Chicago union electricians make $67/hr?! Holy Obama!

[NL5]

The services of a skilled tradesmen are worth what someone will pay for them.

Exactly. There are PLENTY of non-union shops that someone can hire. Most of the IBEW guys are doing highly skilled work, and most of that work goes to union contractors - for a reason.

Also, they are not getting $67 an hour on their check, probably less than $40. They have to provide their own tools, as well as go to 5 years of schooling initially, and take continuing education classes their whole career.

edit - wanted to add this too - Chicago has some pretty insane requirements for all their electrical work as well. Something to do with a fire.....

 

[KIAman]

The real benefits of white collar jobs is spending only 1/10 the energy and getting fat from sitting around too long.

 

[911paramedic]

I don't know a single iron worker with all their fingers fwiw. (Different job, but same type of union wage.)

 

[Bignate603]

You might want to look up the economics behind a union...

There's nothing that forces companies to use union electricians. They can hire whoever they want that has the required things needed for their location and that is not governed by the union. With many of these unions for skilled trades though there's an advantage to getting people through the union, especially for short term jobs. The training and all the benefits are handled by the union so the person running the job just requests the number of tradesmen that they need.

There are plenty of jobs that chose to use non-union tradesmen, many contractors on their housing developments choose not to. Of course, you don't hear many people saying how awesome the workmanship is on their new house in a large development.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Including benefits are the key words.

this.

 

[lxskllr]

thats a lot of money for a blue collar worker. pretty bullshit

I guess you're white collar? Don't be too proud of yourself. Not only are white collar workers dumbasses like everyone else, they're generally useless when it comes to doing more than pushing papers ;^)

 

[911paramedic]

I guess you're white collar? Don't be too proud of yourself. Not only are white collar workers dumbasses like everyone else, they're generally useless when it comes to doing more than pushing papers ;^)

 

[grrl]

thats a lot of money for a blue collar worker. pretty bullshit

I guess you're white collar? Don't be too proud of yourself. Not only are white collar workers dumbasses like everyone else, they're generally useless when it comes to doing more than pushing papers ;^)

Wow, so much fail in one thread.

 

[Bignate603]

Wow, so much fail in one thread.

I don't see how lxskllr is wrong, there are plenty of people working desk jobs that have no clue how to actually make anything. It's ridiculous how many people think that somebody that does skilled work with their hands is on the same level as a high school dropout that flips burgers. Skilled work is skilled work, whether it happens at a desk or on a worksite.

 

[Zebo]

You might want to look up the economics behind a union...

You might want to look at the economics behind market position and control of capital.

 

[Mo0o]

How long is the training to reach journeyman status?

 

[dawp]

4 - 6 years if i remember right

 

[DangerAardvark]

I don't see how lxskllr is wrong, there are plenty of people working desk jobs that have no clue how to actually make anything. It's ridiculous how many people think that somebody that does skilled work with their hands is on the same level as a high school dropout that flips burgers. Skilled work is skilled work, whether it happens at a desk or on a worksite.

Not much difference between dropping out of high school to flip burgers and flipping burgers with a philosophy degree... except for the student loans of course.

 

[Mo0o]

4 - 6 years if i remember right

Hmm, 135k doesnt seem that unreasonable if thats how long the training period is. Not exactly easily replaceable labor...

 

[Bignate603]

Hmm, 135k doesnt seem that unreasonable if thats how long the training period is. Not exactly easily replaceable labor...

I think you missed what other people have said repeatedly in this thread. That $67/hr isn't anywhere close to what their take home pay is. None of them are making $135k/year.

 

[Mo0o]

I think you missed what other people have said repeatedly in this thread. That $67/hr isn't anywhere close to what their take home pay is. None of them are making $135k/year.

What's the take home?

 

[lxskllr]

What's the take home?

Deducting health insurance will take a large chunk out, retirement, long travel on your dime... It's hard to say, but health insurance alone is a bitch.

 

[Bignate603]

What's the take home?

Depends on the specifics of their job and benefits package, that $67/hr includes all benefits that the workers get. The benefits will vary based on what their local chapter of the union offers. I'd bet that 1/3rd of that $67/hr goes towards different benefits. When you start taking in the other costs involved (their tools, travel, training, money to last them in between jobs) they're probably earning close to the equivalent of $50k to $60k at a normal job.

