Have applied at local 11 NJ iron workers union. They are doing apprentice program. 3 days a week 3 weeks and 3 weeks of. I'm debating wheather I'm moving in the right direction. It's 4 years of school, you get ever certification. From welding certifications to rigging and what not. You start of around $20 plus 9.10$ for every day you work and after 3 months they give you that check, plus beneftits and retirement plan. As of know I'm working for a non union company h&r welding and steel erectors as iron worker. Get paid $15hr plus they take $70 every week for healthcare. I'm only 23 been with h&r for 5 months. I understand the struggle of driving your self to work and what not but I'm not sure if it's really worth or not.
iron workers union
- Thread starter kolelt
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
KidVermicious
New member
Yeah, my experience as well. You know it's not going well when the union rep and company owner meet before talking to you. In my case the owner was the one the union wanted to keep happy.
BrianSD_42
New member
Have you gone through the 4 years of school yet?
Or are you about to possibly begin the 4 years apprenticeship?
Or are you about to possibly begin the 4 years apprenticeship?
Not yet, June 13 is the walk beam test. After that it's a math test. If you score good then your basicslly in and. You start your school. Ugh, I hear good and bad things about unions. I like the benefits, but I hear alotnof corruption happens in unions, not particularly in this one but this isn't a easy decision lol. Appreciate your guys oppinions.
What exactly do you mean, many years later you dealt with companies that had union labor
BrianSD_42
New member
Well I don't see any downside to going to the first meetings and taking the math test.
But I'll say this .... If you have 4 years why not go to community college and then state college for a degree in a high employment field.
Its affordable and there are plenty of majors that offer good employment besides just computer programming (although I'd encourage that). For example nursing has high employment high pay. These days there are lots of male nurses and they make $50-75k within 2 years. Maybe that's a bad example but there's lots of jobs out there as long as you choose the right major.
Have you heard of BLS.gov ?
But I'll say this .... If you have 4 years why not go to community college and then state college for a degree in a high employment field.
Its affordable and there are plenty of majors that offer good employment besides just computer programming (although I'd encourage that). For example nursing has high employment high pay. These days there are lots of male nurses and they make $50-75k within 2 years. Maybe that's a bad example but there's lots of jobs out there as long as you choose the right major.
Have you heard of BLS.gov ?
bofa
New member
My personal opinion is that unions have lost their effectiveness and worn out their welcome since the advent of the Department of Labor and state fair labor practices. Plus they seem to breed a negative mentality toward the employer, even when things are going well, because they need that friction to remain relevant.
From a dollars and cents perspective, I would compare the cost of membership and the benefits with that of the path that doesn't involve the union. For my wife's old job, even the non-union employees were paid and employed according to the CBA terms, they just didn't pay the dues if they didn't want representation or the liability insurance. It ended up being cheaper to get her own insurance and ignore the drama.
Good luck either way. +1 for going to school on your own.
From a dollars and cents perspective, I would compare the cost of membership and the benefits with that of the path that doesn't involve the union. For my wife's old job, even the non-union employees were paid and employed according to the CBA terms, they just didn't pay the dues if they didn't want representation or the liability insurance. It ended up being cheaper to get her own insurance and ignore the drama.
Good luck either way. +1 for going to school on your own.
You guys do have good points. I have not heard of bls.gov, the thing with college is having money to survive while going to it. With this union job , you work and go to school at the same time. And you start of at $20 plus benefits. It's defiantly not easy choice. From what I hear is if your working , it's great. If your not it sucks. After 4 years you make $89 in hour plus $9.10 in hour on a side and get a check for that every 3 months. You put around $40 in your pocket and the rest is for retirement and what not. I will look into the college, I went one semester for computer science, but couldn't afford it after that.
Meaning that by that point in time, I owned my own business. In that capacity, I dealt with many businesses that were Unionized. Without fail, I witnessed graft, corruption, and generally unethical behavior at those businesses.
Last edited:
Nervo19
Member
$89/hour??!! That's over 180k per year. You'd be hard pressed to earn that much after a four year college even if you became an engineer. I don't see a downside to taking the four year training and if you don't like the union you can take that training and move to a right to work state such as Virginia. There are jobs your training would fit here but many are dependent on the military such as in shipbuilding. For a comparison here's a table that shows what first year graduates of VA Tech earn:
Virginia Tech Post-Graduation Report: Salaries reported
Good luck! I think what you are doing is smarter than taking out loans to get a degree that has no immediate connection to a career.
Virginia Tech Post-Graduation Report: Salaries reported
Good luck! I think what you are doing is smarter than taking out loans to get a degree that has no immediate connection to a career.
$89, but half of that goes to your pension. So you put around $44 in your pocket. Some rate jobs offer more, the freedom tower fot ex. Iron workers got around +$100, like you said. You can take your training and use it somewhere else. And the school is free and you work at the same time. I will just have to save and get a beater car like corola for better mpg, old school corola.
Last edited:
Super-G
New member
I am a union employee. I'm a member of Teamsters Local 107. I drive a tractor trailer for a local freight company (local meaning I am home every night, not over the road).
I think as everything in life, being a union employee is what you make of it. I've been in the Teamsters for just over 10 years and I've never once had a problem. I show up, do my job safely, and go home. Simple as that. I don't get sucked in to any BS, I don't cry to the union if someone looks at me funny, ect. As I said, I do my job the right way and I go home.
I think that there are certain losers in life that feel that the union is like a big brother who will protect them right or wrong and those D-bags give good union workers a bad name.
As far as going to college, ultimately a college education should serve you better in life but ya never know. I'm not some dumb truck driver, I also have a degree in Political Science but most of the jobs I was offered out of college were mediocre pay. I can only tell you that as a union truck driver I make a really good living. It's hard work, but I am paid well and I never turn down OT. I actually make more money than several of my friends who went to college and got job in their field of study.
I think as everything in life, being a union employee is what you make of it. I've been in the Teamsters for just over 10 years and I've never once had a problem. I show up, do my job safely, and go home. Simple as that. I don't get sucked in to any BS, I don't cry to the union if someone looks at me funny, ect. As I said, I do my job the right way and I go home.
I think that there are certain losers in life that feel that the union is like a big brother who will protect them right or wrong and those D-bags give good union workers a bad name.
As far as going to college, ultimately a college education should serve you better in life but ya never know. I'm not some dumb truck driver, I also have a degree in Political Science but most of the jobs I was offered out of college were mediocre pay. I can only tell you that as a union truck driver I make a really good living. It's hard work, but I am paid well and I never turn down OT. I actually make more money than several of my friends who went to college and got job in their field of study.
