continued from above...
Subsequently, we started talking about linework again. I became more and more curious about what it was all about. He told me some of the things that lineman do, and talked about some of what the job was all about. His Dad was a lineman, just like mine was a firefighter, so he grew up around the job. The more I listened, the more interested I became in the trade. I knew nothing of linework, electricity, Amps, Volts, Watts, climbing or anything like that. I learned that not only do lineman climb poles, and work out of bucket trucks on the lines and the associated support structures, and run wire but they do underground work, drive trucks and operate many different types of heavy equipment to name a few of the other things. He also described how the field of utility construction is growing and that there will probably be fairly steady work, even in these bad economic times. This conversation sort of piqued my interest in it more than it ever had. He told me he really liked me work ethic, and would have loved to have me on his crew if he was a foreman. He offered me another chance, and this time I bit.
I asked him if it would be alright if I could come and watch on a job what the lineman do. He offered to let me come out on a few jobs, and from a safe distance, be able to watch....So I did! And it looked like a blast. The outside work was definitely a big attraction, as well as it being extremely physically demanding. I liked the idea that it was still very blue collar, but traditional in some aspects. I liked that you would be helping people by providing a means for electricity to get to their homes, and that the training and apprenticeship appeared to be very good, not half assed. After talking with a couple of the guys (and honestly, I had no idea about this), I learned of the considerable amounts of money that are possible to be made in this trade as well. Plus, powerline construction and maintenance work looked like it offered good chances to travel if you would like, something firefighting rarely, if ever does. The more I thought about it, I realized that I really wanted to try and break into this field....but how?
After discussing it with the powerline company owner I knew, and some of the lineman I began to meet, they all had the same 3 pieces of advice:
-Get your CDL-Class A with Air Brake endosement license
-Go sign the woodsman or groundman books at Local 17 Union Hall to get experience
-Apply for the lineman apprenticeship when it opens up.
I already had my CDL from a couple years prior.
When I found out how the union groundman out of work books work, I had my name on the unions books for woodsman righ away, since there were a lot of tree trimming companies hiring at the time. This was in August of 2009. I switched over to the groundman books in June of 2010, since I had not received any phone calls. In September, I got called out for 5 days of storm work out east in New England in Cape Cod, Massachusetts for Hurricane Earl. It took us a day and a half to get there, and then we staged for a day. Then it took us another day and a half to get back home when it turned out that the storm did little to no damage.
While on the trip, I learned a little bit about the materials that are used, about safety, handlines, knots, rope splicing and driving and operating the truck. I had good guys teaching me and working with me.
I have since learned how important it is to keep your phone on you and by your side in case you do get a call. I got one about 2 weeks ago for some storm work that was local, and didn't answer on the 1st couple rings. I called back the union rep, and he had already called another grunt and got him working.
In order to increase my chances of getting picked up for some groundman work, I have also driven to Locals 876, 71, 245, 9, 1393, 193 and 51 to sign their out-of-work groundman books in addition to my home Local 17. I did this right when I got back from the Storm work for Hurricane Earl in September.
I have applied for the lineman apprenticeship for local 17 this past summer, but even though I mailed my application out, no earlier than the time and date that ALBAT requested, but still the earliest I could per their rules for Local 17s apprenticeship application process, from the post office in Michigan where all the mail gets hubbed into (Pontiac).......my application still got denied since I was not one of the 1st 60 white applicants to have their application arrive at ALBATs office out of the 100 total that they were accepting. I will continue to apply to the Local 17s apprenticeship through ALBAT in the years to come if required, as I think it would be really nice to be able to do my apprenticeship close to home. I also realize though, that it is one of the toughest in the country to get into, and will therefore continue applying all over. I think it would also be nice to see some of the country and to get to do some traveling while I am young without a lot of commitments.
Speaking of traveling, I may be doing a lot of it as I have applied for apprenticeship positions with Missouri Valley Joint Apprenticeship Training (MOValley), SouthWest Line Constructors Apprenticeship Training, Mountain States Line Constructors Apprenticeship Training (MSLCAT), North East Apprenticeship Training (NEAT) and Southeast Line Constructors Apprenticeship Training (SELCAT).
As far as ALBAT goes, I also have applied for the apprenticeships with Local 245 out of Toledo Ohio and Local 71 out of Columbus Ohio. I have not heard anything yet with any of these.
I feel that I am so unprepared for this career and line of work. I am so eager to learn and continue on with this trade in any way I can though.
I got this book and some others from a foreman friend of mine who is all about helping me in any way he can. I have been looking it over.
I also ordered a copy of the book, SLIM by William Wister Haines and love it so far. I am on Part 3.
In the meantime, I continue to keep my ACLS BLS AHA CPR certification up and go to the Local 17 union meetings.