# Chane of command ibew



## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

I’m a first year apprentice will be 2nd year in sep .

I obviously know that as an apprentice you have to keep your mouth shut and take a lot of **** from jman and Forman and ppl from the board etc .

And show the jman and ppl abouve you respect even if their wrong or not.

But does this also apply to apprentices can a 3rd year apprentice demand respect and talk down to a first year apprentice .


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

No. Respect is earned, not demanded. It's a two way street. Nobody has any right to 'demand' respect from anybody else. Show some respect, and you'll earn respect. The apprenticeship isn't some form of slave service, it's respect training.
All journeymen are different, and treat apprentices different, but someday you'll be teaching a young apprentice, remember, what it be like.

PS spelling goes a long way in earning respect.


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

Switchgear277 said:


> I’m a first year apprentice will be 2nd year in sep .
> 
> I obviously know that as an apprentice you have to keep your mouth shut and take a lot of **** from jman and Forman and ppl from the board etc .
> 
> ...


No, you are not to be directed by other apprentices. Anything else is personal and between you two.

He should remember to be nice to people, an apprentice today might be the foreman tomorrow.



Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

"Chain or command"

I'm in agreement with Joe, respect needs to be earned.


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

Sorry for the improper grammar 
I usually spell check but I was in a rush . 

Yea I agree amongst apprentices 
Respect is a two way street


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Switchgear277 said:


> Sorry for the improper grammar
> I usually spell check but I was in a rush .
> 
> Yea I agree amongst apprentices
> Respect is a two way street


Not just among apprentices, it should go across the board.

YES you need to follow what the j-men tell you but you don't have to respect them unless they earn it.

YES, be polite and all but be all business with the arrogant ones.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Switchgear277 said:


> I’m a first year apprentice will be 2nd year in sep .
> 
> I obviously know that as an apprentice you have to keep your mouth shut and take a lot of **** from jman and Forman and ppl from the board etc .
> 
> ...


I believe you have encountered what is known as the "Foreman Apprentice" :smile:


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Switchgear277 said:


> I’m a first year apprentice will be 2nd year in sep .
> 
> I obviously know that as an apprentice you have to keep your mouth shut and take a lot of **** from jman and Forman and ppl from the board etc .
> 
> ...


If they are the one whose job it is to direct you, then however they tell you to do it is the right way. Whether it meets code, is best practices, etc. is another thing altogether. 

If you have a suggestion and you are professional about it, they just may want to hear it. Maybe not. Maybe they want to hear it but have more important things to tend to. Everyone is different and every situation is different.

Put your years in, do what you're told and be sure to smile.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

It is entirely within the realm of possibility that a 3rd year will have tips, tricks, and knowledge that he can pass to a 1st year. In fact, I hope so. The reason I'm pointing this out is because some people are soooo touchy about someone showing them things (like, a better way), that they automatically take it as criticism or play like they're being talked down to. All the guy was trying to do sometimes is show you something you might not have known. Just throwing that out there as a potential possibility of what's really going on in this situation.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

You will run into real A-holes and remember when you have an apprentice treat him like you wanted to be treated, not like the few A-holes that cross all our paths at some point.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)




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## kg7879 (Feb 3, 2014)

When I turned out I treated the two first-year apprentices like gold. I will be shortly cashing in on those dividends once those two get their trucks and radios.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

kg7879 said:


> When I turned out I treated the two first-year apprentices like gold. I will be shortly cashing in on those dividends once those two get their trucks and radios.


Right on. I always felt like the better you treat new people and the more effectively you teach them, the easier your life becomes. The more they know, the more burden they take off you. The better they get along with you, the more likely they are to do unexpected little things that make your job a lot smoother. It really is self-destructive to treat them poorly and keep all the cards close to your vest. Treat them well, teach them well, and they'll do more and more so you don't have to.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

kg7879 said:


> When I turned out I treated the two first-year apprentices like gold. I will be shortly cashing in on those dividends once those two get their trucks and radios.


I had a first year. First day on the job apprentice.
He watched a bit and I had him install a 4" round box, splice the wire and install the blank. He was so proud. I told him to remove the blank cover and hand it to me. I gave him another one to put on.
I wrote "David's first blank cover" of something like that on it and handed it to him as a little joke.
We used to go to Hooters for lunch once in a while on that job. One of the times it was his birthday. We asked the girls to sing happy birthday to him.
He got all weepy and said this was the best job he's ever had.
We busted his chops a little and went back to work.
A month or so later we went our separate ways.

I saw him years later at a union meeting.
He told me about getting divorced, living on the streets, and then getting back up on his feet and back to work.
He told me that he had lost everything but kept that blank cover with him and still had it and kept it to remember the good times in his life.

Interesting how one small positive thing can stay with someone. The negative will do the same if you allow it.


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

Southeast Power said:


> kg7879 said:
> 
> 
> > When I turned out I treated the two first-year apprentices like gold. I will be shortly cashing in on those dividends once those two get their trucks and radios.
> ...


Great story brother


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## Wiresmith (Feb 9, 2013)

Switchgear277 said:


> But does this also apply to apprentices can a 3rd year apprentice demand respect and talk down to a first year apprentice .


nope

you don't have to take harassment from anyone else either but don't be disrespectful back to journeyman just ask to be moved because of it, the ones that harass apprentices are usually morons anyway and there's not much to learn from them except bad habits and the wrong way to do things


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## Wiresmith (Feb 9, 2013)

chain not chane.


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