Any union carpenters out there?

[WKR]

Just wanna see if there's any union carpenters on the forum and see what state you're from and what the work is like out there.
I'm considering moving to a state (western) with better huntin opportunity and more like minded people.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

My old man was a union carpenter in AK for many years....now he pulls a pension check and spends the winters in his beach house down Puerto Vallarta way...you could say that pounding nails winter after winter in Prudhoe Bay kinda ruined him for cold weather....lol

 

[4rcgoat]

Was in the Detroit carpenters union for about 6 years back when times were good( early 2000's). Got out of there in 08 when the work fell off. Live in a small western town with no union,real bummer is i still have a pension with them but cant move it or contribute to it unless im currently working in a union.

 

[WKR]

My old man was a union carpenter in AK for many years....now he pulls a pension check and spends the winters in his beach house down Puerto Vallarta way...you could say that pounding nails winter after winter in Prudhoe Bay kinda ruined him for cold weather....lol

Yup I heard they got quite a bit of union work up there in Alaska. Just not sure if they work year around?

 

[WKR]

Was in the Detroit carpenters union for about 6 years back when times were good( early 2000's). Got out of there in 08 when the work fell off. Live in a small western town with no union,real bummer is i still have a pension with them but cant move it or contribute to it unless im currently working in a union.

Yeah that's what I'm worried about, I'm sure I could find non union work in any of the western states but I wouldn't be paying into my pension. But at the same time I don't know if I could make it in CA for another 25 years.

 

[4rcgoat]

Yeah that's what I'm worried about, I'm sure I could find non union work in any of the western states but I wouldn't be paying into my pension. But at the same time I don't know if I could make it in CA for another 25 years.

Its a problem for sure.......pick your poison ehh.

 

[eLightfoot]

Im a Union Carpenter in SF bay area. I've concluded that if I ever move out of this pile of shit state I will likely have to do non union work for peanuts in pay. I specialize in commercial Doors/Frames/Hardware, which out side of a big city is tough job to find I'd think. Would be good to become well rounded before moving out of state.

 

[WKR]

Im a Union Carpenter in SF bay area. I've concluded that if I ever move out of this pile of shit state I will likely have to do non union work for peanuts in pay. I specialize in commercial Doors/Frames/Hardware, which out side of a big city is tough job to find I'd think. Would be good to become well rounded before moving out of state.

Seems like all the good states don't have any union work doesn't it?
How many years you got in brother?

 

[Spoonman]

Union carpenter here in Washington. Work is decent but looking to move away from this rat infested shit hole! Hunting and fishing is good though! 19 years in!

 

[eLightfoot]

Seems like all the good states don't have any union work doesn't it?
How many years you got in brother?

12 years with Stockham Construction

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Yup I heard they got quite a bit of union work up there in Alaska. Just not sure if they work year around?

Oh yeah, there's always something happening somewhere....

 

[Smid]

Im a Union Carpenter in SF bay area. I've concluded that if I ever move out of this pile of shit state I will likely have to do non union work for peanuts in pay. I specialize in commercial Doors/Frames/Hardware, which out side of a big city is tough job to find I'd think. Would be good to become well rounded before moving out of state.

Food for thought here, the cost of living is substantially less in most places than the Bay Area. I just took a maintenance gig, but our IBEW scale is $32 an hour + benefits. Our house is an average starter house, in a decent neighborhood for $138,000. I’m sure you couldn’t buy a rental spot under a bridge in the Bay Area for that lol.

 

[WKR]

Food for thought here, the cost of living is substantially less in most places than the Bay Area. I just took a maintenance gig, but our IBEW scale is $32 an hour + benefits. Our house is an average starter house, in a decent neighborhood for $138,000. I’m sure you couldn’t buy a rental spot under a bridge in the Bay Area for that lol.

In California?

 

[Smid]

In California?

I’m in Ohio. I was generalizing the Bay Area and California as having a higher cost of living than most places, I didn’t clarify very well in my first post

 

[Squamch]

Union carpenter in BC, with LOCAL 1598 BC Regional council of carpenters. Commercial finishing. Company I work for has 10 years of contracts signed, plus I've got a few other outfits trying to drag me away for renovation work at schools, public buildings.
Base rate is $34/hr, industrial is $45, thats all camp work, usually 14/7. Camps are a shitshow right now with corona though. There's also CMAW and CLAC union jobs, and you can hold multiple cards. One of my buddies is in all 3, plus the labourers, and piledriver's unions. Basically guarantees he can pull industrial rate non-stop, someone always has a mill shut down, a bridge, or some kind of plant or shipyard work going on.

I've heard rumors that travel cards are paying upwards of $70/hr in Seattle. Dunno if that's true though.

 

[11boo]

I’m a retired electrician. I was a union electrician about 25 years ago. When I bailed on the union, my pay went up. A lot, enough to retire at 54. I did have to bust my ass and learn a whole new side of the trade(oilfield), but the money was worth it. I wouldn’t worry too much about finding union work, but you should be sure you won’t lose any pensions promised.

 

[Wapiti1]

There is no networking within the trade unions state to state? Sure seems like there would be something like that these days. Just a question. I have little trade union knowledge and just OK carpentry skills.

That said, my grandfather was a union carpenter/ceiling installer in Great Falls, MT, so there has to be something.

Jeremy

 

[WKR]

Union carpenter in BC, with LOCAL 1598 BC Regional council of carpenters. Commercial finishing. Company I work for has 10 years of contracts signed, plus I've got a few other outfits trying to drag me away for renovation work at schools, public buildings.
Base rate is $34/hr, industrial is $45, thats all camp work, usually 14/7. Camps are a shitshow right now with corona though. There's also CMAW and CLAC union jobs, and you can hold multiple cards. One of my buddies is in all 3, plus the labourers, and piledriver's unions. Basically guarantees he can pull industrial rate non-stop, someone always has a mill shut down, a bridge, or some kind of plant or shipyard work going on.

I've heard rumors that travel cards are paying upwards of $70/hr in Seattle. Dunno if that's true though.

Interesting, wonder how hard it would be for an American to immigrate up there and go to work. What's your retirement look like? Pension and annuity?

And they could pay $100 an hour and I still wouldn't even consider going to Seattle. Not with what's been going on over there.

 

[WKR]

There is no networking within the trade unions state to state? Sure seems like there would be something like that these days. Just a question. I have little trade union knowledge and just OK carpentry skills.

That said, my grandfather was a union carpenter/ceiling installer in Great Falls, MT, so there has to be something.

Jeremy

Yeah I could call the union halls and talk to the business agents out of the different locals, just haven't made it that far yet.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Seems like all the good states don't have any union work doesn't it?
How many years you got in brother?

There’s a reason for that and it largely has to do with politics.

Go work for yourself, set your own rate, set your own hours, set your own vacation, set your own retirement.

You’re welcome.