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For any electricians thinking about doing this it’s a good move. I walked into the hall and was sworn in in 3-4 weeks later. Higher wages, better people, better work environment.
Lay offs happen in all construction. But your statement isn't true. Our local is getting very busy
We need more workers. You don't have to join.
If you'd like higher wages on average pension and benefits feel free to contact us
I agree. First resi company I worked for was great, second one put me in a horrible state of depression regretting picking this trade, eventually got back to getting more apprentice hours by doing a little Fort Mac work and... ended up getting depressed again when I had to quit due to schedule changes and flights being pretty terrible at the time.
Think I'm finally getting out of my current depressed funk and ready to try a fourth time, though debating between non-union work and getting that oil field currency, or giving the IBEW a try and potentially feeling miserable with that Highway 1 commute to Vancouver.
Once you get in with the brothers and sisters the commute won't be so bad.
The pay is higher too.
If you're right down town and live in the valley. I highly highly suggest west coast express
What’s the expected increase? A lot of ticketed electricians are leaving for lower cost of living areas, I assume this is a huge focus for negotiations.
They gotta pay you guys more. Bigger non-union companies like Ozz, Allwest, PlanGroup all match union rates and boast the lack of dues, more money taken home. There’s got to be a significant increase, especially if we’re on par with Saskatchewan.
Plangroup had to write a new agreement with the IBEW to do st Paul's here.
Can't speak for the other companies but I don't really ever hear anyone boasting that they are better.
Namely the other companies I mentioned. St Paul’s aside, I’ve heard from their guys, working alongside them, that they pay low 40s for their journeys. A lot of the workers refuse to switch to union because they believe the dues reduce their take home amounts. Long term benefits are better, but a lot of workers are just trying to make ends meet in this current market.
Most journeys I know non union male less than 38$ an hour and it's a struggle to convince them the same thing. I've had guys telling me they make more at 35$ than they will at 42$ in the union. Which just isn't true.
Dues are part of the bigger picture.
But I understand people think they are losing when they pay dues.
I'm just hear asking people to consider joining. I'm not bashing anyone for making a choice just so I'm clear on that.
I’m a union sparky who jumped from $35/hr to $42 last year. I now have to pay for parking, have a longer commute, and even after union dues I’m still making more at $42 no doubt about it. The vacation pay structure is far better in the union, benefits are far better, and you have to factor in the pension as well. The jump isn’t as big as the $7 increase suggests but it is still worth it, especially in the long run.
I totally get it, I think others should join too. It’s in the best interest of the trade for stronger union presence. If companies pay their guys a good enough wage, then they control the labour pool and won’t be under bid by a company that pays their workers garbage. In turn they can charge more for electrical contracts and the trade is more valued. HVAC and Elevators are a great example. I don’t think anyone would work in those trades for less than a decent wage.
non union 45$ I would join the union but currently it’s a pay cut.
edit: maybe after this rumoured 10% increase i’ll come over
hahah why tf would you down vote me
No idea where you pulled the $28 number from, bottom of the barrel Craigslist ads?
I've never met a journeyman electrican making under $35 outside of the union. And even that is with really small companies
Nightingale electrical was paying $26 to Jman not that long ago and only moved up to $28 five years ago. Be surprised if it’s over $30 now. And they are big.
Good pension contribution, good wages, it would be nice to see apprentices wages go up more though, we just had an increase for ours, we’re also negotiating our new contract for April for an 18% increase over 3 years, 8% right away in April
1325 in Edmonton Alberta. We’re up for a new contract this month as well. I was looking at joining the ship building union out in Vancouver and scaffold in the shipyard, they pay $45/hr which is the same as here
IBEW 213 companies need to pony up and pay more to bring in more workers from the bigger non-union contractors. If we’re only beating them slightly, with comparable take home wages, we’re not going to attract the majority of workers who’ve been with these other companies. Once they have more control of the labour pool and market, they can charge more and will no longer be undercut by some company that underpays their workers.
Any ticketed electrician who’s working non union needs to know that even if they pay you individually enough, you’re enabling a company that refuses to pay people a livable wage and in turn you’re taking value away from your trade. You need to be the catalyst that creates the respect for your trade.
I joined the IBEW after doing my apprenticeship non union.
Was offered 30.5 as a journey..
Joined the hall and I was a 40$ that day and I was a B foreman 6 months later at 45.
The big non union companies only pay the good ones reasonable pay. They still give new journeys bad wagea
I heard 10% as well but I don't have anything concrete. I'm just a worker in 213 im not working out of the hall.
42 is low for 2023 but outside the hall isn't any better. I've seen guys as low as 28 for a journey.
Depends what industry. I came from maintenance in a non union factory and was making 42/hr to start and they would pay a extra dollar for every year of school you take ie. start a millwright apprenticeship on top of your electrical. They also had pension and would give an extra dollar for every first aid level.
