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1. Electrical work is still back breaking work. 2. In a decent union, like local 6, it's not bad work. It's much better working conditions, and pays much mo

1. Electrical work is still back breaking work. 2. In a decent union, like local 6, it's not bad work. It's much better working conditions, and pays much more than the other trades. 3. If you are working non-union--it's a bitch. Terrible working conditions, low pay, supply your own tools, exploitive owners. 4. Yes--Romex, Scothlocks, and MC Cable, revolutionized the industry. It revolutionized it for the contractor. 5. Meaning they (the contractor) just except to you to work quicker. 6. In the old days, with knob/tube wiring, and soldering, the profession was more of an art. Today--it's about speed. 7. Today, a union electrician is expected to wire a new residential home in one day. (Believe me that's backbreaking work.) 8. While working as a electrician today it is much safer today, but the work is just as hard for non-union electricians. Non-union electricians work very hard. (In the past the death rate was so high for electricians, only Irish immigrants were doing the work.) 9. If any aimless youth reads this, and likes construction, get you C-10 license, or get into a union. Become a electrician, or elevator mechanic. Only use a non-union job as experience for your C-10 license. (Come from a family of electricians, and 1 year working at Packbell park as an apprentice. I found another career, but do miss the regular income/benefits.)

specialist 5y ago
Agreed, based on my own experience, observations. As a kid, I was the IT for a mid-sized union shop, about 200 electricians in the field. Those electricians had it great. Certainly much better than me. Of course, I've met many tradespersons, union and non-union. The union workers generally have materially better lives. My (idiot) son is a residential electrician with ambitions of growing his own business. I begged him to join the hall. Instead, he's worked for every kind bad employer. Been seriously injured multiple times. Wage theft. Etc. At about 25, he wouldn't further debase himself by starting over at the hall. So he keeps being exploited. Being non-union is probably fine if you have the ambition and chops to build up your own business.

specialist 5y ago

Agreed, based on my own experience, observations. As a kid, I was the IT for a mid-sized union shop, about 200 electricians in the field. Those electricians had it great. Certainly much better than me. Of course, I've met many tradespersons, union and non-union. The union workers generally have materially better lives. My (idiot) son is a residential electrician with ambitions of growing his own business. I begged him to join the hall. Instead, he's worked for every kind bad employer. Been seriously injured multiple times. Wage theft. Etc. At about 25, he wouldn't further debase himself by starting over at the hall. So he keeps being exploited. Being non-union is probably fine if you have the ambition and chops to build up your own business.