Hi, I am currently a welder in Orlando, FL working at a small fab shop, upon searching for a better job that will allow me to advance my welding career I have come across the BNAP- union in Jacksonville,FL local 199. After reading just about every post on this site ( very useful ), I still have some questions about joining the apprenticeship program.
1. When you are starting out as an apprentice and you have to travel, do you mostly travel in a group with other apprentices or alone?
2. When going to different states how long are jobs usually ?
3. I understand there is no per diem so starting out at 65% journeyman's pay in FL $17.00 , would I be financially stable traveling from place ( gas, food, housing/motel?
Those are a few main questions that came off the top of my head, I would really like help answering these questions and if anyone on here can share there boilermaker union apprenticeship experiences pros/cons.
If you have the abilty to travel with others you will be able to take home more money. The abilty to stay with others and be dependent upon them for travel is an individual thing. Its the same union or non-union. More non-union jobs pay per-deim but often at the cost of some of the benefits provided by the boilermakers.
The length of the jobs varies. The spring and Fall are the peak seasons for boiler work. A new construction job could last years. Those that really make some good money often do so by sacrificing a great deal of time at home.
This type of work can be hard on relationships etc. If you get wrapped up in the money and working all the time.
Welcome to the forum.
Gerald
I can only tell you how things run in the fitters union, but I think the boilermakers are about the same.
1) Most apprentices don't travel. They really can't cause they've got the evening classes to go to. If they do, it'll usually be with a journeyman that you would be paired up with.
2) Jobs vary depending on what they are. Refinery shutdown will probably be around 4-6 weeks unless it's something major. New powerhouses are gonna be long term. The one I worked at in Council Bluffs went on for like 2 years or so.
3) You actually have per diem in yalls contract. I think that if you're 50 or 100 miles from the job then you get like 50 a day. Better than our contracts. If you're traveling, you'll probably be on a job working 60 hrs/week. That means you'll be grossing around 1190 a week if you don't have per diem. I've made it on less than that per week and still made my truck payment, insurance, and everything else. But like I said in #1, most apprentices don't travel. Do yourself a favor and get some common arc certs as soon as you can. It'll help you get more jobs cause welders are a comodity right now.
Here in Brazil, boilermakers don't weld and welders don't "boilermake". The union would make a lot of confusion if that happens.
I understand that in the USA is different.
Giovanni S. Crisi
Sao Paulo - Brazil
That is weird in Brazil. no offense but I was taught as a Boilermaker that is our Boiler and we do it all. And sometimes we even steal a little more work than we should but who doesn't. But back to the original post I just worked with a boomer who was out of the local you speak of. He said they do not have a lot of members but they stay pretty busy. I think he said like 500 or 600 members. But he said there alot of rats down there that wanna take the union man's work. Get your common arc early in the apprenticeship and you will work all you want. You will have to unplug the phone usually when you become a tube welder. I know everybody thinks they are the best welders but I will say the Boilermakers are pretty proficient at tube welding. Not saying you will be able to blow the pipeliners out of the water on pipe but you will be a better Tig welder and tube welder. But now a days we are using alot of GMAW Flux core and heavy gauge wire in the SCR's and duct work in the plants. And you will get plenty of 7018 and 8018 stick time. Plenty of fitting and lot's of torch and air arcing in the boilermakers. It probably isn't the best racket but it too bad either. It is all in what you want though.
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