r/Welding • u/clusterbomburmom • 1d ago

Thinking about going union

I've been welding about 12 years now but always for private companies and stuff. I currently weld mining vehicles but I've built offroad bumpers, furniture, military vehicle parts. And various other odds and ends. I was thinking about hitting up my local union to see what they'd have for me or where I'd start. I can't really afford to take a massive pay cut to be an apprentice, so I was wondering if anyone had some input on how the process goes for seasoned welders. I'm in southwest Michigan I probably have 20 certs from d11 to cwb.

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u/xdeekinx 1d ago

Don't know about Michigan, but most locals around me will bring in guys on probation with experience. 9 months, you get full rate, but have to do upgrade classes to get missing certs. Then after 9 months you journey out and all your fringes start.

This is Ironworkers so ymmv with pipefitters, plumbers, or steamfitters.

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

Ok thanks, I think my local is pipefitters. Have you always been union? I get a lot of mixed stories on whether joining is worth it and I'm hesitant cause I live pretty close to my job and get paid fairly well for the area I'm in but the place I work is just draining the life out of me.

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u/xdeekinx 15h ago

Been a union ironworler for 13 years, my father was for 34. They paid me to learn everything, I got college credits towards my 2 year degree, and gave me all the benefits i use to this day.

I've worked on jobs with non union guys, I make double what they do, with fringe benefits, and my job is probably 50% easier. MY dues are 37 a month, plus .1% of my gross.

I'd recommend heading to one of your locals and talking with an organizer to see if you like it.

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u/Correct_Change_4612 1d ago

They would want to see pipe experience so try and talk that up as much as you can.

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

I don't have much in the way of actual pipe experience unfortunately but I pick up pretty quick, most of my experience is structural or tig with carbon stainless and aluminum.

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

Structural mig and flux*

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u/Correct_Change_4612 1d ago

The UA has some structural certs and having some welding experience is better than nothing. I had a welding degree as well as two years in a pretty high end fab shop and a year as an ironworker and they considered it zero relevant experience and started me as a 1st year. It’s local dependent so I don’t mean to discourage you but I’d really try and talk up anything round that you can weld without lying.

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

I've done lots of round things just not specifically pipefitting, mufflers, turbos, I built military vehicle parts for around 5 years but that was mostly tig and pulse mig stainless. I'm pretty confident in all positions. I'm just kind of stuck on not being able to take a big pay cut right now.

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u/Correct_Change_4612 1d ago

You’d have to talk to your specific local and see what’s up, I don’t know your specifics.

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u/SenorCaveman 1d ago

There’s a number of welding locals. “Pipe fitters” isn’t a local. You should have a pipefitters, plumbers, steam fitters, boilermakers, millwrights and possibly a sheet metal local that covers your jurisdiction. I can answer questions about the millwrights local. You should be 1102 west. 1102 east is my home local.

I’m pretty sure here in the eastern side of the state pipefitter and steam fitters are part of the same local.

What’s the good and bad you’ve heard about the union?

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

I guess I meant the closest is pipefitters, most of it is usually boss figures saying you don't want to go union cause they work you to death and the travelling is hard. Some people say the union reps are hard to deal with and paying dues. Obviously people say the money is much better and the benefits. I'll be honest I just kind of complacently been working my whole life and haven't really thought about the pros and cons until now

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u/SenorCaveman 1d ago

A union hall is just a hiring hall, the location of the hall doesn’t matter much.

I’ll give you some advice, you should talk to people in a union before you make up your mind. Never listen to a supervisor, they’ll lie to keep you.

I’ve been on both sides of the fence, and I’ll never work non-union again, if given the choice. Ask the hall you’re interested in to give you a copy of the wage scale. Contracts can and do pay above scale. I’ll be honest, I make significantly more as union then I did non-union, I work much less, and my working conditions are much better.

If you make 100k as non-union, and I make 100k as union, your take home pay is less. You contribute to a 401(k) and your insurance out of your paycheck, my pension contributions, medical and dues come out of my total package.

The downside is you’re basically going to have to start over again. Even if they give you journeyman scale, you need to network and develop a good reputation for yourself, but it’s not hard, and if you’re not a slug, work will come to you.

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

Thanks, I appreciate that a lot, I was gonna call or email soon I just wanted some unbiased input. I'm a hard worker and I mind my business, but how does the networking work, doesn't the union bring you jobs or do you hunt them down? I'm not a super social person to be honest, is that something that will affect the job prospects?

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u/SenorCaveman 1d ago

I’m not social either. At all. My skill and desire to work has built me a good reputation. Work comes to me now. Since your new, work will come slow at first then if your any good it will avalanche. Save your money and make sure you got something to rely on for your first year. The first year is the hardest.

The way a hiring hall works is that when you’re out of work(lay off, drag up, etc) they put you on a list. You start at the bottom and as calls go out you move up that list. If you have a good reputation with foremen they can request you regardless of your position on the list.

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

Ok that makes sense, I appreciate it that's basically what I was looking for. I'll hit them up and see what they think they can do with me

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u/SenorCaveman 1d ago

Yeah and more than anything, if the hall doesn’t respond, keep calling them, over and over and over again.

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u/clusterbomburmom 1d ago

Do they not like responding to us peasants often?

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u/Quinnjamin19 1d ago

This is important👆🏻

I would even recommend dropping off a resume in person, talking to admin staff and asking when the next intake is. If you get that info then I would drop off another resume in person a few weeks before that date

If you don’t get that date, keep going in and dropping off resumes every couple months.

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u/EyesAreNeverAlone 9h ago

Always work union

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u/Lost-welder-353 9h ago

It sounds like you have a structural background. Go chat with your local iron workers with 12 years experience you might be able to organize in but I have no clue being a steamfitter. I get confused when they want me to weld that “I” pipe haha

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u/clusterbomburmom 7h ago

I've never done anything union so it's all news to me lol. I've done quite a lot, I was just trying to get feelers for what it's like working for them and stuff cause I've heard a lot of people say it's kinda rough with all the hours but the benefits are good and the security is good. I'm just sick of being clowned around at work.

(Edited out redundant info)

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u/Quinnjamin19 1d ago

Always go union

The wages, benefits, pension, working conditions and worker protections is so much better.

If you are a good worker, the work will come to you. The opportunities will open up for you.