I graduated from high school in 1961.By chance I got started working in the electrical field in August of that year.I have spent my entire working career being an electrician.I started working for a Union contractor in 1967. When I did this, I more than doubled my wages.One of the best things the IBEW has going for it is the training they offer.When you get done with your apprenticeship, you will be one of the best trained electricians in the world.That training will go on for all the years of your career.The IBEW offers classes to further your training and make you more qualified than other electricians.The more knowledge you have the better electrician you will be.
The wages you will make will be higher than the non-union counterparts and your fringe benefits are as good as there is.Health insurance which is a big factor is paid by the contractor and pays for your doctor bills and prescriptions.The retirement benefits will put you in a position that when you are ready to retire you will have enough money to retire and not have to worry about if there is enough money to live.My retirement benefits are more per month than my take home when I was working.This is without touching my 343 annuities.If you start now, by the time you retire your benefits will be very good.This may not seem important to you now, but believe me when I say it will be very important when you get close to retirement age.
I feel that you should be involved in the political process.Of the 44 years I spent in the trade, it made a big difference in the amount of work out there by who was in power in government.During Democratic administrations work was always plentiful.During Republican administrations there was always some unemployment.So our involvement will make a difference.You need to keep people who are friends of labor in government.
I have been with the Union since 2001.I worked for a non-union employer for 10 years before that.During that time, I went from $5.50 to $15.00 an hour.I had never really heard about the Union until Al Stork came around and had a meeting with some of us.I am happy to say that four of us are now Union employees.
My coming to the Union was to say the least a little shaky.The first employer went bankrupt six months after I started, leaving me a little scared.Greg Graif and the Union helped me by having short calls that I took where ever I could and also sending me to work for employers that were thinking of joining the Union.
I know now that after working for the Union for a few years that there is usually a job out there.You might have to travel, but sometimes those are a lot of fun.I can say that where ever I have gone I have always found the other electricians to be friendly and professional.
I know there are a lot of electricians out there that are afraid to make the move, but just remember that the Union is just a group of electricians doing the same thing that other non-union electricians are doing; only we are getting paid for our knowledge.