That's about where I think my father in law ends up (he's an union electrician in upstate NY) on a good year when he's jumping from one job directly to the next but it's been a looong time since he's had a good year. Jobs have been few and far between, at least until recently. He finally landed a job helping to wire up the new global foundries chip fab in upstate NY which should last a while. A long job will let him pay some stuff off and get his savings back up to survive the next dry spell.

 

[BoomerD]

Including benefits are the key words.

Indeed. Health & welfare, (medical, dental, and optical) are probably close to $8/hr, pension about the same, vacation pay $5 or more, (no paid vacations in the trades) plus all the other bullshit they tack on under "fringe benefits" that the worker never sees...retiree medical, industry stabilization fund, buy the business manager a new car fund, etc....
Most likely, on the check, the taxable wage is around $45/hour. Not out of line for union electricians in any major metropolitan area.

In my union, the fringe package is almost $20/hr on top of wages. I would be making between $38 and $43/hr + benefits if I was still in the trades...maybe a bit more.

 

[JackRipper]

I'm a general contractor and I absolutely hate it when people say..

"What?!? You guys want to charge $120 to do an hours worth of work and you guys finished in 1/2 an hour??!?!?!"

What people dont realize is that we actually make only $5 an hour... the other $115 an hour goes into the time and effort we:

1) School/Training: we went thru at least 8 years of mastering our trade (Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing)... I actually went thru Med School and decided to call it quits cause I didn't like the work enviroment I was in plus the life/death responsibilties attached with the job... But a Master Tradesman spends just as much time making a lot less than doctors, software engineers, laywers...

2) we have to pay for insurance to cover in case there may be accidents involved with the job, usually sometimes out of your neglect to maintain your property and leave it in an unsafe state....

3) In an hour service call. Sometimes we get lucky and finish in 30 mins and we have to pretend to do work so you won't accuse us of being expensive. Sometimes we dón't get lucky and it takes forever to complete a job. Do you ever think of how long it takes to drive to your house and to leave your house to go back to our office? We don't live next door to you... A typical 1 hour service call costs us about 3 hours. So divide $120 by 3 then figure in cost of wear and tear on vehicle, long term cost of having expensive tôols available to do the job, gas, insurance, etc.... Do you seriously think someone would go over to help with your burned out outlet or broken electrical panel for $20?

lol...

$67 seems a lot.. but you should see how rediculous some other people get paid. At least these people keep the power running in your house....

And believe me I dislike Unions as much as anyone....

-JR

 

[0roo0roo]

Apparently you don't see the rest of the pay scale in construction..

considering the building bust ...a lot of bupkis.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

My exes dad was rolling decent as an electrician. Although he'd have plenty of off time as well because union wouldn't keep him busy. I think they offered him a position on their council, or whatever the fuck they call it, but he turned down the offer.
I remember him pointing out all the random places he did electricity at while were out. Ranging from gas stations to some of the larger noticeable buildings in Chicago.
I regret not taking his offer to be electrician apprentice, woulda kept me more busy & employed, than I was at the time.

 

[ahenkel]

I'll never rag on the trades it good honest money. I think there's a lot of people out there that would excel at it but we promote this culture that dumps on it. My grandpa's been a plumber his whole life never college educated yet he knows shit about everything.

 

[Adrenaline]

Indeed. Health & welfare, (medical, dental, and optical) are probably close to $8/hr, pension about the same, vacation pay $5 or more, (no paid vacations in the trades) plus all the other bullshit they tack on under "fringe benefits" that the worker never sees...retiree medical, industry stabilization fund, buy the business manager a new car fund, etc....
Most likely, on the check, the taxable wage is around $45/hour. Not out of line for union electricians in any major metropolitan area.

In my union, the fringe package is almost $20/hr on top of wages. I would be making between $38 and $43/hr + benefits if I was still in the trades...maybe a bit more.

Union jobs usually have OT involved with them, reducing the wage per hour even more.

The cost of living in the Chicago area isn't exactly cheap either. Location has a large part to do with wages.

 

[SunnyD]

lol. Unions. lol. There's no electrician who's skill is worth $67 an hour. Everyone knows this.

Can't wait to see your house burn down after you do your own electrical job and laugh at you when the insurance investigator denies your claim due to improper electrical wiring/not to code.

Of course I'm willing to wait 20 or so years for that to happen, since you're obviously a 12 year old troll. Everybody knows this.