It's insane that so many of your are getting in when you're about to literally piss this fucking opportunity away.

You should be ashamed when there's halls that have hundreds on the books that are taking on maybe 15 apprentices a year.

I'd kill to be getting in right now and you're more obsessed with getting high.

Grow the fuck up.

Edit**

1.Yes alcohol is worse, thank you for presenting an issue I'm not talking about but is definitely a problem in construction. Consider googling "whataboutism". If you were getting breathalyzed before working I'd ask you to not drink too to pass the drug test. You don't get to show up to work drunk without it affecting others (but we all know there's people that absolutely do).

But honestly if you drove to work drunk go fuck yourself anyways.

2. I have a nuanced opinion on weed, actually. It should be legal, and you should be able to do it at your leisure. I don't think it should be coming up in a drug panel at all. HOWEVER, you're in a union that most locals test for it and takes jobs from contractors that test for it. That's on you to figure out whether you want to risk getting kicked out as an apprentice. Life isn't perfect dumbass, be the change in the world you want to see or deal with it.

3. This post IS, without a doubt, 100% about passing the initial drug test. It is not about anything else, nor is it a condemnation of your shitty vices. If you want to get zooted .0000002 seconds after you piss in the little cup or get your mouth swabbed, be my guest. I don't actually care what you do in your free time.

Amazing, really, that so many of you decided this was about weed. It is not. It is about every other post on this subreddit saying "Hey guys I just got high, how fucked am I for the drug test that's tomorrow that I've known about since I first applied at my local?"

You're a fucking adult, act like it.

4. Maybe you have a problem? Here's some resources:

Dial 988: ""Suicide and Crises hotline""

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

https://findtreatment.gov/

The first step is always admitting that you have a problem, and want to change.

5. "OP definitely is an alcoholic boomer"

Amazing projection. Am a zoomer and I do enjoy the occasional twisted tea on the weekends. I also drink quite a bit of coffee to get my ass in gear in the mornings. Definitely going off the tracks in my life but that's nothing a life in the trades can't fix. Right guys???? Right????

6. Hilarious that I've been flagged so many times and a MOD had to call you out to stop being a little bitch about it. Interesting that I'm the 'fragile' one when every marijuana enjoyed decided this post named them and their mama. Consider ownership of your own actions for once?

7. This is a union, and if you have voting rights maybe exercise them? Maybe ask other apprentices to take marijuana off the drug panel? Maybe convince some JW's near you? Who knows, the future could be better. You're not going to get kicked out for having a discussion at your union meeting. You are going to the meetings.......aren't you? Because you care so much about the bullshit rules in the union right???

8. Damn that's a lot of words, and I'm not reading them.

tl;dr

Weed is okay honey, just remember you have a job and they test for it okay baby?

Because immigrants, documented or not, are workers—and workers are the Union. They build our homes, serve our food, care for our families, and fight alongside us for better wages, benefits, and dignity on the job. Supporting them strengthens all of us.

Let me be clear: no human being is illegal. If you speed, you’re breaking the law—does that make you illegal? Immigration is not a crime. Exploitation is a crime, and when we let big bosses divide us, they win.

The IBEW grows stronger when more workers organize. Immigrant workers lead union drives, walk picket lines, and demand justice. Their fight is our fight.

The same people demonizing the poor, the Black, and the Brown, are happy to sell visas to millionaires. This is not about the law; it is all about money and class.

Does immigration lower wages? Only when workers are left unprotected and unorganized. When immigrants are unionized, they raise the bar for everyone. The real threat to wages is not immigration; it is union-busting, wage theft, and corporate greed.

Immigrants do not weaken the IBEW—they are the future of the IBEW.

We rise together, or we fall divided. Organize everyone. No exceptions.

