Become IBEW worker at 46?

Due to my age??

John

I'm in a similiar situation but slightly younger. The guy holding the meeting at the local 48 said that someone at age 60 was accepted into the program. We will see if they accept me at my age in the next several months.

snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net wrote:

AFAIK, regular apprentices cannot be accepted past the age of 26. There are exceptions....ie, programs to introduce women into the workforce, etc.

The other poster had a good idea...go talk to the BA (business agent) at your nearest local.

The other way to enter the IBEW would be to apply for a job at an organized utility. They will train you at their facility (example: powerhouse)...and everyone is in the IBEW....after that, occasionally you can apply to take a JW test at an 'inside' local to get an 'A' card (construction).

Not to be too negative, but at 46, you have quite a mountain to climb. Be vewwy, vewwy persistent!

Hmm..... well i know my age is what's against me more than anything.

But..... Ive always had a VERY strong understanding of electricity and electronics...... just wasn't wise enough to get into the filed.

Instead I got into CAD electrical schematics) and computers.

But.....Im burnt out...need a change. And Im tired of setting at a desk al day. I worry how badly all the setting is affecting my health..... which it is.

Hence the questions abt getting into the electrical trades/union.

John

Isn't it age discrimination to refuse (or more precisely have such a policy) someone over 40? There are *many* reasons I hate unions, but this would add another.

I agree here, but age discrimination isn't nice. It's not like he's 90 and in an iron lung.

Where did you get this information that apprentices aren't accepted past age 26?

LAWSUIT LAWSUIT

"User 1.nospam" wrote:

Well, No overtime that equals about $62.50/hr. Around here, 4th year apprentices make about $25.00/hr iirc. To make that amount of cash at 60, he would have to work full time plus put in 120 hours per month of overtime. I think journeymen made around $32/hr. Ends up full time plus 76.25 hours of overtime per month. This is all before taxes, food, any house or car payments, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Nate

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Yes I have in fact thought abt how hard it might be on me at 46.

But I will tell you this..... the job I have now (setting all day)..... is killing me slowly as well. No kidding. Its the absolute worst thing you could do to your body..... no activity

John

Well Junior, I may be an engineer, but I've spent a lot of years working side by side journeyman electricians working on railroad and rapid transit applications. In that world, the traction power cables are 1,500 MCM at times, and trust me that no one with half a brain even tries to manipulate them by hand, can or would be stupid enough to want to try.

Sadly, I've met journeyman electricians who seem to feel that they can brute force anything quickly, and then walk away satisfied with a false belief that they've done a "professional" job. When you're dealing with the Union Hall, these are the guys that you do not want on your job!

It may come as a surprise to you, the the most valued union electricians on my jobs were guys between 50 and 65 years old. The older guys were a bit slower, but their work was always of primo quality, unlike that of a majority of the 25-30 year-olds whose accomplishments seemingly always needed to be re-worked.

Go figure.

Harry C.

Why don't you tell the guy the truth, Harry? Because those older _experienced_workers are valued, they can pretty much dictate their work conditions, you know it, including whether or not they will work with _you_. Is a 50 year old _apprentice_ going to have these same privileges? I'll bet the apprentice gets all the gravy work, huh?