# Can you switch states while staying in the union?



## SWDweller (Dec 9, 2020)

When I belonged. It all depended on if you were a JW or not. If you were a JW you could travel based on the new locals rules. Usually the bottom of book 4. Lots of people did it following the good weather north until fall then heading south to get away from old man winter.

You really need to talk to your BA and the proposed BA of the other local. Specifics here will be paramount.


----------



## Slay301 (Apr 23, 2018)

Depends on the local doubt you would have any problem jamming your ticket in book one there since it’s low scale anyway. But probably not. You have to work off book 2 for quit awhile and attend meetings and ask the BM. Now you can work off book 2 as long as u can keep catching a call.


----------



## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

JakeELT101 said:


> I tried googling and looking through these forums but i couldnt find a solid answer. I wanted to ask if i joined a local union in Pennsylvania if i would then be able to transfer to another state local union such as Texas? Does it depend on whether or not a person has completed their apprenticeship? Or is it more dependent upon some sort of board approval?
> Im assuming the answer is that it depends and i should probably wait till im going to stay in one place for a long time. But i figured id ask on here for some clarification.


Jake, which local union are you referring to? I don’t want to automatically assume the IBEW but seeing as this is an electricians board…

To answer your question, there is no Pat answer that would apply nationwide. Each local union in the IBEW has its own rules and standards. For instance, when the 2008 bubble burst hundreds of southern IBEW members made their way north and tried to jam their tickets into the Yankees states that they hate so much when times are “OK” south of the mason Dixon line… it doesn’t work, not the way many people think it does or shouldn’t.

Since you’ve already stated that you’re not in a state accredited apprenticeship program, and you were last inquiring about employment in the maintenance sector, and… Now you’re asking this I get the feeling that you are in some kind of either transitional phase, in your life, or some type of upheaval is going on in your world or whatever.

If you apply to and I excepted into an apprenticeship program there is no guarantee you would ever be able to transfer anywhere you like although it’s highly likely you would be able to transfer somewhere. Once you journey out of an apprenticeship (an IBEW apprenticeship) you can travel and work off book to anywhere in the country where there is work. But whether or not you can actually become a permanent dues paying member at a different local again would be determined by that locals rules committee.


----------



## wiz1997 (Mar 30, 2021)

Once you become a journeyman you can travel to another State to work as long as there is more work than what the local can man.

Probably not going to let you move your "ticket" until you have spent several years working in the area, on book 2.

Left Texas with a few other guys and went to work in NJ back in 1998.

A couple of them stayed up there and one I know of, moved his "ticket" after about five years of working as a "traveler".

Apprentices are rarely "allowed" to travel unless their home local has no work and no foreseeable up tick in work.

Texas is a "right to work State", meaning you do not have to be in a union to work here.

Plenty of work here, but not near as much union work as there once was.


----------