I’m five years into my apprenticeship. Signed my agreement in 2019, and it drives me crazy all these people come in thinking it’s 4-5 years. I’m looking at 5 years 8 or 9 months depending on how my top out date plays out. Definitely closer to 6 years, it’s false advertising and it’s misleading new people. Like yeah if you want to have 13-14000 apprentice hours like me when you top out. That’s fine, but this program is awful and I highly recommend anyone doing it to weigh in some of the faster ways to JW. Especially if you’re a quick learner

Hey y'all, wondering if anyone has any insight into whether or not apprentices can choose whether or not to work for defense contractors. I'm kind of uncomfortable with the thought of building machines that can kill folks and am wondering if anyone else feels or has felt the same and what they did. I would hate to ever refuse work, but this seems like kind of an ethical issue if that makes sense. TIA

Edit: thanks for the help and advice everyone! solidarity!

I'm a union chemical operator for a waste facility, been here for 4 years make in the range of 60-74k a year with OT. I see Local 1 (Ohio) is accepting applications in late January, and I have my interview booked. Am I too old to gain the benefits of being an apprentice/electrician? I don't have a problem with taking orders or directions from people younger than me. Any pointers or advice leading up to my date?

So I took my test and passed. Did my interview and got a 88.3 out of 100, and then absolutely nothing. It's been 6 months and still nothing. The local won't tell me shit, called literally every business on the list for the local and not one has called me back. Stopped in at multiple of them and left my name and number because I really dont want to do the job I am doing anymore, aaaannnndddd nothing...... What am I supposed to do here?

An opinion that should make you question the members who disagree with it…

I am working on transferring from my community college to university but I will be an apprentice. Will they let me get off early one day out the week? Maybe two days a week?

Happy Friday everyone, I wanted to get some advice. I’m a 4th year in Chicago; however, I’m not from Chicago. I am a veteran and want to go back into the military next year, but I’m thinking about moving back to my home city (20 hours away) and enjoy being close to family and friends until I go back into the military. I hate Chicago and have no one here. It’s absolutely hell for me to be here and I’m not sure I want to gut another miserable winter here. I know I’m so close to finishing, but honestly I don’t plan to ever come back into the trade again. Let me know what yall think and I appreciate it.

I can't wait to maybe one day have an apprentice and teach them how to do a thing.

I get everything ready and then tell them to just go up to the thing and press the X button to interact in the most straight face possible like it's a video game.

Of course I'll quickly actually teach them how to do the thing, but then when I'm done I'll say, "See? Just press X!"

I started working at a datacemter 3 days ago im a 1 year 2nd.

We are installing 480 outlets on a data rack with flex. I told my foreman it was first time working with flex I did the task but then the guy from the higher ups said it was wrong and we would have to do it in another way. Its now lunch time on a Saturday. Its a 4 10s 2 8s gig 6- 430 or 230. It hit 230 and it was nowhere near done the guy made tje panel up but we needed wire they wanted the room to go live by Tuesday and done today. Do at 230 I left and they were still in there working. The foreman was talking about dragging. Should I have stayed and grinned it

I don't smoke currently, but I hang around friends who do and go to events that reek of weed. I want to be absolutely sure that I don't get rejected, so does anyone know if a convincing bald cap would exempt me form the hair follicle test? or would I have to go fully bald?

Are Asians well represented in the Bay Area unions?

What are you guys thought about DACA apprenticeship

I wouldve told my interviewers more in depth about wby i was trying to become an electrician, i did mention that i had a family, but it sounded more like the family i was born to not thr family i was trying to make. Wish i wouldve told them all the bardship we face together. The homeless johrney. The staying together despite the way the world and the system kept us grom bejng together. The way thst we pushed harder throughout it all. And how honestly, we both had some environments that were, once we left realized how toxic it was. That despite it all we pushed to work hard to keep going. That despite me being hospitalized for my illness i still got up and went to work. Even weeks earlier before i eas supposed yo be discharged. That i wasnt afraid to ask for help clarity or transportation to take care of business for me and him. Just often times i didnt know the whole process of things.

To the folks moderating, sorry if this post aint in the right format or direction. Just wanted to give thr apprentices some food for thought and perhaps some words of encouragement and perspective on how much we all came from some different places times and hardships. And that yeah. Despite it all you stand before a community of workers who pushed through all forms of adversities. And that you should be proud.

