# Anybody here ever do 2 apprenticeships?



## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

Just curious, lineman and wireman? Maybe something else?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Probably somebody has.


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## Colbert Report (Oct 21, 2010)

I have a dual ticket......Electrician and Boom Truck. Lots of guys up here in Canada are dual ticketed electricians/power system electricians or electrician/welders or electrician/boom truck operators like myself.


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

You guys have a great licensing system. I wish the U.S. Oud go to something like a red seal.


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## Colbert Report (Oct 21, 2010)

Yeah, I don't actually have a red seal though, each province does their own provincial license and then you are encouraged to write the Interprovincial Red Seal immediately after you find out you have passed your first test.

The Boom Truck ticket is not an Red Seal trade, unfortunately, so I'm only licensed here in my home province of Alberta.

I'd like to write the California electrical exam as I recently received a green card and will be moving there in the next few months. Any tips for me on where I can apply to write the exam?


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

Seems like Canada has a better system for trades than the US does. More vocational schools available


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ECU/ElectricalTrade.html


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

Might be moving to Seattle to start another apprenticeship... It's a little nerve racking.


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## Colbert Report (Oct 21, 2010)

What ticket do you have now and what apprenticeship are you going for in Seattle?


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

JW, I have an interview for Seattle city light next week as a cable splicer. I applied thinking nothing would happen, but I've made it this far. I've never even gotten an interview with my utility. I thought it would be extremely difficult there as it is here, but it's been a very fair process so far.


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

Colbert Report said:


> Yeah, I don't actually have a red seal though,_ each province does their own provincial license and then you are encouraged to write the Interprovincial Red Seal immediately after you find out you have passed your first test._


Not entirely true. Many of the provinces do NOT have a provincial license anymore. Nova Scotia is one such province. All tradespeople who complete their training/apprenticeship here in this province automatically write the exam for the Red Seal ticket.

I have three tickets myself.......Red Seal Industrial Electrician, Red Seal Construction Electrician and CWB certified welding ticket.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

dronai said:


> Seems like Canada has a better system for trades than the US does. More vocational schools available


We have ten provinces so it's easier to keep track of things. We also have our own sniveling servants who haven't seen a jobsite in their lives and are always looking for ways to screw up a good thing.


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## Colbert Report (Oct 21, 2010)

JW Splicer said:


> JW, I have an interview for Seattle city light next week as a cable splicer. I applied thinking nothing would happen, but I've made it this far. I've never even gotten an interview with my utility. I thought it would be extremely difficult there as it is here, but it's been a very fair process so far.


Well best of luck to you in your interview!


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## pjholguin (May 16, 2014)

Hello fellow NMer,

Are you moving to WA to work as a JW? Have you contacted the hall up there?

Pjholguin




JW Splicer said:


> Might be moving to Seattle to start another apprenticeship... It's a little nerve racking.


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

I grew up in Albuquerque
:thumbup::thumbup::laughing:


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## pjholguin (May 16, 2014)

What part?



Lep said:


> I grew up in Albuquerque
> :thumbup::thumbup::laughing:


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## pjholguin (May 16, 2014)

JW do you have an EL-1 in NM? Good Luck with your interview!!



JW Splicer said:


> JW, I have an interview for Seattle city light next week as a cable splicer. I applied thinking nothing would happen, but I've made it this far. I've never even gotten an interview with my utility. I thought it would be extremely difficult there as it is here, but it's been a very fair process so far.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Lep said:


> I grew up in Albuquerque
> :thumbup::thumbup::laughing:


Macsister is a pretty prominent realtor in your town.


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

Pjholguin I got the job in WA, I'll be at city light as a splicer. I have a EE-98J and an EL-1J for NM. I'll be out of 77 (outside) not 46 (inside). It's great to see other NM guys on here! My cub is transferring out to 46 because he saw a post on here a few weeks ago saying they need apprentices. NM is just dead right now!


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## TransientCW (Oct 26, 2012)

*cable splicer*

well i must say congrats, i was there with you (or at least one of the groups) for the cable splicer working test in mid november, but alas, the minor mistakes i made washed me out of the next step which was the interview. very happy for you that you actually got the job!!!!!!!!

i still have a pre-lineman app pending with SCL, as well as a one in PDX. if either of those go through, id be super stoked, but on top of that i have been officially hired into the NJATC inside wireman apprenticeship here as well, so things are on the up and up. cheers and enjoy your new apprenticeship!


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

When was your test? Nov 11?


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## mapmd (Oct 26, 2014)

How do "books" work in the Union side of things?

What do "book 1" and "book 2" actually mean and how does that translate into work for people? 

Who supplies the work (i.e. where does the money come from?), who receives the work, and who decides who receives it?


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

it is pretty common in my local to go from a c card(low voltage) to inside wireman. 

You have to go through both apprenticeships.


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

mapmd said:


> How do "books" work in the Union side of things?
> 
> What do "book 1" and "book 2" actually mean and how does that translate into work for people?
> 
> Who supplies the work (i.e. where does the money come from?), who receives the work, and who decides who receives it?


Book 1 is local IBEW A members, book 2 is travelers out of another IBEW local, book 3 is out of class IBEW members i.e. Linemen, book 4 is non IBEW members. 

A contractor successfully bids on a job and wins bid. Contractor calls the hall and says I need x amount of JWs. If book 1 has nobody on it, book 2, if nobody on it, book 3, and finally book 4.


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## TransientCW (Oct 26, 2012)

Nov. 19


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## mapmd (Oct 26, 2014)

JW Splicer said:


> Book 1 is local IBEW A members, book 2 is travelers out of another IBEW local, book 3 is out of class IBEW members i.e. Linemen, book 4 is non IBEW members.
> 
> A contractor successfully bids on a job and wins bid. Contractor calls the hall and says I need x amount of JWs. If book 1 has nobody on it, book 2, if nobody on it, book 3, and finally book 4.


Thanks for the response.


What type of contractors?


What kind of jobs?


Who pays who and for what and when? Is it the contractor paying the union which then pays the workers?
What happens when there is not enough work? Do people just sit out for awhile? I am not working union, but I have never been out of work and we are always encouraged to work overtime.


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

mapmd said:


> Thanks for the response.
> 
> 
> What type of contractors?
> ...


1. Electrical contractors. Sometimes they are also general contractors.
2. Jobs that need an electrician, lineman, or data techs mainly.
3. The electrical contractor pays the men who work for them. The contractor pays into retirement, and benefits.

Think of the Union as a temp agency. As construction workers we are a temporary workforce. When there is no construction, there are no jobs. This temp agency has an agreement with certain contractors that need a labor force with specific and specialized skills. They may need a welder, a cable splicer, a fiber optic tech, a cdl, a security clearance, or a licensed journeyman electrician, apprentice, etc. they put a call in to the hall. If the guy at #1 on book 1 fills the criteria for the job, he takes the job. The union allows a skilled labor pool to negotiate higher wages, benefits, and retirement for all workers involved as well as provide the contractors with skilled, certified and licensed workers. It's a win win situation if everyone does their part.

One day you will see a furlough, layoff, or termination. It will happen, sometimes work slows down, sometimes work stops almost completely in certain areas. This is the reason for the books, so that skilled labor may travel to fill vacancies in other areas, feed their families, without taking away from the guys who live in the locals jurisdiction.

I don't know how long you've been in, what you get paid, or what your benefits are. I highly encourage you to call your local IBEW hall, and ask about pay and benefits for a person of your skill level ( apprentice or journeyman). You may be getting handled, or you may find you work for a good contractor... I'm not going to tell you one is better, just look into it.


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