you may not be able to retire

[cpal]

I thought this was an interesting statistic, seeing that a couple of years ago I read a report that on average electricians are in their mid 50's


http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?...07&URL=Publications/necdigest/Industry news#p


Says E. Milner Irvin, president of the National Electrical Contractors Association, "The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that America will need 734,000 electricians by the year 2014. Today, we have 656,000. That's a difference of 78,000 that we'll have to recruit and train, not counting replacements for current electricians who will retire or otherwise leave the industry.
I hope a senior discount is available

Keep teaching we're all counting on you

Charlie

 

[infinity]

They can get some from NYC. They have thousands who are unemployed. My buddy has been out of work for 9 months.

 

[77401]

Don't believe anything you read & only half of what you see.
Down here there are more electricians & wanna be electricians that you can handle.

The most common name of Electricians is Jose, the second is Juan.
But your safe, they don't like cold weather & never seen a basement.

After further reading the article..." Seeking to expand the pool of qualified electricians – to meet an anticipated shortage of skilled workers and to provide superior, cost-effective electrical installations – NECA and the IBEW recently created two job classifications. "Construction Wireman" and "Construction Electrician" are the new classifications."
It appears the orginization, is looking to find an avenue to let lower paid workers do what we have been doing for years.
For example I can see the lower paid construction wireman running conduit & pulling wire. So that just leave us for terminations? It looks like NECA is again trying to keep our wages low & the jobs for the oldtimers scarce.

But your origianl post of "We may not be able to retire" is right on the money! Buts it more because we can't afford to not because of the demand for Electricians.

 

[Cavie]

In SW Florida, there is no such thing a a Jurneyman electrician unless you are a member of the very small union. Piece work is the name of the came here and it shows in the very sloppy and unsafe work I must inspect dailey.

 

[jeff43222]

Don't believe anything you read & only half of what you see.
Down here there are more electricians & wanna be electricians that you can handle.

Word around these parts is that the two IBEW locals have about 800 licensed journeymen on the bench, where they have been for quite a while. There is certainly no shortage of electricians in this area.

After further reading the article..." Seeking to expand the pool of qualified electricians ? to meet an anticipated shortage of skilled workers and to provide superior, cost-effective electrical installations ? NECA and the IBEW recently created two job classifications. "Construction Wireman" and "Construction Electrician" are the new classifications."
It appears the orginization, is looking to find an avenue to let lower paid workers do what we have been doing for years.
For example I can see the lower paid construction wireman running conduit & pulling wire. So that just leave us for terminations? It looks like NECA is again trying to keep our wages low & the jobs for the oldtimers scarce.

Creating different job classifications won't make any difference if the laws aren't also changed. Who can do what with which license is determined by the AHJ, not the NECA or the IBEW.

The state contractors' association here periodically tries to get a new type of license approved, one that could be obtained much sooner than the four years it takes to qualify for a journeyman license. They claim this new classification is needed because of the "shortage" of licensed journeymen. Perhaps they could call one of the IBEW locals and ask them about the shortage of journeymen.

Because of this, I think you're right -- their main goal is to find ways to pay electrical installers less and less.

 

[Minuteman]

The local were I used to belong has guys on the bench too. And yet journeymen are hard to find. The State added a residential journeyman classification a few years back. The local followed suit with a residential JW but there are only 2 small organized shops. We are a "do what we can" shop, so a residential journeyman would just be an apprentice on a commercial / industrial job. I have been hoping that 77 will move up to OK, I would offer him a job!

 

[jeff43222]

We have several types of electrical licenses, but only two are good for installing any new wiring: journeyman and master. Both classifications are good for any industrial, commercial, or residential work. The contractors' association is trying to get a "residential wireman" license classification that could be obtained after two years. I think the real reason they want the new license is that they don't want to pay journeyman wages to guys who are roping new houses. As the law currently stands, only a journeyman or master can work unsupervised, and such a person can only supervise two apprentices at time.

All the people on the bench at the two IBEW locals are journeymen. Apparently there are no apprentices on the bench, but they are paid less than journeymen.

 

[dingokangaroo]

In SW Florida, there is no such thing a a Jurneyman electrician unless you are a member of the very small union. Piece work is the name of the came here and it shows in the very sloppy and unsafe work I must inspect dailey.

I beg to differ.....sure most of the guys I work with are mechs, however there are a few of us journeymen that work without being union. we are still many yet we are still few. However I do agree on the sloppy and unsafe. I still see it way to often.

 

[Cavie]

In 35 years, I have met about a dozen up to date licensed jurneyman in the state of Florida that was not a union man.

 

[77401]

I have been hoping that 77 will move up to OK, I would offer him a job!

All I want to do is answer the phone & go the the PO & Bank.

 

[Minuteman]

can you do Quick Books?

 

[77401]

All the people on the bench at the two IBEW locals are journeymen. Apparently there are no apprentices on the bench, but they are paid less than journeymen.

IMHO the object has always been to keep JW's on the bench,and to have new classes of apprentices. It doesn't take too many years of being on the bench before a JW's family says to find something else to do. So now you have an unwritten, legal way to get rid of the slower, old, vested, higher paid, wireman, that are begining to expect the benefits they were promissed, in order to make room for the new guys that haven't figured it all out yet.

Ya think, the Hall might know what they are doing?