Union Contractor Vs Local Utility

[rustey]

Who is better to work for and why? Is there a big pay difference? Where do you gain the most experience? I'm interested in getting into linework and would like to know what you think. I don't mind travelling and would like to get quality training and experience on all kinds of equipment. thanks

[topgroove]

I used to think working for a local utility was the only way to go, we had the best training the best equipment and were generally paid better.We had the union behind us and our benifits were fantastic. Times have changed I'm afraid. Maybe de-regulation had something to do with it, I don't know. It seams the local utilities decided having there own crews drove up labor costs and began cutting back years ago. Most major rebuilds and large projects are contracted out now. It almost seams that upper management could care less about its own people. They worry more about paying fatigue time and meals than reducing outage durations. I've talked with plenty of contract Lineman from Hawkeye and they all say they would never work for a utility like ours. the pay is less and the benifits suck they say. The only time we seam to be appreciated is when a major storm blows through and even then they can't wait to declare the storm over and send us home even though the contractors are still putting up services. As far as training goes I think the utility still has a slight edge over contractors. We've all read the accidents involving apprentices working for contractors. Maybe they push the apps through too fast to " Git er done" mentality. One lineman from hawkeye I talked to last year said he made over $150,000 and could've made more if it were'nt for hunting season. He seamed a little happier too. At least working for a local utility gives you more time to spend with your family. If I was young again and did'nt have a family maybe I would've become a tramp lineman. Good luck to you in whatever path you choose and work safe my friend.

[LINETRASH]

If you dont mind traveling, get on with a construction contractor.

You will get experience alot of aspects of linework.

Just do this with the attitude that you are paying dues, learning everything you can. Keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to find a place you love and return there when you are ready to put down roots and get on with the local utility.

People who spend their entire carereers at a utility or rea, while they may be excellent linemen, are somwhat limited in work method and terminoligy.

As a contractor, you will learn several methods of how to accomplish any task. You will generally be more poorly equiped than your rea and utility counterparts, and will be better able to improvise.

Good luck!

[thrasher]

The whole travelling issue has already been mentioned. As for pay I've seen high paying contractors and low paying municipals and the exact reverse. It's all a matter of can the company find people for what it is willing to pay.
To me the biggest difference between the two is amount and type of training. Contractors are usually set-up and trained for the major jobs, either long new lines or major rebuilds. Often very little first-aid, CPR, or pole-top rescue training. Also most contractors push the apprentices thru as fast as possible, often too fast.
Utility in-house crews on the other hand are usually set-up to whip thru small (1-3 span) jobs and to do trouble-shooting. Especially the oddball troubleshooting with floating voltages, blinks, radio interference, hot-spots, etc. Utility crews also normally have better after the accident training (CPR, poletop rescue) and at least in the past had quicker reaction times to bring in more help. Also most in-house training programs are rigidly tied to a certain number of hours doing specific tasks to get the next step. This usually means a 3-4 year program.

[suddsy]

I have had the pleasure of working for both a utility and a couple contractors. I know that I am a much better hand going through a construction apprenticeship. I have encountered much more challenging tasks than when I worked at the utility. Even though I was a groundman for only the summer I felt comfortable doing All tasks that were handled by the crew which I grunted on. As an apprentice on a contract crew I have seen some pretty wild stuff to work on, the crews I worked on at the utility primarily did tangent changeouts and underground. while contracting I have been on helicopter jobs, backyard pole changouts (all off the hooks) etc. so on and so forth. I dont have a lifetime of experience doing either (contract or utility) so take that for what it is. as far a bieng pushed to fast as a contract app. Ive only been pushed as far as my ability. I study hard and my time as a groundman and in line school helped me out. I have yet to meet a foreman who WANTED to get a guy hurt. stay safe no matter what

[topgroove]

I have had the pleasure of working for both a utility and a couple contractors. I know that I am a much better hand going through a construction apprenticeship. I have encountered much more challenging tasks than when I worked at the utility. Even though I was a groundman for only the summer I felt comfortable doing All tasks that were handled by the crew which I grunted on. As an apprentice on a contract crew I have seen some pretty wild stuff to work on, the crews I worked on at the utility primarily did tangent changeouts and underground. while contracting I have been on helicopter jobs, backyard pole changouts (all off the hooks) etc. so on and so forth. I dont have a lifetime of experience doing either (contract or utility) so take that for what it is. as far a bieng pushed to fast as a contract app. Ive only been pushed as far as my ability. I study hard and my time as a groundman and in line school helped me out. I have yet to meet a foreman who WANTED to get a guy hurt. stay safe no matter what

I'm sure the apprentice from polteco that was just killed felt the same as you.