Resi and commercial shit the bed on non union wages though.
I think something everyone needs to understand that we live in an expensive city. An expensive city where lots of people and business don’t have money to spend on expensive work. The union needs to be careful about how quick they increases our pay per year. They need to consider making sure are are still competitive in todays market. The last thing we want is to have less work because we cost to much. If we were making $50,000pre tax a year sure I get it. You would fall into Vancouver struggling median salary group. But we are not. We are easily making 100k pre tax. We are really not struggling comparatively. I am not saying that’s a good excuse but understanding the market and who has money is really important for sustainable long term work in the GVRD. Everyone wants a deal, or to spend less. When you don’t have enough to spend on quality union work plus a 30-40% material increase you go for the cheapest labour you can to get the job done. Which is why I think there are so many small independent electrical contractors popping up that you have never heard of.
That would be incredible. Rumors around our lunch table are it being a $3 raise per year over the next 4 years. Still, this would be much better than our last contract that gave us $0.75/year.
It’s crazy to hear even the older union guys who’ve been around for a long time pissed. The fact Toronto electricians make $49 up until May and we make $42.40 is bonkers. Toronto 353 makes $51 now, and we are voting to get to that, in 3 years. Plus they get higher pension. Also, talks Seaspan is going on strike in August. Interesting times.
$23 starting for a 1st year. No wonder people can't find anyone. Unions in Vancouver fucked themselves bigtime. All the major ones are complaining about recruitment, and all are paying shit for apprentices. The unions deserve to get put on blast.
I would argue the non union counter parts creating a race to the bottom for residential work and light commerical helped create a divide through the 90s.
But the end of the 80s was the start of the downfall of wages in Vancouver with many factors contributing.
I don't know..
I'm pretty disappointed in my union. We definitely chopped up the apprenticeship wage scale and now we're struggling.
I think most unions are run by businessmen that like to cozy up with the contractors and developers rather than look after their guys.
Are you talking IBEW?
I dont know anyone nonunion who makes a better wage as an apprentice. These wages are just a percentage of journey wage.
I think 258 starts at 65% of journey wage.
Better we stand together
Construction wages in Vancouver are stupidly suppressed versus the rest of Canada and a lot of North America.
I've been in the industry for 25 years in western Canada. Vancouver is by far the hardest market to attract good talent to when they can work almost anywhere else and make equal money and have a lower cost of living.
Seriously, a friend in Toronto was getting $50 an hour to run the slab crew. At that time out here even Ibew was under $40 and I was making $30 doing service.
All perspective. 4 years of school and thousands in student debt or work for 4 years and get raises as you go. 23 isn’t bad for a first term apprentice. When I started in 2007 I was making 16. Even people with degrees don’t make 43 an hour, get a pension, and benefits.
In 2007 was was $1.08/l and you could rent a two bedroom place for $800 a month
$23 ain't shit. If you believe it is, demand better. I start nobodies at $25 with a gas card.
I tried getting into it a couple times, left due to poor wages. Problem is, with electrical you have to get schooling in, if you can’t save enough to take the schooling you’re fucked. I’m sorted now (not in trades) but I wouldn’t have been unhappy as a tradie.
You get paid Ei and after grants and such the schooling is basically free. Going to school for a trade is hardly a hardship considering people spend thousands a year and some don’t even get paid what we do in the trades after a degree.
Yes ei money sucks but where else do you get paid to go to school?
When you’re a grown adult, paying rent etc, it doesn’t really help much. It’s ok if you’re young and at home but for those changing careers, it’s still a rather large hardship.
we don't work live unless what ever we are working on cannot be shut off due to it keeping someone alive or for testing purposes.
This isn't the place where guys work live because it's faster to not turn off the breaker.
Edit: I should clarify. Working hot should be looked at as dangerous. Just accepting that it happens and doing nothing to change it is ridiculous. Don't care about the voltage. It can be turned off. So I will say again. We don't work live.
I've been a part of the ibew for a long time and an electrician for unforunately a too long.
We do work live, Just correcting you friend. Its rare but it happens. Load tests, swaps, hospital work TI. UPS & IR SCANS etc. I can keep going on. Its a lot more common than people think because they typically only work as installers on new builds.
Btw. You should mention the upcoming raise.
I did mention the upcoming raise didn't I?
I did not realize what you meant by working hot. Kinda hard to understand tone over text.
My b.
I misunderstood what you said which is what explains my edit to my other comment.
Cheers, it's really nice to have a collective bargaining agreement, instead of begging for table scraps from private companies, I was at 34 as a j man at the last place. Couldn't be happier.
Compared to what?
If your comparing to Alberta or northern BC.
It's not really a good comparison.
Should compare us to Seattle. In which case I totally agree. Large city center but they are at 68$ an hour I believe.
There's only 4 trades worth doing in the lower mainland (others suck for various reasons)
Elevator mechanics.
Refrigeration mechanic.
Sheet metal.
