the right way has labeled many brothers as radical or rabble rousers so as said all in the definition and position one resides in "it's where true brotherhood still lives and thrives since so few places does real brotherhood seem to be found else where" 
LONG LIVE BROTHERHOOD


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## MechanicalDVR

Proud of your Union, nice. Reviving a dead thread, interesting!


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## Chops146

Here's the other one. Since we're performing thread ressurections.


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## Chops146

Now I can like all these old posts and seem slightly less creepy.


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## Chops146

This one filled out his profile, but no more posts...


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## LGLS

Geez not this old chestnut.


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## Mulder

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> Geez not this old chestnut.


Yeah, If someone is going bring back old threads how about the Kaboler "You may have thought I was a journeyman" one. That one was my favorite. :vs_laugh:


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## Chops146

@Mulder bring it back. It's resserection day. Like Chicago elections.


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## Chops146

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> Geez not this old chestnut.


Another post made me think of it. Drew your attention, bro? :wink:


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## Southeast Power




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## JosephJerry

Rusty McNeil said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> I'm new here and have a question. But 1st some background.
> 
> I'm 46 and have been in the Hvolt Testing and commisioning business for 21 years and in Industrial Construction prior to that. I graduated from Oklahoma State Tech in 1985.
> 
> I'm not Union But my father was.
> 
> My father was a union guy out of West Texas and was from LU-460 I think. He joined in the early 50's and ran a Shop out in Pecos Texas. My "apprenticeship" basically took place from the age of about 12 working weekends and summers with him or his guys before I ever thought I would be an electrician or go to tech school. It gave me a huge head start in practical knowledge once I got out of tech school. I love and thank him to this day for that.
> 
> 
> He sold that shop in the Late 60's and had to go on the road due to a 5 year no-compete clause that was part of the sale. He was on a lot of very big Union Jobs like Glenn Canyon Damn etc. Mostly Bechtel Jobs I think. I know he stayed in a lot of Man Camps.
> 
> He died in a Service truck wreck while I was still in College in 1983, and I still have his wallet locked in my safe.
> 
> *I was going through it again the other day and found a FLE's card hidden in it that I had not seen before.*
> 
> I asked my Mom about it and all she knew was that it had something to do with the Union and that it was supposed to have been useful for a traveler to get better treatment in a strange local.
> 
> It is a normal size business card, with a union printed printers mark center bottom.
> 
> In the upper left corner is a stick figure flea standing uprite.
> 
> across the top it says;
> 
> *Ancient and Honorable Order
> of the
> ROYAL ORDER OF THE FLE'S
> 
> This is to certify that Brother Glenn McNeil
> has paid his dues in full and is a member of this order and is declared to be a member in good standing for life.*
> 
> It has two signatures across the bottom
> 
> The "position title' under the signatures says
> 
> *Grand Chancroid and Imperial Chancroid*
> 
> So I guess these guys had a little humor, and perhaps some of the mentions of them being "subversive" may be true, since Chancroid is kinda synonymous with "pain in the ass'
> I know I did hear some stories about unclean porta-cans being set on fire and a foreign car driven by a Bechtel guy ending up in the lake at Glenn Canyon.
> 
> There's something else, maybe a membership number or date at the bottom left but it is not legible anymore.
> 
> 
> *My question is what can anyone tell me about this order,
> 
> It's history, conception or beginnings,
> 
> How membership was obtained, what FLE stands for (note that the card did not say Flea or Flie, it said FLE's) and what the function of this order was within the union.
> 
> My Father was an extremely Honorable man born in '28 who had a very old school mentality about work and the union and his union Brothers place in life and family.
> 
> In searching the web I've seen alot of hearsay but nothing that sounded certain.*
> 
> I did see somewhere that someone said it stood for federation of lineman electricians,
> 
> He was most assuredly not a lineman, and would hire union light company guys part time when he has line work that had to be done.
> 
> *I have asked a lot of union guys around Houston and have yet to run across anyone who has even heard of it, or will admit that they have.*
> 
> 
> I want to know these things for the sole reason that it would help me know my father better, he died when I was only 21.
> 
> *Any Help would be greatly appreciated, you can email me if you wish.
> 
> 
> Rusty McNeil*
> 
> *[email protected]*


After my dad passed away I found his 45 year IBEW pin and this button. I think it was about 1970 when he told me just one story about the FLE initiation he went through the night before. He said the guys being initiated were blindfolded and told that they had to kiss the rear end of the guy that they put in front of them or not be admitted into FLE. He also said that the guy that they were supposed to kiss had a wedge of limburger cheese between his cheeks. Being blindfolded they had no idea. That was my one and only story about the the FLE from him








*a*


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## Oscar O Doctor

You must earn earn the right to know…he did! To whom much is given…much is required. When the student is ready the teacher will appear. I invite you to check out “ The Men That Don’t Fit In” By Robert W.Service


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