[liledgy]

I spent over 20 years at a very large midwest utility. Now I,m on the outside so I can only speak for the Co. that gave me the training. It was fantastic, they first put participants thru a very rigorous seven day climbing school. After running about 8 to 12 seven days classes and going thru over 80 people they ended up with 25 guys. They then ran a 90 day training program (10 guys in a class) in there training yard. Climbing for a couple hours everyday, all brace and bit and pulling up your own arms with just a rope, the whole time looking for mistakes to yell at you. once a week we climbed an H-structure and few times we had to go up the 80 and hang a alleyarm ladder and get on it, then the trainers would pull on the rope and give ya a ride. After climbing we hit the books in a classroom. For over 90 days we never left that yard. We ended up with 10 guys in each class that then made it into the apprentice program( the other 5 dropped) with more training to come every year. In my opinion their is no way you could of gotten the training I recieved in 2 weeks ar albat ( I think its now 3 weeks). Thats not to say that I don't work with some great lineman now, I do. I don't think they all saw the same training as the utility hands I worked with did, and I'm not talking CPR and first aid .I think afew probably shouldn't be lineman but that could be anywhere. We also got plenty of experiance working on different kinds of construction. I like it much better now than I did at the utility, I like the attitude of the hands( if they don't like it they just may drag) unlike the utility " I have to stay for my pension and healthcare". Theirs great guys at both places and a few asses at both to.

[Pootnaigle]

IN todays world a Utility company thinks they own ya, so I would suggest tryin a contractor til your pretty competent and then if your so inclined maybe try and get on with a utility.You should experience both and You dont wanna find yourself in the same boat with so many disgrunteled Utility hands that are afraid to try the contract route either because of age or uncertanty Back in my youth there were plenty of good men to train me in the utility but thats no longer the case as utilitys usually have thier people cut to the bone and doing bandaid work while major jobs are contracted out. I would venture to say in 20 yrs Utility hands are gonna hafta find em a new classification cause they sure wont be linemen.
I have seen things Contracting that I would never have seen in a utility like maybe a single phase 69 to 120/240 100 kva xfmr or a transformer wound y for 480 just to mention a few. wherever ya go be determined to learn something new and different, theres plenty out there and the more a man knows the easier it is to get er done

[CHICAGO HAND.]

Here is my issue.
Our contract states basically that we will not be replaced with contractors but what the company has done is not replace the retiring work force with fresh meat, so now they rely on outside contractors to do well over 50 percent of the work. If the company uses contractors during the week to do my job then they owe my group 8 hours of overtime per week for every week the contractors are on property. The problem with that is the company is not agknowledging many of the weeks that the contractors are working.
Also if they work overtime then the company owes us those hours on a man for man basis.
Again they say the contractors are not getting overtime when we talk to them and they tell us they are.
What happen to the days when a deal was made by a hand shake?
Now i have nothing against any man trying to make a living but by not hiring for in house jobs i am stuck with very few promotions which means no new blood under me.
Another problem is that the company gets away from paying a contractor hand many of the great benefits that i enjoy. Or maybe retirement, 401k, sick days, vacation, medical, dental, vision, hearing, guaranteed employment, etc is better on the contractors side?
Personally i think life would be better for my union brothers if the company were to have that many utility hands rather than have them work the system from the other side of the fence.
I think the company is using you for there financial benefit, yes you are making money but i think it could be better for both of us.
God bless you guys and be safe.

[suddsy]

I just got a chance to check up. to be honest I was a little shocked to see a poor response to what I call a good experience. my time at the utility gave me a lot of insite into politics, backstabbing, etc and so forth. Just one utility. The one I got my start at. I am not saying that it doesnt go on with contractors I just havent seen it, and I am a little bitter cuz I got turned down for apprenticeship by the utility cuz I went to the wrong line school, PEROID. It still burns me after 3 years. my heart goes out to the app for potelco and his family. it is unfortunate and should serve as a reminder of how dangerous our job is.