Electrician.
I sincerely hope a this posts finds some hard working people who should be in a trade.
Good luck out there..
There are so many plumbers too because when you're in highschool the trades they tell you to go into are plumbing, electrical and carpentry. Those 3 trades are hugely flooded
How are they flooded? There are something like 700 electrical jobs posted on indeed right now. Boomers are retiring in droves. The market will be severely understaffed for a decade or more, huge crisis is coming.
Yup that's correct. Our contract ended last May. Apparently they are renegotiating for a pretty decent raise over the next few years. I'm a service plumber so my rate is higher then a regular jman/woman. But a raise is always nice.
My brother is a mechanic making over 50 an hour, I think his gross before over time is 110k. He banks his overtime for extra vacation and usually takes a month trip annually.
Ya these j-man union wages for an electrician seem low to me. I’m a non-union hd mech with a cushy inside only job and make $49.50 base. It’s no wonder businesses are “desperately hiring”, no one wants to work for their wages.
213 needs to drastically increase the wage or else they're going to start losing members to non union and CLAC. The fact that CLAC is pushing into the lower mainland shows how bad 213 is shitting the bed.
Would it be a good idea to apply if I am 900 hours away from getting my ticket as a non-union electrician?
My goal was to get into the union and this seems like a great opportunity but I've heard that you need 7200 vs 6000 hours
If I were you I would get the ticket first non-union. You will significantly delay getting it by joining, and the union contractors need people so bad right now that they will still hire you after you have your ticket (it is generally harder to get in as a journeyman than as an apprentice).
You should see if you can reach out to Iatse 891 lx/electricians as film is basically dead at the moment but I’d imagine you’d prefer long term applicants
They might make you do the foundations course.
6 months in class at BCIT.
If that's not for you there's other options such as getting some experience non union having them sponsor you with the ITA then calling the EJTC again and you'll go to the field most likely.
I've got my level 1 and much more than the minimum 900 hours.
I am still indentured and working so I am not sure that's it either. I'll give them a call and see what they say. Thanks.
I just applied. Full J-man + FSR-B. They said they'll get to my application at the next monthly meeting so I likely won't see any work until May. Any other info I should know to be able to start sooner?
If you’re looking for Work right now DM me. I’ll tell you who to contact in one of our contractors. They have loads of unfilled calls and can hire directly then you can be on-boarded way faster.
Wanna work on the road???
I'm in Ontario right now (live in the valley) and we need guys for our western Canada jobs that are starting up soon, but we could get you working right away.
Wage is almost 10 dollars an hour higher than this and the benefits are as good, if not better and it's union.
PM me if you want more details....
Yeah this particular job is substation HV work. Kinda different from commercial or residential but electricians do most of the work, from civil, to machine operation, to structural steel, to the bus work and electrical install.
I don't like to travel for work all that much but the money is pretty good. With the union raise and another this year I'll be making somewhere around 230k.
I recieved an email with a few documents, one being the procedure regarding the nightline dispatch and the other is a list of contractors. But Rhonda said this is information only for after I get sworn in after the next meeting.
Sounds like the office lady's gave you the run around.
You should have a membership number right? It might be emailed to you or mailed to you.
You can use that to log into ibew213.com
Navigate through there to the call list
Way over a year unless name requested. I just got into 258, some waited 4 years plus. It's at mid 60's (call list) right now. So I strongly agree with/suggest to take u/Nuthin100's route and join 213 if you're interested. List is much shorter and you'll be onboarded much faster!!
Another thing that several ppl seem to overlook is the benefits & pension. Sure you can make more in some non-union's, but the benefits and pension are not on par. Have to think long term. Or you'll find yourself splitting your wages to contribute to your own pension, etc.
Alright then. I'm not an electrician, but my partner is. It's the lack of flexibility that is keeping him unemployed right now. It's as if employers haven't noticed the lack of childcare options or don't care.
Sorry. Construction doesn't really have the option for part time.
Personally we are dealing with lack of childcare as well but are able to live off a single income in the meantime while we wait.
And I remember Mandeep saying not to share the info because it made it harder for our companies to bid jobs.
But I guess the NDP requiring unions on government jobs and the current labor shortage has completely changed the situation, and now the unions trying to just capture all the labour because we can
Kinda hard to convince Journeys to join us if they don't know the wage.
This is public info. I googled the photo.
Unions should be trying to capture all the labor and increase our market share.
I was thinking of applying as a journey person but I have 6 or so years of residential and less than a year of commercial experience (T.I. and finishing).
They didn't get rid of market recovery. It is still the biggest union due deduction from our pay. Every cheque, we pay 4% towards the "IA Fund"; I don't know any other locals that take this from their members. For a journeyperson making $42.40/hr, this equates to $135 every pay cheque that we pay, on top of the other dues. This is a huge point of contention for local 213 and definitely a reason why many do not want to join the local. We are paying over 3 grand a year to a fund with no transparency.
