Becoming an operator for a utility company?

Like some other people on these forums, I'm trying to start a career as an operator and finding it extremely difficult. I live in the NYC/LI area and don't have a clue as to how to get into the Operating Engineers unions here. It seems almost impossible... So instead of construction, I've been thinking about trying to get into the field through companies like Con Ed or LIPA etc., but I can't seem to find any job postings for heavy equipment operators or helpers on their websites at all. The same the with the railroad.. This has me wondering how people get these jobs? I'm obviously willing to start as a laborer or helper but I'm not even sure what jobs/units of the companies to apply to that would give me the ability to move up to operator in the future..

Basically, I'm asking if anyone has any idea how to (eventually) become an operator for a utility company or the railroad in or around NYC?

To go from a beginner to an operator for a major utility is both a steep slope and a long journey. Those big utility companies seem to be a little touchy about who they want in the seat while digging through a maze of super high voltage wiring. They usually get the best of the best.

it shouldn't be too hard to find an apprentice program up there somewhere, if not, consider moving out of the city and going to work for a private contractor. I can only speak for my area, but if you start out in a ditch and are properly motivated, you should be able to get a chance at some seat time within a year. Excavators in this area are hiring, it's going to be a great year, there's tons of work out there.

I always considered being an operator for a utility company to be a gravy job and like seeing an turtle on a fence post,one thing you know for sure,he didn't get there by himself.I imagine that they are somehow sponsored and very likely somebody knows somebody to get you on the list.Theoretically they could hire anybody they want and you would get your ticket because you could not work for them without it although I have gotten thrown off a job before because I would not join the union.My guess is that they promote from within because,as I said those are gravy jobs,which is not to say that the operators don't know their stuff but realistically you should not expected to get hired off the street.I had a business agent for our local operators union approach me with this line about watching how good I was blah,blah and would I like to join the union.It seems that he was trying to unionize the job I was on and when he found out that there were already some union operators on the job(politics) he was not interested in me any more.One of them was the bosses son who knocked down a concrete wall back filling the day before.Ron G

Many of the utilities openings are "bid" to employees based on senority and then they have training and skills testing. Wanting does not always make a operator be. Our county shop operates the same way. You definitely start at the bottom.

RonG said:

I always considered being an operator for a utility company to be a gravy job and like seeing an turtle on a fence post,one thing you know for sure,he didn't get there by himself.I imagine that they are somehow sponsored and very likely somebody knows somebody to get you on the list.Theoretically they could hire anybody they want and you would get your ticket because you could not work for them without it

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Ron, I don't know about Connecticut, but the people who work for the utility companies around here (I mean the one you pay for electricity and/or gas, not a utility contractor) are not in the trades unions like outside construction. The people who work for those companies are all in the same "vertical" union, operators, truck drivers, welders, are in the same union. "Utility Workers" union or something like that, I think it's called.

RonG said:

although I have gotten thrown off a job before because I would not join the union.

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Sounds like they were willing to give you a chance.

Most power company operators are linemen by trade that bid into running the hoe. I work as a contractor for are local power company as a operator, lucky so far the linemen don't seem to care to much that I'm not an IBEW member, I think they like the fact they don't have to clean up the mess after digging up an under ground fault, and I think it helps I work in the area for an electrical contractor for 13 years, and most of them don't want to run a backhoe anyway.

Buckethead said:

Ron, I don't know about Connecticut, but the people who work for the utility companies around here (I mean the one you pay for electricity and/or gas, not a utility contractor) are not in the trades unions like outside construction. The people who work for those companies are all in the same "vertical" union, operators, truck drivers, welders, are in the same union. "Utility Workers" union or something like that, I think it's called.




Sounds like they were willing to give you a chance.

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Actually that job was the first job I had when I got out of the army and I could have retired from them if I had played my cards right (Lane Construction) but they wanted me to travel which I was too smart for at my young age so I am now a pensioner living off my SS check and nobody will hire me even if I could work because I have been too old for quite a while now.The young operators badmouth me to management and I just don't get called back after a layoff but you know the drill.........yah,I know,I should have joined the union.LOL.Ron G

It was a long time ago, don't worry about it. Nice to see you back on the forum again, hope you've been feeling better.

RonG said:

Actually that job was the first job I had when I got out of the army and I could have retired from them if I had played my cards right (Lane Construction) but they wanted me to travel which I was too smart for at my young age

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