MASTER vs. JW vs. CERTIFICATION

[Power Tech]

The electrical inspector in my area has a son in Irac, working as an electricain. He is a certified electrician in California. CA does not have a Master Electrician program. Anybody have any thoughts on the difference between a JW card holder for the union, a non union certified electrician and a Master electrician. It means an additional $ for him if he can show it to be equil.

Terry

 

[growler]

The electrical inspector in my area has a son in Irac, working as an electricain. He is a certified electrician in California. CA does not have a Master Electrician program. Anybody have any thoughts on the difference between a JW card holder for the union, a non union certified electrician and a Master electrician. It means an additional $ for him if he can show it to be equil.

Terry

I think most government contract work depends on the position that you accept and the terms of the contract more than any real qualifications.

He probably should check to see what qualifications are acceptable for the next pay rate increase. ICC may be able to provide some sort of certification that would be acceptable for work under government contract. You never know with the goverment or their work. A degree from some small community college may be as good a a degree from some Ivy League University if the minimum criteria is met. They get to call the shots on what they will accept.

 

[G & G Electric]

I think most government contract work depends on the position that you accept and the terms of the contract more than any real qualifications.QUOTE]

I know at Fort Hood there are two kinds of electricians. One is basically a laborer with no electrical experience, the other is someone with experience who wears his/her tools. Laborers get about $10 to $15 an hour, and tool wearers get from $25 to $34 and hour. There are no licensing requirements to get the Davis-Bacon wages, at least none here.

 

[Karl H]

A Master Electrician, will have to demonstrate a lot more

understanding of the NEC. To give you an example, a typical

Journeymans test is 100 questions in 4 hours "OPEN BOOK".

A masters exam is typicaly 100 questions, "Closed Book,"

4 or 5 calcs, "Open Book." Big difference in dedication and education

when it comes to Master and Journeyman.

 

[jrannis]

The choices are:
Here, if you want a Journeyman ticket from the local union, you are required to have a Journeyman's license from the County and have had completed a formal 5 year State sanctioned Apprenticeship. ( With some rare exceptions)

A Masters' license is nice to have if you want to contract in a certain county but is not in anyway recognized by the local union.
Therefore, you will not usually hear anybody bragging about being a "Master Electrician" everybody is a "Journeyman Wireman" making $27 or so plus health and retirement equal to $1,500 per month.

Otherwise, our non-union canidates with 3 years in the trade, on W2s, can simply sit for the County Journeyman test.
I see ads in the paper paying up to $12 and sometimes $15 per hour for these guys.
I don't know why the big difference in pay. Its usually the same kind of work on the same jobs, right next to each other.

 

[Rockyd]

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The electrical inspector in my area has a son in Irac, working as an electricain. He is a certified electrician in California. CA does not have a Master Electrician program. Anybody have any thoughts on the difference between a JW card holder for the union, a non union certified electrician and a Master electrician. It means an additional $ for him if he can show it to be equil.

Terry

He has technically hired in as an electrician, so he is stuck with the title till he can reopen the contract for negotiation (both sides have to enter). he negotiated electrician, not master, or expertise beyond that level. I would try to get a reading as to what kind of opportunity is available with the current employer) beyond his current level, and are they open? If they give attitude, it's time to write a resum`e. KBR is often just a stepping stone for others in Iraq.

Building bridges is the most important part of employment, but when someone wants to stop you from making yours better, you will seek, and find, solutions. Always better to be part of the solution, than part of the problem.

This is all said assuming he knows that even though the grass is greener on the other side of the hill, it's still just grass.

 

[Power Tech]

Thanks for all the advice. I will have the inspector view this thred on the forum.

Terry