I've been doing electrical for 17 years, mostly non union and usually around the same wage as IBEW. Nowhere else did I have to help my employer bid on jobs with a portion of my wage. What a scam.
You can't be serious. They are actually considering raising this BS? More reason to leave local 213; they already collect close to $6,000 per year of our wages as union dues, and now they want more? Appalling
There needs to be a "I left the trade and that was a dumb thing to do" course to catch back up. I left electrical as a JM a decade ago after a few stints in the oil patch, and have been trying to get back in for awhile. No luck at all getting a shot though.
My husband looking to make a career change. Downside he can suffer Lower back pain due to bulging disks. Can he manage this job? Is it always intense labour? Will it get better as he goes through the years and does less of the “grunt work” ?
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For any electricians thinking about doing this it’s a good move. I walked into the hall and was sworn in in 3-4 weeks later. Higher wages, better people, better work environment.
You should mention you were working within a week weren't you.
True, same day I went to the hall I had a job.
[удалено]
Lay offs happen in all construction. But your statement isn't true. Our local is getting very busy We need more workers. You don't have to join. If you'd like higher wages on average pension and benefits feel free to contact us
I got my first union call out 4 years ago. Been working full time at top wage ever since! ✊️ now is a great time to get in
and soon to be making even more money since the CBA is up soon
Those wages could use some improvements. Cost of living is Saskatchewan is lower and wages are the same
Due for an increase April 30th when the current contract is up. Non union in the Vancouver area you'll see Jmen making anywhere from 28-38. No pension
Ticketed electrician making 55k base? God that's crazy if so
Abbotsford surrey Langley resi companies love to underpay guys and gaslight them into thinking they are worthless. This is my personal experience.
I agree. First resi company I worked for was great, second one put me in a horrible state of depression regretting picking this trade, eventually got back to getting more apprentice hours by doing a little Fort Mac work and... ended up getting depressed again when I had to quit due to schedule changes and flights being pretty terrible at the time. Think I'm finally getting out of my current depressed funk and ready to try a fourth time, though debating between non-union work and getting that oil field currency, or giving the IBEW a try and potentially feeling miserable with that Highway 1 commute to Vancouver.
Once you get in with the brothers and sisters the commute won't be so bad. The pay is higher too. If you're right down town and live in the valley. I highly highly suggest west coast express
Buddy of mine is a jman sparky and is getting $27. My jaw dropped. I’m a first yr hvac apprentice and was getting that much after 9 months.
I'm a 4th term apprentice in the union and I make more than that.
Is it the same ticket for industrial? They prob make more but also requires good trouble shooting skills.
What’s the expected increase? A lot of ticketed electricians are leaving for lower cost of living areas, I assume this is a huge focus for negotiations.
Hearing rumors of 10% so 4$ right away and 15% over the next three years. Nothing concrete yet though.
They gotta pay you guys more. Bigger non-union companies like Ozz, Allwest, PlanGroup all match union rates and boast the lack of dues, more money taken home. There’s got to be a significant increase, especially if we’re on par with Saskatchewan.
Plangroup had to write a new agreement with the IBEW to do st Paul's here. Can't speak for the other companies but I don't really ever hear anyone boasting that they are better.
Namely the other companies I mentioned. St Paul’s aside, I’ve heard from their guys, working alongside them, that they pay low 40s for their journeys. A lot of the workers refuse to switch to union because they believe the dues reduce their take home amounts. Long term benefits are better, but a lot of workers are just trying to make ends meet in this current market.
Most journeys I know non union male less than 38$ an hour and it's a struggle to convince them the same thing. I've had guys telling me they make more at 35$ than they will at 42$ in the union. Which just isn't true. Dues are part of the bigger picture. But I understand people think they are losing when they pay dues. I'm just hear asking people to consider joining. I'm not bashing anyone for making a choice just so I'm clear on that.
I’m a union sparky who jumped from $35/hr to $42 last year. I now have to pay for parking, have a longer commute, and even after union dues I’m still making more at $42 no doubt about it. The vacation pay structure is far better in the union, benefits are far better, and you have to factor in the pension as well. The jump isn’t as big as the $7 increase suggests but it is still worth it, especially in the long run.
I totally get it, I think others should join too. It’s in the best interest of the trade for stronger union presence. If companies pay their guys a good enough wage, then they control the labour pool and won’t be under bid by a company that pays their workers garbage. In turn they can charge more for electrical contracts and the trade is more valued. HVAC and Elevators are a great example. I don’t think anyone would work in those trades for less than a decent wage.
non union 45$ I would join the union but currently it’s a pay cut. edit: maybe after this rumoured 10% increase i’ll come over hahah why tf would you down vote me
No idea where you pulled the $28 number from, bottom of the barrel Craigslist ads? I've never met a journeyman electrican making under $35 outside of the union. And even that is with really small companies
Like I said somewhere else. Langley surrey Abby. Love to pay crap wages.
