Anyone else work in the trades out there?

[sly400ex]

I just started working a plumber gig this past week, it's union, I'm a first year apprentice. This is my first time working in the the "construction trades", it is kicking my ***! I wish I would've started when I was younger, I'm 28 now and had a cush IT for years, a far cry from what I'm doing now. The pay is chit too, to start with, but when I'm done with the apprenticeship, I'll be making priddy damn good money, I'm actually shocked how much these guys make hourly aside from having my insurance paid by the union too. Oh well, just wanted to share.:scary:

[Aceman]

I'm a 4th period non-union electrical apprentice. I just came off a dairy farm, so shifting to electrical work was no problem as far as physical labor goes. I hear yah on the chitty pay. I wish I made union pay/benefits with the work load of a nonunion shop though. I always here about union electricians getting laid off or having to travel all over to stay busy. I've only had about 2 weeks altogether that have been slow. Just wait until you turn out, you should make good money as a union plumber as long as you can keep busy. Good luck.

[Mxjunkie]

I've done autobody for 1 year and some odd months under the table for a friend of ours till things got slow and I was laid off. It sucks but I guess it got me started because I know just about everything about autobody now there is to know, It feels good when I can correct some of my dads friends who worked in autobody :)

[ShiftFMX]

My dad is a Journeyman Plumber, and has been for years and 100% pay scale is deffinatly NOT BAD! I started HVAC last summer, $13/hr was deffinatly a nice improvement over past jobs, Buuuttt...I just got layed off because no ones building house...and Im temporarly pushing carts at Sams club :mad: for $8/hr

[sly400ex]

Right now our scale is $36/ hr. On top of that they put in $8 for the pension and pay for my/ family health insurance. All said and done, the entire package after scale is $50+ an hour. Down side is, it seems like a lot of people seem to get layed off all the time. I'm working for a good shop now, so I hope I get steady work.

[400exrules]

my uncle is a master sheet metal layer, and my neighbor/riding buddy is a journeymen union electrician.....and both have plenty of money

[bigbadbrad]

right now i am a deisel mechanic working part time during school and full time when there is no school. I am going to school for deisel, truck, and heavy equip. mechanic also so it works out good. deff. have to say i have learned more at work then at school though.

[Plante400]

where are u going to skool?