By swsweld 
Date 04-30-2012 20:21
Edited 04-30-2012 20:32
Hard to get excited about those wages. They can man the new shop in NC with illegal immigrants but even most of them have found better wages than that if they have been here long enough.
Worked in WV last year and the Union Boilermakers and the Pipe fitters make approx 30.00/hr to 34.00/hr depending on the local not counting benefits. Stay pretty busy too. The union hands make more in unemployment benefits than that shop pays for 40 hours.
Please. Don't use this as a union/non union debate springboard. Those wages are way too low for a pipe and pressure vessel code shop in any state. WV was also running lots of pipeline last year so good luck finding any good pipe hands at 14.00hr. WV might be a poor state but their union pipe and boilermakers make about 100k per year.
Shop work will generally pay less than field work but with all of the "other" work in WV now they will just get lower skilled hands.
They do a nice variety if work though and do have some benefits. With OT and their "average welder" rate of 17.81 they might attract some quality help. Should be in the 20's even in WV.
Thats LOW, all I can say is good luck finding anyone. I'd think 20 an hour full benefits maybe ok but still kinda low. Friend of mine works in Pulaski VA at the Caterpillar plant and I think is maybe around 21.68 full benefits which aint bad either and thats not even pipe welding its structural mig.
All I can do is laugh when I see stuff like this, I've seen a few place around me offer this low of pay and there always looking.
I hope the guy who wrote up the application is not making more than $14.00/hour as from what I've seen he/she needs some help with their spelling.
$14.00/hour for the top hand? Wow, I paid the welder who helped me a month or so ago $16/hour to start with no experience, heck my helper was making $11.50!! We were only doing Chill pipe not super perfect, critical pressure vessels!!
$16 an hour with no experience, my butt would get pretty skinny from busting it for those wages! :)
The employers believe they can say there is no skilled labor and then offer these types of wages, its ridiculous, You want qualified welders, hire welders at a qualified pay scale. F..... em
Step 1) Get as close as possible to your local, state and federal reps.
Step 2) Spend at least a year advertising the jobs at rates low enough that the positions go vacant for the most part.
Step 3) Go begging to the reps/senators for H2B visa exemptions because you can't hire Americans and need Filipino welders to keep the doors open.
It's an old formula. If they would use the capital they spend on lobbying at multiple levels and greasing politicians they could pay decent wages, fill the jobs, and not have to kiss up to slimey politicians, but human nature is what it is.
My opinion.
J
2 Words ---------------------> Term Limits
$14.00 for Top Level Welder IV and $17.81 average for all welder levels.....am I missing some math here?
The average pay is $10.00 lower than our new hire welder.
QCRobert
The aplication does not say "Top". I guess that these are starting [probation period] rates and the scale is higher for those that make that cut and have seinorority.
They obviously don't pay well, and You aparently do.