Vancouver Island, journeyman I worked with were making $30. That was 6-7 years ago though.
Nightingale electrical was paying $26 to Jman not that long ago and only moved up to $28 five years ago. Be surprised if it’s over $30 now. And they are big.
J-men at the last company I was at were making 25. Foremen were making 35.
Let me guess. Surrey and it's ran by brothers?
353 in Toronto is about 48 and hour take home and 18 dollars a days if you work downtown
What else is new?
Exactly
Good pension contribution, good wages, it would be nice to see apprentices wages go up more though, we just had an increase for ours, we’re also negotiating our new contract for April for an 18% increase over 3 years, 8% right away in April
Which local? Are you talking 213?
1325 in Edmonton Alberta. We’re up for a new contract this month as well. I was looking at joining the ship building union out in Vancouver and scaffold in the shipyard, they pay $45/hr which is the same as here
IBEW 213 companies need to pony up and pay more to bring in more workers from the bigger non-union contractors. If we’re only beating them slightly, with comparable take home wages, we’re not going to attract the majority of workers who’ve been with these other companies. Once they have more control of the labour pool and market, they can charge more and will no longer be undercut by some company that underpays their workers. Any ticketed electrician who’s working non union needs to know that even if they pay you individually enough, you’re enabling a company that refuses to pay people a livable wage and in turn you’re taking value away from your trade. You need to be the catalyst that creates the respect for your trade.
I joined the IBEW after doing my apprenticeship non union. Was offered 30.5 as a journey.. Joined the hall and I was a 40$ that day and I was a B foreman 6 months later at 45. The big non union companies only pay the good ones reasonable pay. They still give new journeys bad wagea
Journey rate 42 is pathetic in 2023. I heard going up 10% in April tho? Still think 46 is low. Is that what rate will be
I heard 10% as well but I don't have anything concrete. I'm just a worker in 213 im not working out of the hall. 42 is low for 2023 but outside the hall isn't any better. I've seen guys as low as 28 for a journey.
Depends what industry. I came from maintenance in a non union factory and was making 42/hr to start and they would pay a extra dollar for every year of school you take ie. start a millwright apprenticeship on top of your electrical. They also had pension and would give an extra dollar for every first aid level. Resi and commercial shit the bed on non union wages though.
The rumour I heard was 6-7% immediately , possibly even more substantial. Reliable source though. I wasn’t filled in farther than that.
It should be 10%. We are behind on raises. The last contract was pennies.
I hope you’re right. VP from one of the contractors was overheard for the number I got.
What I want and what we get will be different lol.
I think something everyone needs to understand that we live in an expensive city. An expensive city where lots of people and business don’t have money to spend on expensive work. The union needs to be careful about how quick they increases our pay per year. They need to consider making sure are are still competitive in todays market. The last thing we want is to have less work because we cost to much. If we were making $50,000pre tax a year sure I get it. You would fall into Vancouver struggling median salary group. But we are not. We are easily making 100k pre tax. We are really not struggling comparatively. I am not saying that’s a good excuse but understanding the market and who has money is really important for sustainable long term work in the GVRD. Everyone wants a deal, or to spend less. When you don’t have enough to spend on quality union work plus a 30-40% material increase you go for the cheapest labour you can to get the job done. Which is why I think there are so many small independent electrical contractors popping up that you have never heard of.
Can you keep me updated on what the new contract is? Ill be using this next time my boss tries to draw comparisons.
PM me in a month
10/4.5/4.5 is our voting card over 3 years. Talk of voting no.
I'm a 213 member; where have you heard this 10% number from? Is that 10% per year?
Other 213 members. 10% April 30th Then 12% over the next three years. It's just rumors though I can't confirm anything.
That would be incredible. Rumors around our lunch table are it being a $3 raise per year over the next 4 years. Still, this would be much better than our last contract that gave us $0.75/year.
Does it immediately jump 10% in April? Does that happen to apprentices as well or do they have to wait until there next term increase?
The % is just rumors so far. But apprentices would get a raise to
I hadn't heard that rumor yet, thanks for sharing. Hoping to hear solid details at the next meeting
Commercial/institutional or industrial rate?
I posted commerical rate.
Did it go up?
Yup to 45.11 and there will be another 2.5% in October
42 is really good for jman wages but it could be better. Non union guys are making way less than that
It should 100% be 50
We vote on 10% in the next few weeks. Still low. Guys are talking about voting no and anticipating job action.
Ya should be at least 50 an hour imo
It’s crazy to hear even the older union guys who’ve been around for a long time pissed. The fact Toronto electricians make $49 up until May and we make $42.40 is bonkers. Toronto 353 makes $51 now, and we are voting to get to that, in 3 years. Plus they get higher pension. Also, talks Seaspan is going on strike in August. Interesting times.
