Join Operators Union To Start Career?

I may be interested in starting a union career as a machine operator..
The last job I had was fracking for Halliburton where I was a pretty good blender tender, exceptional pump mechanic, and was even being moved into data logging with the engineers..
I was working out of state but then Halliburton shut down all operations in my home state, effectively forcing me to become an employee of another state, therefor also cutting all of my pay for transportation to wherever they had me stationed, cutting almost 2 days of pay off of every one of my hitches.. So I got out, which I somewhat regret because I did love that job..
Before that I was doing public concrete/asphalt/landscape work in Detroit which was also out of town work for me, and have worked many residential construction jobs..

I have very strong mechanical skills and good coordination for operating machines. I have a class A CDL and have gone through 2 CDL training programs.. One 3 week beginning CDL training school in Ohio and an advanced CDL training class in PA, but my truck driving time experience is basically ALL from the classes as I was never sent out to drive..
I have some experience operating equipment, such as various tractors, but not a whole lot.. I also have many safety certifications such as CPR/AED/H2S etc..
I have experience traveling for work and working massive amounts of overtime.. I am not a big strong bulldozer of a guy but I am a pretty smart worker and learn things very fast especially if they are mechanical in nature.. I am in my late 20's..

What would you think about me considering joining an Operators Union apprenticeship training program?
Do they pay per diem or hotel and living expenses when you start or would I have to finance these costs myself for a while?
Is it hard to get in, or just buck up and go do it (adventure time)?

When I was a kid my stepfather was a union carpenter and we traveled a lot staying in campgrounds all over the place for weeks at a time.. I really liked it a lot and would be very interested in traveling for work like that myself..

Just retired after 42 years iuoe 825 ,rules and pay are different depending on where your at. I would say go for it

I would say join up and use that training program. Anymore you wont get on a lot of equipment without that card saying you know how to run a crane, etc. We have an IUOE training ground nearby and its amazing what they have for equipment to train on. Almost makes me want to go back and start over.

E33 said:

What would you think about me considering joining an Operators Union apprenticeship training program?
Do they pay per diem or hotel and living expenses when you start or would I have to finance these costs myself for a while?
Is it hard to get in, or just buck up and go do it (adventure time)?

Click to expand...

I have never heard of an apprenticeship program that pays the apprentice living or travel expenses.
Yes, it hard to get into IUOE apprenticeship program.
Depending on the Local they may or may not even be taking applications.
If you are lucky enough to get an interview with the coordinator show up dressed decently, be polite and do not act like a know-it-all.
If you are accepted and are dispatched to a job be aware you will be getting apprentice pay scale for a long time.

Well I could go back to Halliburton and all I would need to do is show up wherever I choose.. First 3 weeks you get free hotel with breakfast and lunch and dinner on the company, get about 50 hours a week for your first 2 week check sitting in a class @ $16-$20 an hour, then you get your first check and go to work for 7 days a week 14-16 hours a day as long as you want to while all those checks roll in @>100 hours a week and take a week off whenever you want as long as you work 2 or 3..

I can BANK doing this but I want a bit easier of a life than that.. It's a bit rough..

They don't even give you a hotel near location during your classes?

Think of your apprenticeship as going to school. If you’re on a job out of town you’ll be getting per diem while you’re there. If there’s no work then you don’t get paid or anything like that. I’m not sure how they do it while you’re on their training grounds but I am all but certain you won’t be put up while training. If a company isn’t paying in on your dues then the union isn’t generating any $$ on your behalf.

When I went in the union the company that hired me paid a fee for me to forgo the apprenticeship. If you’re lucky and find a company to hire you to work strictly for them it becomes a lot easier. If you work through the union hall at first you’ll be working who knows where and for literally any union company that needs an operator. That could be a day, a week or a month. Could turn into a career in one spot.

The union has excellent benefits and in some areas is the best game in town. In other areas it’s not that great. It won’t hurt a thing to find the nearest hall and go talk to them.

Its the best move I ever made. You can not beat the pay and benefits. I went through the apprenticeship program and think that's how everyone should get into the IUOE. The IUOE has some of the best training in the country. Work is looking good in my area and they are really upping their apprentice count. Ours is a 4 year program. You have to put in so many training hours per year at our training center and take an advancement test every 1000 working hours. When you pass the test your pay rate goes up. During my apprenticeship I was able to see many different areas of work operators cover. I've worked with cranes, major dirt work, demo, highway work, asphalt plant, and pipeline. I would definitely look into local 324's program. I've work with some of their guys and they are top notch.

E33 said:

They don't even give you a hotel near location during your classes ?

Click to expand...

No, they do not. Not in local 150.
Employers and their training are in a different world than a construction trades union.
Local 150 had over 5000 applicants last year.
I think there are 500 in the program now.
Retirees are being put back to work to help fill the shortage of qualified operators now.

E33 said:

They don't even give you a hotel near location during your classes?

Click to expand...

Some locals do, some do not. The only way to find a correct answer to your question is search for the local for your area, call the training school and ask. Anything we give you on here is second hand information that might or might not be accurate. Not that anyone here will steer you wrong, it's just that it's better to get the information first hand.

Some of the classes in the Local 150 training program are so full that recently an entire bus load of them were flown to a apprenticeship program in a IUOE Local in Texas for a week.
All expenses were paid for by 150.

Like buckethead said its best to talk to the local. My local is fairly small and our training center is centralized in our territory. Everyone lives within 2 hours of it so we dont have dorms or food. Other locals cover such a big area that their training center may have dorms. The IUOE has an international training center in Crosby Tx. that is open to all dues paying members. The place is massive and offers just about any type of machine or class you can think of. They have a hotel and dining facility on site. When you go there your flight, room and food is covered.