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  1. #1

    Default Narrowback locals......

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    Back in the old days I was told a Journeyman Lineman could walk into a wireman local and sign the books. Was this true ,is it still true..... did any of you older guys ever do this? Just wondering ???? E.S.

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by electric squirrel View Post
    Back in the old days I was told a Journeyman Lineman could walk into a wireman local and sign the books. Was this true ,is it still true..... did any of you older guys ever do this? Just wondering ???? E.S.
    Linemen were often referred out of Inside Locals that had more work than they could handel or when they could not find enough traveling JWs. This often occured with Inside Locals that had nuke plants under construction, that requied hundreds of electricans. This happened a lot in the late 70s when many nukes were being built and there wasn't much linework going on.

    In recent years things have reversed. Most Inside locals have many unemployed JWs. Outside locals have been referring out JWs to URD, substations and street lighting jobs that they don't have enough JLs available to man.

    This is another benifit of being IBEW.
    Last edited by tolex42; 02-22-2009 at 10:35 PM.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Swamprat View Post
    Not bein sarcastic or nothin, really.

    But, does that mean, as an IBEW Journeyman LINEMAN....you got stroke with gettin on with a a narrowback job? Just cause you're IbEW? I don't fu$in THINK so. Journeyman Lineman...to Narrowback?

    It's all the "Brotherhood", right? As long as you're IBEW....fu$k....It's all just electricity, right?

    I am not sure what you are saying here. Please clarify.

  4. #4
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    Its obviously never occured to Swamprat that a union JL has enough training to step right in and do a Narrowbacks job. Not only can we build the lines to feed em We can also make a motor run or a light work or any of a number of Technical things. Rats dont enjoy the same amount of training. I,ve never known a JL that couldnt work circles around a JW. Not long ago 4 Jl assisted 22 wiremen on a project that they were behind on In 2 days we had em a week ahead of schedule.

  5. #5
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    Default signing books

    I have cleared out of a narrow back’s local and worked in a power house. And then I have taken a clearance for substations and been in the control house doing wireman’s work. If you aren’t working you can sign their out of work books too…..Drifter

  6. Default Wire man or Inside

    I can do it all. Most Ibew electrical workers can. There is a lot of overlap in the training and type of work we do. Its not rocket science it is what it is.

  7. #7
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    Default narrowback

    Worked out of Southbend 153 for nearly 3 years one stretch.

    It was kind of funny... we were doing a thinwall conduit job in a warehouse.

    The foreman set me up in a big room and told me to run conduit from point a to point b, and said he'd be back when I got to the place were it needed to be bent.

    He left.. I looked at the prints and saw where it needed to go over the gap in the wall and extend to the next room... so I bent up offsets and such and buy the time he got back I'd moved the lift and stuff to the next bay.

    This goes on for a couple of days... Finally he says " I didnt know you line guys could do this stuff" ... I told him that emt was about the same as bending substation buss... but not as heavy-amd near as expensive if you messed a peice up.

    After a few weeks, we got into panels and pulling wire and trimming out devices and fixtures. I finally fessed up and told him I worked as a JW for 6 years before I went into the Powercompany and started linework.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Swamprat View Post
    Training......
    Ya THINK?

    I know, I know...Ya GOT to be IBEW "trained", before ya can do anything..'lectric.

    Whatever....... "Rats", don't know shit from shinola.
    No I didnt say ya hadda be trained by the IBEW but ya hafta be trained by somebody.And it hasta be purdy inclusive.I aint met many( bear in mind I didnt say any) Rat lineman that had the kinda training that would allow them to step right in as a wireman.I have met some very hard workin non union people But the majority of em didnt have a lot of expertise. They were willing to work very hard and for long hours but when push comes to shove not many of em knew how to do anything more than one way. And that is a direct reflection on the training they had received.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Swamprat View Post
    I'll agree. That is true.
    For alot of Non-union Linemen.

    Generally speaking...alot of Union Linemen, don't have "Alot of expertise" in Narrowback work either. It's just a different ballgame. Give a good Non Union Lineman a job as a Narrowback....9 times out of 10, they'll do just fine.

    But....I get your drift. Union does have magnificant training. But...Just cause you're "Trained"...don't mean ya remember it all. Just like any other Trade.
    Well since I started union and never worked Rat I know for a fact what kinda training a union apprentice gets,regardless of his location.I know that he does lottsa bookwork and lottsa after hours classroom type training( couple nights a week for several years)He has the opportunity to ask (In a non work enviorment) questions pertinant to his line of work and also some that arent pertinent. I also know that he is held to a pretty strict standard when it comes to advancing to a journeyman. I dont bleve Non union guys have that same standard or the level of training( Not that some of em cant take it on their own and learn as much as they can by reading or watching others and paying attention) With that said I also know that a linemans scale is generally higher than that of a narrowback and in my mind theres a reason for that, with possibly the exception of bending conduit( which dont take that long to learn) the union lineman has had the same basic principals taught to him as a narrowback............... thats all I was sayin

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Swamprat View Post
    Yup. Damnit...we agree again.....
    Ok, we got to stop this. People gonna start thinkin we're "Friends" and shit.

    A "Lineman's" Scale will ALWAYS be higher. The difference in Narrowbacks and Journeyman Power Linemen...is like the difference between... Rocks and Sticks.

    A Journeyman Powerlineman, Union or Non....will always be able to find a Job as a Narrowback. Bein "Union", definately helps, especially when workin the books for a job.

    I'm 60 years old man. I could go to work TOMORROW, for and "Electircal Narrowback" Company. Of Which....MOST are Non Union.

    But I get your drift.
    Of course, the load would have to be perfectly balanced to keep from blowing fuses on that floating neut. wye/wye you just built.

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