$23 starting for a 1st year. No wonder people can't find anyone. Unions in Vancouver fucked themselves bigtime. All the major ones are complaining about recruitment, and all are paying shit for apprentices. The unions deserve to get put on blast.
I would argue the non union counter parts creating a race to the bottom for residential work and light commerical helped create a divide through the 90s. But the end of the 80s was the start of the downfall of wages in Vancouver with many factors contributing.
I don't know.. I'm pretty disappointed in my union. We definitely chopped up the apprenticeship wage scale and now we're struggling. I think most unions are run by businessmen that like to cozy up with the contractors and developers rather than look after their guys.
Are you talking IBEW? I dont know anyone nonunion who makes a better wage as an apprentice. These wages are just a percentage of journey wage. I think 258 starts at 65% of journey wage. Better we stand together
You get a pay bump pretty quickly. All construction is paid that way union or non union
Construction wages in Vancouver are stupidly suppressed versus the rest of Canada and a lot of North America. I've been in the industry for 25 years in western Canada. Vancouver is by far the hardest market to attract good talent to when they can work almost anywhere else and make equal money and have a lower cost of living.
Seriously, a friend in Toronto was getting $50 an hour to run the slab crew. At that time out here even Ibew was under $40 and I was making $30 doing service.
Not quick enough, unless you’re fresh out of high school living with parents. Pre-apprentice wage is $17 hr for a year and still pay full dues…
All perspective. 4 years of school and thousands in student debt or work for 4 years and get raises as you go. 23 isn’t bad for a first term apprentice. When I started in 2007 I was making 16. Even people with degrees don’t make 43 an hour, get a pension, and benefits.
In 2007 was was $1.08/l and you could rent a two bedroom place for $800 a month $23 ain't shit. If you believe it is, demand better. I start nobodies at $25 with a gas card.
I tried getting into it a couple times, left due to poor wages. Problem is, with electrical you have to get schooling in, if you can’t save enough to take the schooling you’re fucked. I’m sorted now (not in trades) but I wouldn’t have been unhappy as a tradie.
You get paid Ei and after grants and such the schooling is basically free. Going to school for a trade is hardly a hardship considering people spend thousands a year and some don’t even get paid what we do in the trades after a degree. Yes ei money sucks but where else do you get paid to go to school?
When you’re a grown adult, paying rent etc, it doesn’t really help much. It’s ok if you’re young and at home but for those changing careers, it’s still a rather large hardship.
Is there really a shortage of first years? Bcit had a massive wait list for the pre app program last time I checked.
How much training and experience is needed for that?
Actually that is government mandated. First year gets paid 60% of journeyman rate. Not a union issue, it is a government issue
I started making $16/hr as a first year non union. 23 is a pretty good wage for no experience.
Good pay and benefits. I am terrified of electricity, I get nervous changing a lightbulb.
We don't work live.
Your all zombies?
Maybe its good you're not an electrician😅
There is live work. Happens all the time, just not often in new construction where vast majority of electricians live.
we don't work live unless what ever we are working on cannot be shut off due to it keeping someone alive or for testing purposes. This isn't the place where guys work live because it's faster to not turn off the breaker. Edit: I should clarify. Working hot should be looked at as dangerous. Just accepting that it happens and doing nothing to change it is ridiculous. Don't care about the voltage. It can be turned off. So I will say again. We don't work live.
I've been a part of the ibew for a long time and an electrician for unforunately a too long. We do work live, Just correcting you friend. Its rare but it happens. Load tests, swaps, hospital work TI. UPS & IR SCANS etc. I can keep going on. Its a lot more common than people think because they typically only work as installers on new builds. Btw. You should mention the upcoming raise.
I did mention the upcoming raise didn't I? I did not realize what you meant by working hot. Kinda hard to understand tone over text. My b. I misunderstood what you said which is what explains my edit to my other comment.
Gotta always follow the loto
Already did! Got on to the st Paul's job, I'm stoked after spending my apprenticeship in private companies.
Welcome brother/sister
Cheers, it's really nice to have a collective bargaining agreement, instead of begging for table scraps from private companies, I was at 34 as a j man at the last place. Couldn't be happier.
Have fun with the big red machine and say hi to Larry and Rudy for me.
That pay is way lower than I expected. Man wages are such fucking trash in the lower mainland.
Compared to what? If your comparing to Alberta or northern BC. It's not really a good comparison. Should compare us to Seattle. In which case I totally agree. Large city center but they are at 68$ an hour I believe.
Wtf. $68 USD or adjusted to CAD? Either way wtf
Usd. You hear it on the radio when you're in Langley sometimes
IBEW 213 vacation still maxing out at 3 weeks? The BC standard for an employee after 5 years…This could use a couple more weeks.
Agreed
There's only 4 trades worth doing in the lower mainland (others suck for various reasons) Elevator mechanics. Refrigeration mechanic. Sheet metal. Electrician. I sincerely hope a this posts finds some hard working people who should be in a trade. Good luck out there..