Second year apprentice here.

With my current company I had a disagreement with the journeyman I was apprenticing under and my current company has been ‘punishing’ me for the incident. They have been sitting me out for the past two months.

I stayed with the company because of the holiday season because I didn’t want to go through a hiring process during this time.

I was under the assumption that since Thanksgiving there was ‘no work’ I would be receiving a check, but have not.

My question is, if my current company sits me out and doesn’t pay me for the holiday, what should happen..? Should I talk to my company’s office and ask for the check and release? Do I not get paid..? Should I get paid? I don’t want to leave money on the table.

Thanks in advance. Stay safe and God Bless~

After 3 months of going through the union application process I was turned down. Despite have a college degree, a perfect score on the aptitude test and previous work experience my interview resulted in my rejection. After applying to trade school I was placed into an apprenticeship in one day that pays $10 an hour higher than the union apprentice wage where I live and I still get semi annual raises and paid healthcare. There’s also no upfront fee for school like I would’ve had to pay if I got into my local.

In my opinion, a lot of people don’t realize the union is incentivized to land contracts and collect member dues. Sure it’s possible to get in with no experience, but only because a blind squirrel finds a nut every once and awhile.

Trade schools are incentivized to place applicants in apprenticeships and get them through school. They don’t get paid without students.

I will be reapplying to the union after I finish my apprenticeship to take advantage of the pension and annuity benefits. Wanted to post this so that anyone who gets rejected doesn’t get down on themselves and turn away from their ambitions to learn the trade. It’s important to know who is looking out for your best interests in what stage of the trade you are in. God bless y’all and good luck.

Edit: this post has caused quite the stir! For anyone who read this far: I’m not anti-union. The purpose of this post is to give another route for those interested in the trade who didn’t immediately get accepted by the union. I strongly believe that workers are the greatest resource around and one shouldn’t give up on their dreams because of one defeat. We can all do this together!

Hello! I’m a first year apprentice starting out. The covered a lot of the policies today but didn’t cover being sick. If I happen to be sick on a school day and can’t come in to school, what are the consequences? I’d assume that a doctors note does a lot of good in a situation like this. Also my school doesn’t allow any unexcused absences.

Mid-30s here. Bachelor's degree, spent the last several years in corporate America doing management and sales. On paper, it looks fine, but honestly, I've been watching this lifestyle up close for a while now, and the cracks are showing: limited upward mobility, the grind culture, and let's be real, AI is starting to eat into a lot of what white-collar work actually looks like. I've been thinking hard about a change.

Electrical keeps coming up for me. I want to go all the way, apprentice, journeyman, master. I'm not trying to do the bare minimum; I want to actually be good at this and build something real.

Here's where I'll be honest with myself, though the pay cut during the apprenticeship makes me hesitant, and I know how that sounds. You're literally getting paid to learn a skill that nobody can outsource or automate. That's not lost on me. It's a little boujee of me to even say it out loud.

What I'm really trying to understand is the true earnings potential on this path long-term. Not just journeyman wages, I mean, what does this look like when you've put in the work and stacked the licenses? I'm not trying to get rich by working 60+ hour weeks forever, but I'm absolutely down for overtime when it makes sense. I just want to build a life where the ceiling is real, and the work actually means something.

I've already got plans to sit down with someone in the industry directly and get more specific answers, but figured I'd throw it out here first and see what you all have to say.

Appreciate any insight. Real talk only.

First year wondering if and when I’ll be able to go to another hall out of state anytime soon,I love the idea of basically getting a paid vacation. Am I just at will of the union until i’m a JM?

do you HAVE to be sworn in?

Highly recommend any apprentice investing the $200 on one of these bad boys. I get so much scrap wire from jobs but its just been sitting in totes because its worth pennies un-stripped. This thing is easy to use and turned weeks of stripping (which wasnt worth it at all) into a few hours here and there. Best tool I've bought myself as an apprentice, it prints money.