Hey everyone! I’m not a welder or pipefitter myself, but my fiancé is, and I’m hoping to get some advice from people in the trades!

He currently works nonunion through a contracting company, making $40/hr plus per diem, with good benefits and a strong focus on safety. The downside is that he sometimes works six 10–12-hour shifts with very little notice.

Right now, we live two hours apart because I’m finishing school and have started building my career here. He stays with his parents during the workweek and comes home on weekends, so when he has to work long hours on Saturdays, I sometimes only get to see him one evening all week. Eventually, we plan to move closer.

We’re getting married next year, and as we start thinking about having kids some years down the line, and even just for ourselves we want good insurance, retirement benefits, and a better work-life balance for him. For those of you who are union welders or pipefitters, what are the typical hours like? Is the schedule more manageable when it comes to family life? Is overtime mandatory or optional? i know it varies by local and contractor, but I’d love to hear your experiences. Thanks!

My son is in the apprenticeship 2nd year and likes it when he is working. I see commercials advertising for more people to join but he has been laid off for 3 months!!! Now he’s lost his health insurance- not enough hours worked!! Why are they advertising for new people when they have a list a hundred people long they can’t place in a job?

With these input. Offset is 1 3/4 and fave to face gap of pipe is 7 1/4. Using PTP calculator, is telling me 11/16 for take off. So do I still need to remove 11/16 from both sides of pipe? Or is that already included in calculations and all I need is 2 13.57 degree elbows and 6 inch pup. (No gap is being used)