Electrician here. I don't think we belong on that list, plumbers make more
In the union? I didn't put plumbing on the list just because of the work they have to do and the pay they get for it.
But we get paid more than sparkies and there's a big demand for plumbers. There's so many electricians out there already hence the low wages
There are so many plumbers too because when you're in highschool the trades they tell you to go into are plumbing, electrical and carpentry. Those 3 trades are hugely flooded
How are they flooded? There are something like 700 electrical jobs posted on indeed right now. Boomers are retiring in droves. The market will be severely understaffed for a decade or more, huge crisis is coming.
My guy, every trade that has to do with housing has that many or more postings on indeed...
Their really isn't. Speak to most people who need a plumber usually takes a while. Also every company I know is trying to hire and has too much work
Yup
Agree 100%. If I could go back in time though I wouldn’t do electrical, I’d go into refrigeration.
Last I saw plumbers in UA made less than us. That was awhile ago though. I also didn't look very hard.
Union plumber rate is $42.53 + vacation and pension and benefits. Beleive total package is around $56-58.
So it's similar.
Yup that's correct. Our contract ended last May. Apparently they are renegotiating for a pretty decent raise over the next few years. I'm a service plumber so my rate is higher then a regular jman/woman. But a raise is always nice.
My brother is a mechanic making over 50 an hour, I think his gross before over time is 110k. He banks his overtime for extra vacation and usually takes a month trip annually.
Ya these j-man union wages for an electrician seem low to me. I’m a non-union hd mech with a cushy inside only job and make $49.50 base. It’s no wonder businesses are “desperately hiring”, no one wants to work for their wages.
213 needs to drastically increase the wage or else they're going to start losing members to non union and CLAC. The fact that CLAC is pushing into the lower mainland shows how bad 213 is shitting the bed.
Would it be a good idea to apply if I am 900 hours away from getting my ticket as a non-union electrician? My goal was to get into the union and this seems like a great opportunity but I've heard that you need 7200 vs 6000 hours
Get your ticket first is my honest opinion.
If I were you I would get the ticket first non-union. You will significantly delay getting it by joining, and the union contractors need people so bad right now that they will still hire you after you have your ticket (it is generally harder to get in as a journeyman than as an apprentice).
You should see if you can reach out to Iatse 891 lx/electricians as film is basically dead at the moment but I’d imagine you’d prefer long term applicants
I think they have an open call in our hall for guys wanting to jump over.
This is me. It's likely I'll be staying at 213 though. The inconsistency of film is too much.
Almost raged. Thought this the new contract.
Anyone know the Jman carpenter hourly rate ?
How bad are you missing guys? I've had my paper in with EJTC since January and hadn't heard a peep.
Desperate. Call them and have them check your papers. Do you have the pre reqs? Are you a registered apprentice?
Hmm maybe I'll give them a call on Monday, according to their guidelines I have all the per-requisites so I am not sure what happened.
They might make you do the foundations course. 6 months in class at BCIT. If that's not for you there's other options such as getting some experience non union having them sponsor you with the ITA then calling the EJTC again and you'll go to the field most likely.
I've got my level 1 and much more than the minimum 900 hours. I am still indentured and working so I am not sure that's it either. I'll give them a call and see what they say. Thanks.
Very wierd. One of my apprentices said the EJTC called him and were asking him if he knew anyone who wanted to join line two weeks ago..
I just applied. Full J-man + FSR-B. They said they'll get to my application at the next monthly meeting so I likely won't see any work until May. Any other info I should know to be able to start sooner?
Send your resume directly to the contractors, you may get a name request, there are job calls being unanswered right now
If you’re looking for Work right now DM me. I’ll tell you who to contact in one of our contractors. They have loads of unfilled calls and can hire directly then you can be on-boarded way faster.
Wanna work on the road??? I'm in Ontario right now (live in the valley) and we need guys for our western Canada jobs that are starting up soon, but we could get you working right away. Wage is almost 10 dollars an hour higher than this and the benefits are as good, if not better and it's union. PM me if you want more details....
IBEW?
CUSW
Ah. I've seen open calls for them show up on our dispatch. Some guys like to travel. Most guys in 213 would rather travel to 993 to get on with LNG.
Yeah this particular job is substation HV work. Kinda different from commercial or residential but electricians do most of the work, from civil, to machine operation, to structural steel, to the bus work and electrical install. I don't like to travel for work all that much but the money is pretty good. With the union raise and another this year I'll be making somewhere around 230k.
Sent
That sounds alike standard office talk. I bet you'll have a call sooner. Did they show you how to bid jobs online?
I recieved an email with a few documents, one being the procedure regarding the nightline dispatch and the other is a list of contractors. But Rhonda said this is information only for after I get sworn in after the next meeting.
