# Loss of In-house Maintenance to Union Contractor



## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

Has anyone lost their in-house maintenance job to a IBEW contractor ?
And if so did the union make any attempt to organize or take in those that were to young to retire?

The reason that I ask these questions is that I feel sure that with in the next 2 or 3 years I will probably loose my maintenance job to a union contractor. 
Thanks


----------



## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Lone Crapshooter said:


> Has anyone lost their in-house maintenance job to a IBEW contractor ?
> And if so did the union make any attempt to organize or take in those that were to young to retire?
> 
> The reason that I ask these questions is that I feel sure that with in the next 2 or 3 years I will probably loose my maintenance job to a union contractor.
> Thanks


Why not become a salt?


----------



## Chris21 (Nov 25, 2009)

Lone Crapshooter said:


> Has anyone lost their in-house maintenance job to a IBEW contractor ?
> And if so did the union make any attempt to organize or take in those that were to young to retire?
> 
> The reason that I ask these questions is that I feel sure that with in the next 2 or 3 years I will probably loose my maintenance job to a union contractor.
> Thanks


How big of a contractor do you work for? How large is the business that you do the maintenance for? I only ask because that may play a role in whether or not you stay. 

I don't have any information about IBEW contractors taking over non-IBEW jobs but I have seen one IBEW contractor take over another IBEW contractor for in house maintenance. More often than not, in that case, if you worked for IBEW contractor "A" and IBEW contractor "B" got the job now you would now work for IBEW contractor "B". The reason this usually happens is because the company that you have a contract with knows you and knows that you know the building well so they want you to stay. So the next contractor coming in would absorb you.

This make any sense? I may not have written it well enough. 

Also keep in mind this is what I've seen happen here in NYC. I don't know how it works elsewhere.


----------



## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

Maybe you could elaborate on the question a bit more? When you say lose your "in house maintenance" gig, are you employed by the facility or is the contractor you work for hired by the facility? 

I would say, if you work for a contractor (E.C.) and he loses the contract to another contractor (union or not) that would just be part of the business that were in.

But if you are an in-house guy and the facility signs an agreement with the IBEW then I couldn't imagine that you wouldn't be asked to signed on.

It's hard to say, no two situations are alike and each area differs from the next.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

To answer your question YES, I have seen it go union to open shop and open shop to union, some cleaned house (generally when the owner was totally dis-satisfied with the previous company), others times some were kept for a short time for evaluation.

This depends on several issues I would think, did the union organize the shop or did another contractor win a bid?

What your current boss thinks of his present employees and what arrangements he has made.

How good an employee you are and how fast you can beat others to the table to discuss future employment with the new guy.


----------



## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

I do work for a facility


----------



## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Lone Crapshooter said:


> I feel sure that with in the next 2 or 3 years I will probably loose my maintenance job to a union contractor.
> Thanks


Two to three years? What makes you feel that?


----------



## s.kelly (Mar 20, 2009)

To get ahead of the curve, you could go talk to the organizer or the BA and see what their thoughts are. In my area that would not be a big deal. In other areas it might be more high pressure etc, so if you are on good terms with a member ask their opinion on how a conversation like that might go at the hall.

Another option would be to join. Depending on the local it might not be a conflict to work maintenance. My area the local is construction, so I do not think working maintenance is an issue.

Are you on good terms with the contractor?Particularly management? Many locals have call by name and other tools for management to hire particular people. It might be possible for the contractor to send a letter in to hire you if it happens and they like you. After all, someone on the inside often knows enough about how things were done to make it worthwhile for the contractor.


----------

