Starting at a union shop need some advice

[2sac]

If your in Chicago I have one other piece of advice. MOVE!! It's more dangerous the Baghdad up there.

The majority of the violent crime is concentrated in a few neighborhoods on the south and west sides, and is primarily gang and drug related. I did my time working in those neighborhoods and don't miss it one bit.The police just came out with a report that 25% of the murders committed this year were by 1 gang. The crime in downtown Chicago is mostly political where they rape your pocketbooks..

[Tommy knocker]

I walked the streets of Baghdad in 07-08 and didn't get freaked out, I did have body armor and a machine gun, but Chicago? No way!! Not this country boy haha.

[GT Jets]

tip #1..unions are a dying breed, bank as much of your wages as you can..

Wah? Stop drinking the Kool Aid, it's making you look really silly.... Unions are strong and in many cases getting stronger. It's about representation in a large company, not about who can pee further..
If you knew what I made this last year it would make you ill...If you knew what I made for the company, you would simply pass out. One advantage of being union is the continued "free" training to keep up with the trade. If a class comes up that I am interested in, I simply "sign up and show up"... How many training classes have you been to lately?

So you've been in the industry for 10 years? Residential I assume? If you can find your way around a splitsystem, you should be able to find your way around a package unit up to 15 tons or so. Don't know how things work in your area, but in the Chicago metro area most shops utilize a filter company to do filter changeouts and employ coil cleaners, which is one step below an apprentice, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. Inspections vary from shop to shop and customer to customer. Your journeyman will have to show you what is expected during a PM. Tommy Knocker gave some good advice

Well said.. I will add that if it is a reputable shop, they should have a tasking list based on their expectations...

To the OP, I second the "don't buy into the I'm better than you because..." line of horse crap.
I wish you nothing but success my man... And congrats.

GT

[hvacapprentice5]

This is true do what works for you and yours

[zartangreen]

So you've been in the industry for 10 years? Residential I assume? If you can find your way around a splitsystem, you should be able to find your way around a package unit up to 15 tons or so. Don't know how things work in your area, but in the Chicago metro area most shops utilize a filter company to do filter changeouts and employ coil cleaners, which is one step below an apprentice, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. Inspections vary from shop to shop and customer to customer. Your journeyman will have to show you what is expected during a PM. Tommy Knocker gave some good advice

and employ coil cleaners, which is one step below an apprentice

tHERE IS gOLD IN THAT DIRT,,, cHA CHING IN SUMMER fAMiLY IN THE WINtER, nOT BLAH BLAH PER HOUR 2 4 GRAND IN A DAY,, tHAN 2 THE PARK WItH KIDS

[zartangreen]

Was at expo last year seemed ok

[primmers]

OK gtjets, google union "membership is up" and "unions are dying"..


just for giggles:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3005101/u...hat-comes-next

[zartangreen]

OK gtjets, google union "membership is up" and "unions are dying"..


just for giggles:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3005101/u...hat-comes-next

great site found this within https://be.freelancersunion.org/contract-creator/

[Joehvac25]

I walked the streets of Baghdad in 07-08 and didn't get freaked out, I did have body armor and a machine gun, but Chicago? No way!! Not this country boy haha.

I think my brother was there around the same time, well he was one of the first troops there and seems like he's been there quite a bit although he is a civilian contractor there now, well Afghanistan now.