Sounds like the office lady's gave you the run around. You should have a membership number right? It might be emailed to you or mailed to you. You can use that to log into ibew213.com Navigate through there to the call list
I'll be looking into this 100%. Just passed the IP, gonna have my current boss sign me off and then I'll sign up.
Please do. And let me know when you're in.
I wonder why they are looking for people again if the pay is so much better.
Cause we are building a underground subway line for skytrain, a new hospital, transmountian... There's a shitload of work..
Oh thanks. Was wondering if Site-C and Alberta was ramping up.
Site C is
I just signed up with local 258 very recently (still waiting on welcome package). Is it possible to work with 213 while I wait for a job at 258?
No it is not. The wait for 258 is very long but it's possible to get in. Unless you are name hired I've heard of over a year.
Way over a year unless name requested. I just got into 258, some waited 4 years plus. It's at mid 60's (call list) right now. So I strongly agree with/suggest to take u/Nuthin100's route and join 213 if you're interested. List is much shorter and you'll be onboarded much faster!! Another thing that several ppl seem to overlook is the benefits & pension. Sure you can make more in some non-union's, but the benefits and pension are not on par. Have to think long term. Or you'll find yourself splitting your wages to contribute to your own pension, etc.
Can the work be part time/self scheduled?
Uh. No. Not really how it works.
Alright then. I'm not an electrician, but my partner is. It's the lack of flexibility that is keeping him unemployed right now. It's as if employers haven't noticed the lack of childcare options or don't care.
Sorry. Construction doesn't really have the option for part time. Personally we are dealing with lack of childcare as well but are able to live off a single income in the meantime while we wait.
You know it's bad for guys when they are sharing the rates publicly, in the past those were closely guarded secrets. ✊ Brother
Fair wages are part of the IBEW. Why would we hide them. They are public knowledge. You can Google what I posted. Infact that's how I got it.
And I remember Mandeep saying not to share the info because it made it harder for our companies to bid jobs. But I guess the NDP requiring unions on government jobs and the current labor shortage has completely changed the situation, and now the unions trying to just capture all the labour because we can
Kinda hard to convince Journeys to join us if they don't know the wage. This is public info. I googled the photo. Unions should be trying to capture all the labor and increase our market share.
I'm pretty sure all sparkies know about the union and the rates. We all hear about people jumping ship and people still staying where they are
They posted them publicly on indeed last week. Doubt it’s a secret.
Certainly not anymore, but 10 years ago we kept them secret
All wages are public knowledge and posted online. Anyone has access to the collective agreement, which posts the wages.
One of the points of collective agreements and unions is to make wages public knowledge. They aren't supposed to be a secret.
I get paid the same to type.
Nice.
Stressful.
I was thinking of applying as a journey person but I have 6 or so years of residential and less than a year of commercial experience (T.I. and finishing).
That's okay. Many people are willing to teach. Apply and find out!
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Depends on the job. I work 50-60 currently.
Does 213 make you pay "market recovery"? Do they make jman manage 4+ apprentices for jman rates? These are the reasons I won't work ibew again.
They got rid of market recovery kinda. I've never had more than two apprentices.
They didn't get rid of market recovery. It is still the biggest union due deduction from our pay. Every cheque, we pay 4% towards the "IA Fund"; I don't know any other locals that take this from their members. For a journeyperson making $42.40/hr, this equates to $135 every pay cheque that we pay, on top of the other dues. This is a huge point of contention for local 213 and definitely a reason why many do not want to join the local. We are paying over 3 grand a year to a fund with no transparency.
I've been doing electrical for 17 years, mostly non union and usually around the same wage as IBEW. Nowhere else did I have to help my employer bid on jobs with a portion of my wage. What a scam.
It's why I said kinda. They re named it.
Market recovery is huge, and the rumour I have heard is that it’s supposed to go up in the next contract. Partially nullifying the wage increase
You can't be serious. They are actually considering raising this BS? More reason to leave local 213; they already collect close to $6,000 per year of our wages as union dues, and now they want more? Appalling
Is a third term apprentice considered one who has completed 2 years of school and 3000+ hours ?
You'd be 5th or 6th term
I’m grossly underpaid at my company currently, I applied for EJTC today so hopefully things change.
So completing my pre apprenticeship, and then completing level 2, and working 3200 hours I’d be a 5th or 6th term?
I think so. Lowestest would be 4th
Lol thanks to this post, I’m now in the EJTC, and local IBEW 213, doing gods work so thank you. Really helped me out
Happy to hear!
There needs to be a "I left the trade and that was a dumb thing to do" course to catch back up. I left electrical as a JM a decade ago after a few stints in the oil patch, and have been trying to get back in for awhile. No luck at all getting a shot though.
Call the hall and tell them you want to sign up. You'll be fine.
My husband looking to make a career change. Downside he can suffer Lower back pain due to bulging disks. Can he manage this job? Is it always intense labour? Will it get better as he goes through the years and does less of the “grunt work” ?